The `plugins install` subcommand installs a Packer plugin.
The `packer plugins install` command downloads and installs the most recent version of a plugin binary. Refer to [Installing Plugins](/packer/docs/plugins/install) for additional information about installing plugins.
The requested plugin will be remotely installed by default at its latest version, unless a version
constraint is specified.
The command also supports installing plugins from a locally-sourced binary, along with its
expected source location.
## Description
Use the `packer plugins install` command to manually install plugins instead of specifying plugins in a template and initializing Packer. Refer to the [`packer init` command documentation](/packer/docs/commands/init) for information about installing plugins specified in a Packer template during initialization.
### Third-party plugin verification
HashiCorp only verifies plugins from GitHub under the`hashicorp/*` namespace. We recommend that you vet and verify any third-party plugins you want to install.
### Installation directory
By default, Packer installs plugins into the plugins directory at `$HOME/.config/packer/plugins` on Unix and `%APPDATA%\packer.d\plugins` on Windows, but you can specify a different directory using the `PACKER_PLUGIN_PATH environment variable. Refer to the [Packer configuration reference](/packer/docs/configure) for additional information.
## Usage
Use the following syntax to run the `packer plugins install` command:
## Examples
Specify a version number to install a specific version of the plugin. The following example installs the version `1.0.1` of `my-plugin` from a remote source:
- `<plugin-binary-source>`: A local or remote source where the plugin binary is available. To download from a remote source, the plugin must be hosted on GitHub. For local binaries, you must also include the `--path` option. Refer to [Installing Plugins](/packer/docs/plugins/install) for additional information about installing plugins.
- `<plugin version>`: A specific version of the plugin to download and install. Packer accepts semantic version numbers that follow the `<major>.<minor>.<patch>` format. If omitted, the command installs the latest plugin version.
## Options
You can use the following options:
`--path`: Use this option to specify a local plugin binary. You must use this option to install plugins from a local source.
`--force`: Use this option to force Packer to reinstall the plugin.
- [`packer init`](/packer/docs/commands/init) will install all required plugins.