Everything You Need to Know about Arch User Repository – Guide

The Arch User Repository (AUR) is an important aspect of the Arch Linux ecosystem. It is a community-run Arch Linux package repository that hosts a variety of packages not found in the official Arch Linux package database. Popular AUR projects may be included in the official Arch repository in the future! In fact, many of the new packages uploaded to the official Arch Linux repository started out as AUR packages before they were accepted.

How does AUR work?

The AUR is a repository of PKGBUILD scripts that does not necessarily contain the source code of the target package. When you use the AUR, you are actually taking the PKGBUILD script and building the program yourself. PKGBUILD is a specialized script for the Arch Linux system that tells the compiler how to build a certain package for the system. The process may include downloading an additional package(s) and source code. The script is also free to have specialized tweaks and fixes for the build process. ..

When you receive a package from the AUR, you are actually getting the PKGBUILD script. Your system still needs to run the script and go through the build process to fully install the package.

Why AUR?

The popularity of Arch Linux is due to the fact that it is a Debian-based Linux distribution with an AUR package manager. This means that you are less susceptible to any permanent security holes in your system, and that AUR packages are easier to install and maintain up-to-date.

In the case of AUR, you build the package from source with the help of a PKGBUILD. The PKGBUILD system makes the construction process fluent and hassle-free. Of course, it still has the potential to install malicious code on your system. But instead of adding a complete repository, you just have to worry about the package itself.

The construction procedure for anything is never that simple. It can also take a lot of time if you’re trying to build something heavy like the Linux kernel or Firefox. Unless, of course, you’re building something with a lot of features like the Mozilla Firefox browser.

Using the AUR

This article is about how to use the AUR, specifically the Ubuntu AUR.

Using the AUR Classic method

This is a guide on how to install AUR packages manually. It takes more time and patience than using AUR helpers, but it’s the only way to do it correctly.

Installing a package, Classic Method

Installing a package from the AUR is quite different from installing a package with pacman. First, make sure your system includes all the tools needed to carry out the build process. Second, be sure to install the AUR before you can install the package.

sudo pacman -S git base-devel -U git sudo pacman -S git base-devel -U git –gitignore

sudo pacman -U .tar.xz -C .pkg.tar.xz

Uninstalling a package, classic method

As the installation was done with pacman, use pacman to uninstall the package immediately.

Updating a package, Classic Method

Installing AUR packages will not automatically update them. You need to manually update the package following the previous steps. ..

pacman -S PKGBUILD

This will install the PKGBUILD file from the AUR.

Now, run the build and install process again.

Makepkg sudo pacman -U .tar.xz

Auxiliary AUR

The AUR helpers can automate a large part of the processes, saving you time and trouble.

There are several AUR helpers available on the internet. While some of them are reliable, all of them can be efficient at performing basic tasks. In this case, we will only include a few that are trusted and actively maintained.

In that tutorial, we’ll focus on how to use yay as one of the most popular helpers in the AUR. He borrows his designs from several other helpers, such as Yaourt (discontinued), Pacaur, and Apacman.

Yay – Another Yogurt

Installing yay requires knowledge of manually installing an AUR package. Let’s get ready. ..

ok, use

Yay is a simple tool that lets you easily manage your files and folders. It has a few common flags to help you perform similar actions, such as copying, moving, and deleting files.

Installing a package, with Yay

yay install -y aur

Searching package(s), with Yay

To search for a package in the AUR, use the “-Ss” flag.

Update all software, with Yay

sudo apt-get update

Cleaning up unwanted dependencies, with Yay

When you uninstall a package, its dependencies are still on your system. You can use yay to perform a cleanup.

Uninstalling package(s), with Yay

To uninstall a package, you use a similar flag like pacman.

Remove dependencies using the following structure.

Final note

This guide is about Arch User Repository, an archival storage and retrieval system. If you have any query regards this article, you may ask us. Also, please share your love by sharing this article with your friends.