Pamac Commands: Essential AUR Helper Guide

Pamac AUR Helper is a package manager for Arch Linux and its derivatives, such as Manjaro Linux. It simplifies package management and provides an easy-to-use graphical interface for installing, updating, and removing packages. It supports both the official repositories and the Arch User Repository (AUR), which contains packages contributed by the community.

Here are some key features of Pamac AUR Helper:

  • User-friendly graphical interface: Pamac AUR Helper provides a modern and intuitive interface for managing packages, making it easy to search for, install, update, and remove packages.
  • Support for the Arch User Repository (AUR): Pamac AUR Helper provides easy access to the Arch User Repository (AUR), which contains many packages unavailable in the official repositories. This allows users to install a broader range of software on their systems.
  • Integration with system updates: Pamac AUR Helper integrates with the system update process, allowing users to update all packages on their system (including those from the AUR) with a single command.
  • Dependency resolution: Pamac AUR Helper automatically handles dependency resolution when installing or removing packages, ensuring that all necessary dependencies are installed or removed along with the package.
  • Clean and safe package management: Pamac AUR Helper provides a clean and safe package management experience, with built-in tools for cleaning the system cache, removing orphaned packages, and rebuilding packages.
  • Default AUR helper on Manjaro Linux: Pamac AUR Helper is the default AUR helper on Manjaro Linux, one of the most popular Arch-based Linux distributions.

Overall, Pamac AUR Helper provides a powerful and user-friendly package management experience for Arch-based Linux distributions, with support for the AUR and other key features that make it a popular choice among Linux users. This guide is tailored for those new to Linux and wishes to begin easily managing packages using Pamac AUR Helper.

Installation

Pamac AUR Helper is not installed by default in Arch Linux except in the case of Manjaro Linux. To install it on Arch or any other Arch-based distro, open a terminal and enter the following command:

sudo pacman -S pamac

Once the installation is complete, you can start using Pamac AUR Helper.

Basic Commands

Pamac AUR Helper has many basic commands that you can use to manage packages. Here are some of the most commonly used ones:

Search for a Package

To search for a package, open Pamac AUR Helper and click the “Search” button. Alternatively, you can use the following command:

pamac search <package_name>

This command will search for packages in the official repositories and the AUR. Once you find the package you want, you can proceed with the installation.

Install a Package

To install a package, open Pamac AUR Helper and click on the “Install” button next to the package you want to install. Alternatively, you can use the following command:

pamac install <package_name>

This command will download and install the package along with its dependencies. Pamac AUR Helper will automatically handle the installation process for you.

Update Packages

To update all packages on your system, open Pamac AUR Helper and click on the “Update” button. Alternatively, you can use the following command:

pamac update

This command will update all packages on your system, including those from the official repositories and the AUR. It is recommended to run this command regularly to ensure that your system is up-to-date.

Remove a Package

To remove a package, open Pamac AUR Helper and click on the “Remove” button next to the package you want to remove. Alternatively, you can use the following command:

pamac remove <package_name>

This command will remove the package and its dependencies from your system. This is useful for freeing up disk space or uninstalling a package you no longer need.

View Package Details

To view the details of a package, open Pamac AUR Helper and click on the package name. This will display a window with information about the package. Alternatively, you can use the following command:

pamac info <package_name>

This command will display detailed information about the package, including its dependencies and installation size. This is useful if you want to learn more about a package before installing it.

Clean System Cache

To clean the system cache and free up disk space, open Pamac AUR Helper and click on the “Clean” button. Alternatively, you can use the following command:

pamac clean

This command will clean the system cache and remove any old package files. This is useful if you want to free up disk space.

List Installed Packages

To list all installed packages on your system, open Pamac AUR Helper and click on the “Installed” button. Alternatively, you can use the following command:

pamac list

This command will display a list of all installed packages on your system. This is useful to see which packages are installed on your system.

Upgrade Packages

To upgrade packages on your system, open Pamac AUR Helper and click on the “Upgrade” button. Alternatively, you can use the following command:

pamac upgrade

This command will upgrade all packages on your system to the latest version. It is recommended to run this command regularly to ensure that your system is up-to-date.

Display Package Information

To display information about a package, use the following command:

pamac info <package_name>

This command will display detailed information about the package, including its version, description, license, and dependencies. This is useful if you want to learn more about a package before installing it.

List Packages that Depend on a Package

To list packages that depend on a package, use the following command:

pamac list --required-by <package_name>

This command will display a list of packages that depend on the specified package. This is useful to see which packages rely on a particular package.

List Outdated Packages

To list outdated packages on your system, use the following command:

pamac outdated

This command will display a list of packages that have newer versions available. This is useful for updating specific packages to their latest versions.

Upgrade a Specific Package

To upgrade a specific package to the latest version, use the following command:

pamac upgrade <package_name>

This command will upgrade the specified package to the latest version. This is useful for updating a particular package to its latest version.

Basic Commands Summary

These basic commands allow you to search for, install, update, remove, and view package information. You can also list installed and outdated packages and upgrade all packages on your system or a specific package.

Advanced Commands

Pamac AUR Helper also has some advanced commands that you can use to customize your package management experience.

Install a Package from a File

To install a package from a file, open Pamac AUR Helper and click on the “Install” button. Instead of searching for a package, click on the “File” button and select the package file from your local file system. Alternatively, you can use the following command:

pamac install <package_file>

This command will install the package from the specified file. This is useful if you have downloaded a package file and want to install it using Pamac AUR Helper.

Search for a Package in the AUR Only

To search for a package in the AUR only, use the following command:

pamac search --aur <package_name>

This command will only search for packages in the AUR, ignoring packages in the official repositories. This is useful if you want to search for packages in the AUR specifically.

Install a Package from the AUR

To install a package from the AUR, use the following command:

pamac build <package_name>

This command will download the PKGBUILD file and any necessary dependencies, compile the package, and install it on your system. This is useful if you want to install a package only available in the AUR.

Install a Package Group

To install a package group, use the following command:

pamac install <package_group_name>

This command will install all packages in the specified package group and any necessary dependencies. This is useful if you want to install a group of related packages.

Remove Orphaned Packages

To remove orphaned packages (packages that are no longer needed by any other package), use the following command:

pamac remove --orphans

This command will remove all orphaned packages from your system. This is useful to free up disk space and remove unnecessary packages.

Rebuild a Package

To rebuild a package (for example, to apply a patch or change a compile option), use the following command:

pamac build <package_name>

This command will download the PKGBUILD file and any necessary dependencies, rebuild the package, and install it on your system. This is useful if you want to modify a package before installation.

List Packages by Size

To list packages on your system by size (in descending order), use the following command:

pamac list --size

This command will display a list of packages on your system sorted by size, from largest to smallest. This is useful for identifying large packages that may take up too much disk space.

Display Package Change Log

To display the change log for a package, use the following command:

pamac changelog <package_name>

This will display the change log for the specified package, including all changes and bug fixes in each version.

This command will display the change log for the specified package, including all changes and bug fixes in each version. This is useful if you want to learn more about the history of a package.

Advanced Commands Summary

In summary, these advanced commands allow you to install a package from a file, search for packages in the AUR only, install a package group, enable/disable AUR support, remove orphaned packages, rebuild a package, list packages by size, and display the change log for a package. These commands provide greater control and customization over your package management experience.

Conclusion

Pamac AUR Helper provides a wealth of commands and features to help you manage packages in Arch Linux and its derivatives. By using these commands and exploring the various options in the graphical interface, you can customize your package management experience and streamline your workflow.

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