# What does the "?" next to a package name during precompilation mean

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-the-next-to-a-package-name-during-precompilation-mean/132221>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Created:** [September 9, 2025, 8:52am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-the-next-to-a-package-name-during-precompilation-mean/132221 "2025-09-09T08:52:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Torkel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/torkel/32/5030_2.png) [@Torkel](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Torkel)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 8:52am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-the-next-to-a-package-name-during-precompilation-mean/132221/1 "2025-09-09T08:52:11Z")

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Figure this probably means something and it is probably something that one should know.

When precompiling, sometimes there are “?” next to package name. What exactly do these ones mean? E.g. like hre:

```julia-auto
  Progress [=====================================>] 293/319
  ? OrdinaryDiffEqHighOrderRK
  ? OrdinaryDiffEqSymplecticRK
  ? OrdinaryDiffEqLowOrderRK
  ? OrdinaryDiffEqVerner
  ? OrdinaryDiffEqFeagin
  ? OrdinaryDiffEqLowStorageRK

```

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**Author:** ![barucden](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/barucden/32/26154_2.png) [@barucden](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/barucden)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 9:02am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-the-next-to-a-package-name-during-precompilation-mean/132221/2 "2025-09-09T09:02:55Z")

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I don’t remember seeing a question mark myself, but the [docs says](https://pkgdocs.julialang.org/v1/environments/#Automatic-Precompilation):

> `?` A question mark character indicates that a `PrecompilableError` was thrown, indicating that precompilation was disallowed, i.e. ` __precompile__ (false)` in that package.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Torkel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/torkel/32/5030_2.png) [@Torkel](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Torkel)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 9:14am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-the-next-to-a-package-name-during-precompilation-mean/132221/3 "2025-09-09T09:14:21Z")

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That is most clear, thanks a lot!