Handy Pacman Commands in Arch Linux

Han included in Linux

2024-05-01 327 words 2 minutes views

Contents

Pacman, the package manager for Arch Linux, is known for its simple binary package format and easy-to-use build system. The primary aim of Pacman is to facilitate straightforward management of packages from both the official repositories and user-generated builds.

Pacman ensures your system remains updated by synchronizing the package lists with the master server. This client/server model simplifies the process of downloading and installing packages, along with all their dependencies, using basic commands.

Installing and Upgrading Packages

Install a Package:
```
sudo pacman -S <package-name>
```
Full System Upgrade:
```
sudo pacman -Syu
```
- -y synchronizes the database, similar to sudo apt-get update.
- -u upgrades all out-of-date packages, akin to sudo apt-get upgrade.
Installing Packages from Git: Clone the package and install:
```
git clone <repository-url>
makepkg -si
```

Removing Packages

Remove a Specific Package:
```
sudo pacman -R <package-name>
```
Using -s removes dependencies not required by other packages, but be cautious as it may affect dependencies needed by other programs.
Best Practice for Removing Packages:
```
sudo pacman -Rns <package-name>
```
Remove Obsolete Packages:
```
sudo pacman -Sc
```

Managing Package Lists

List All Installed Packages:
```
sudo pacman -Q
```
List Manually Installed Packages:
```
sudo pacman -Qe
```
List Installed AUR Packages:
```
sudo pacman -Qm
```
List Unneeded Dependencies:
```
sudo pacman -Qdt
```

Getting Started with Pacman

Creating a List of Installed Packages: Generate a list to easily reinstall packages on a new system:
```
pacman -Qqen > pkglist.txt
```
To reinstall packages from the list:
```
pacman -S - < pkglist.txt
```

Rollback to Previous Versions

List Cached Packages:

ls /var/cache/pacman/pkg/

To downgrade a package:

sudo pacman -U <package-file>

Managing Mirror Lists

Edit and Refresh Mirror List:
```
sudo vim /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
sudo pacman -Syy
```
Use -yy to force a refresh of the package databases, even if they are up to date.

Configuration Tips

Enable Parallel Downloads: Open your configuration file:
```
sudo vim /etc/pacman.conf
```
Then uncomment or add the following line to enable multiple simultaneous downloads:
```
ParallelDownloads=5
```
Ignore Specific Packages: Add the following line to /etc/pacman.conf to prevent specific packages from being updated:
```
IgnorePkg = postgresql*
```