# Why is \`\]add --preserve=all\` still updating packages?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-is-add-preserve-all-still-updating-packages/137368>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** pkg, precompilation, environment\
**Created:** [June 1, 2026, 8:23am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-is-add-preserve-all-still-updating-packages/137368 "2026-06-01T08:23:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Alexander-Barth](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/alexander-barth/32/3692_2.png) [@Alexander-Barth](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Alexander-Barth)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2026, 8:23am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-is-add-preserve-all-still-updating-packages/137368/1 "2026-06-01T08:23:36Z")

</div>

I have an environment where GPUArrays is already installed as an indirect dependency.  
I want to make it available without triggering precompilation (which can be really slow sometimes).  
But even with `--preserve=all` the package gets updated (and needing precompilation):

```julia-auto
(NNvelocity) pkg> add --preserve=all GPUArrays                                                                                                                                                                                        
   Resolving package versions...                                                                                                                                                                                                      
    Updating `~/.julia/dev/NNvelocity/Project.toml`                                                                                                                                                                                   
  [0c68f7d7] + GPUArrays v11.5.4 [loaded: v11.4.1]                                                                                                                                                                                    
    Updating `~/.julia/dev/NNvelocity/Manifest-v1.12.toml`                                                                                                                                                                            
  [0c68f7d7] ↑ GPUArrays v11.4.1 ⇒ v11.5.4 [loaded: v11.4.1]                                                                                                                                                                          
P ✓ GPUArrays                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
  ✓ GPUArrays → JLD2Ext                                                 
...

```

Maybe I don’t know what [preserve all](https://pkgdocs.julialang.org/v1/api/#Pkg.add) means or it is a bug / misnomer? Thanks for any insights.

(Using julia 1.12.1)