Arch

Pacman is a powerful package manager designed for Arch Linux and its derivatives.

Update Package Database

To ensure you have the latest package information, update the package database:

sudo pacman -Sy

Install Packages

To install a package, use the pacman -S command followed by the package name:

sudo pacman -S [package_name]

Remove Packages

To remove a package (while keeping configuration files):

sudo pacman -R [package_name]

To remove a package and its configuration files:

sudo pacman -Rs [package_name]

To remove a package and its unused dependencies:

sudo pacman -Rns [package_name]

Upgrade Packages

To upgrade all installed packages:

sudo pacman -Syu

Search for Packages

To search for packages by name or description:

pacman -Ss [search_term]

Show Package Information

To display detailed information about a package:

pacman -Si [package_name]

Additional Tools

Yaourt (Deprecated)

While not recommended due to security concerns, Yaourt was a popular AUR helper. If you still use it, the commands are:

To install a package from the AUR:

yaourt -S [package_name]

Yay

Yay is a popular and community-driven AUR helper:

To install a package from the AUR using yay:

yay -S [package_name]

AUR (Arch User Repository)

The AUR contains user-contributed packages not found in official repositories.

Building AUR Packages

To build and install a package from the AUR using makepkg:

1. Download the AUR package source.
2. Extract the source and navigate to the package directory.
3. Build the package:

makepkg -si

Managing Pacman Hooks

Pacman hooks are scripts that run at specific points during package installation and removal. Hooks can be found in /usr/share/libalpm/hooks/.

Keep Your System Updated

Regularly update your system to ensure security and stability:

sudo pacman -Syu

These commands should help you manage packages efficiently on your Arch Linux system. Remember to use sudo to execute commands as a superuser when required.