diff --git a/cmd/list.go b/cmd/list.go
index a2c48c94c7..f1f78729f4 100644
--- a/cmd/list.go
+++ b/cmd/list.go
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ func (lr *listResult) print() {
 }
 
 func showComponentList(env *environment.Environment, opt listOptions) (*listResult, error) {
-	if !opt.installedOnly {
+	// Skip online update in packaged builds
+	if !opt.installedOnly && !environment.IsPackagedBuild {
 		err := env.V1Repository().UpdateComponentManifests()
 		if err != nil {
 			tui.ColorWarningMsg.Fprint(os.Stderr, "Warn: Update component manifest failed, err_msg=[", err.Error(), "]\n")
@@ -182,8 +183,16 @@ func showComponentList(env *environment.Environment, opt listOptions) (*listResu
 }
 
 func showComponentVersions(env *environment.Environment, component string, opt listOptions) (*listResult, error) {
+	versions, err := env.Profile().InstalledVersions(component)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	installed := set.NewStringSet(versions...)
+
+	var cmpTable [][]string
+	cmpTable = append(cmpTable, []string{"Version", "Installed", "Release", "Platforms"})
+
 	var comp *v1manifest.Component
-	var err error
 	if opt.installedOnly {
 		comp, err = env.V1Repository().LocalComponentManifest(component, false)
 	} else {
@@ -193,15 +202,6 @@ func showComponentVersions(env *environment.Environment, component string, opt l
 		return nil, errors.Annotate(err, "failed to fetch component")
 	}
 
-	versions, err := env.Profile().InstalledVersions(component)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	installed := set.NewStringSet(versions...)
-
-	var cmpTable [][]string
-	cmpTable = append(cmpTable, []string{"Version", "Installed", "Release", "Platforms"})
-
 	platforms := make(map[string][]string)
 	released := make(map[string]string)
 
diff --git a/pkg/environment/env.go b/pkg/environment/env.go
index 8ea388cc3e..53b300fd71 100644
--- a/pkg/environment/env.go
+++ b/pkg/environment/env.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ import (
 var (
 	// ErrInstallFirst indicates that a component/version is not installed
 	ErrInstallFirst = errors.New("component not installed")
+
+	// IsPackagedBuild is hard-coded to 'true' in binaries produced by packaged builds
+    // (e.g., Debian, RPM, Homebrew) to change their behavior to be more like real system programs.
+	IsPackagedBuild = true
 )
 
 // EnvList is the canonical allowlist of environment variables TiUP will print or expose.
@@ -127,6 +131,13 @@ func InitEnv(options repository.Options, mOpt repository.MirrorOptions) (*Enviro
 		return env, nil
 	}
 
+	// Always initialize the repository. In packaged builds,
+	// specific functions (like automatic updates) will check IsPackagedBuild
+	// and adapt their behavior. Explicit install/list should work.
+	if IsPackagedBuild {
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "Online version check and repository interaction skipped in packaged build.")
+	}
+
 	initRepo := time.Now()
 	profile := localdata.InitProfile()
 
@@ -203,6 +214,9 @@ func (env *Environment) UpdateComponents(specs []string, nightly, force bool) er
 
 // SelfUpdate updates TiUP.
 func (env *Environment) SelfUpdate() error {
+	if IsPackagedBuild {
+		return errors.New("tiup self-update is disabled in this packaged build")
+	}
 	if err := env.v1Repo.DownloadTiUP(env.LocalPath("bin")); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/exec/run.go b/pkg/exec/run.go
index 7ef82b5973..2a52de55a1 100644
--- a/pkg/exec/run.go
+++ b/pkg/exec/run.go
@@ -175,6 +175,11 @@ func PrepareCommand(p *PrepareCommandParams) (*exec.Cmd, error) {
 }
 
 func cmdCheckUpdate(component string, version utils.Version) {
+	// Skip online check in binaries installed by a package manager
+	if environment.IsPackagedBuild {
+		return
+	}
+
 	const (
 		slowTimeout   = 1 * time.Second // Timeout to display checking message
 		cancelTimeout = 2 * time.Second // Timeout to cancel the check
diff --git a/pkg/repository/v1_repository.go b/pkg/repository/v1_repository.go
index 1df59145cd..216ebc2051 100644
--- a/pkg/repository/v1_repository.go
+++ b/pkg/repository/v1_repository.go
@@ -538,6 +538,11 @@ func (r *V1Repository) PurgeTimestamp() {
 // has the same value of our local one. (not hashing the snapshot file itself)
 // Return weather the manifest is changed compared to the one in local ts and the FileHash of snapshot.
 func (r *V1Repository) fetchTimestamp() (changed bool, manifest *v1manifest.Manifest, err error) {
+	// Ideally a repository check was not mandatory to simply run a program, but as it is,
+	// an uninitialized repository would cause a nil pointer dereference, so return an error.
+	if r == nil {
+		return false, nil, errors.New("repo is nil")
+	}
 	// check cache first
 	if r.timestamp != nil {
 		return false, r.timestamp, nil
diff --git a/pkg/repository/v1manifest/local_manifests.go b/pkg/repository/v1manifest/local_manifests.go
index a7c32396b5..0d50a04224 100644
--- a/pkg/repository/v1manifest/local_manifests.go
+++ b/pkg/repository/v1manifest/local_manifests.go
@@ -198,9 +198,9 @@ func (ms *FsManifests) load(filename string) (string, error) {
 	file, err := os.Open(fullPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			// Use the hardcode root.json if there is no root.json currently
+			// Use system root.json if none was found in the local profile directory
 			if filename == ManifestFilenameRoot {
-				initRoot, err := filepath.Abs(filepath.Join(ms.profile.Root(), "bin/root.json"))
+				initRoot, err := filepath.Abs(filepath.Join("/usr/share/tiup/root.json"))
 				if err != nil {
 					return "", errors.Trace(err)
 				}