Difference between adb "install" command and "pm install" command?

Issue

What's the difference between installing an app using the install command and using the package manager's pm install command? Do they do the exact same job? Does one command actually call the other in the back?

adb install -r APK_FILE
adb shell pm install APK_FILE

Solution

adb install is a command to run from a development host, which uploads a package somewhere temporary and then installs it.

pm install is a command to run locally on the device.

adb does indeed utilize the pm program on the device - see the source code at

https://android.googlesource.com/platform/system/core/+/kitkat-mr2.2-release/adb/commandline.c

Answered By - Chris Stratton