Arch Linux is a powerful and highly customizable Linux distribution that is known for its simplicity and flexibility. It is a perfect choice for those who want to have complete control over their Linux operating system and its components. It is a rolling release distribution, which means that users receive updates on a continuous basis, rather than in the form of version upgrades.
In this article, I will cover some basic commands of Pacman, Yay, and Pamac on Manjaro and Arch Linux that every user should know. This will help you to install, update, search, and remove the software on your Arch system. But before that, you need to know why you should or should not use Arch Linux.
Why Should You Use And Should Not Use Arch Linux? – The Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It is highly customizable. | It requires a high level of technical knowledge. |
| It is a rolling-release distribution which means the most up-to-date software. | It is a rolling-release distribution means oftentimes the software has bugs. |
| It has strong package management. | It requires regular maintenance. |
| It has a strong community. | It does not include a graphical user interface. |
| It is lightweight. | It does not offer commercial support. |
Commands For Pacman Package Manager
pacman
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
pacman -S [package_name] |
Install a package. |
pacman -R [package_name] |
Remove a package. |
pacman -Syu |
Update all the packages on the system. |
pacman -Ss [package_name] |
Search for a package. |
Commands For yay – Yet Another Yogurt (Pacman Wrapper And AUR Helper)
Yay is a popular command-line tool for managing packages on Arch Linux and Arch-based Linux distributions. It is a wrapper for the pacman package manager, and it provides additional features such as AUR support, interactive search, and more.
Yay is designed to make it easy to install and manage packages on Arch Linux, and it is particularly useful for those who frequently use the Arch User Repository (AUR).
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
yay |
Alias to yay -Syu. |
yay <Search Term> |
Present package-installation selection menu. |
yay -Y --combinedupgrade --save |
Make a combined upgrade to the default mode. |
yay -Ps |
Print system statistics. |
yay -Yc |
Clean unneeded dependencies. |
yay -Syu --devel |
Perform system upgrades, but also check for development package updates. |
yay -Syu --timeupdate |
Perform system upgrade and use PKGBUILD modification time (not version number) to determine update. |
Commands For Pamac – Manjaro’s Package Manager
Pamac is a graphical package manager for Manjaro Linux and can be installed on Arch Linux. It provides a user-friendly and intuitive interface for managing packages on the system. It is designed to make it easy for users to install, update, and remove packages. And it supports both the official Arch repositories and the Arch User Repository (AUR).
It also offers a command-line interface (CLI) mode for managing packages on the system. The CLI mode of Pamac allows users to perform package management tasks from the command line, providing an alternative to the graphical interface. This mode is helpful for users who prefer to use the command line.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
pamac install [package_name] |
Install a new package |
pamac remove --orphans [package_name] |
Remove a package and its no longer required dependencies (orphans) |
pamac search [package_name] |
Search the package database for a package |
pamac list --installed |
List installed packages |
pamac checkupdates |
Check for package updates |
pamac upgrade |
Upgrade all packages |
pamac list -i |
Display a list of all installed packages |
Conclusion
I hope you have learned the basic commands to manage your software in Arch Linux. Note that, if you are using Arch Linux, you will not find yay or pamac to be installed by default. yay and pamac are pacman wrappers and AUR helpers that need to be installed first. If you are using any Arch-based distro like Manjaro, XeroLinux, etc., you may find these package managers installed out of the box.
There you have it. If you have any questions or issues, you can comment below. I will be very happy to assist you to solve your problem. Or if you have any suggestions to improve this content, feel free to contact me. Until then, have a great day.
