Arch linux adding repositories

Official repositories

A software repository is a storage location from which software packages are retrieved for installation.

Arch Linux official repositories contain essential and popular software, readily accessible via pacman. They are maintained by package maintainers.

Packages in the official repositories are constantly upgraded: when a package is upgraded, its old version is removed from the repository. There are no major Arch releases: each package is upgraded as new versions become available from upstream sources. Each repository is always coherent, i.e. the packages that it hosts always have reciprocally compatible versions.

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Stable repositories

This repository can be found in . /core/os/ on your favorite mirror.

core contains packages for:

as well as dependencies of the above (not necessarily makedepends) and the base meta package.

core has fairly strict quality requirements. Developers/users need to signoff on updates before package updates are accepted. For packages with low usage, a reasonable exposure is enough: informing people about update, requesting signoffs, keeping in #testing up to a week depending on the severity of the change, lack of outstanding bug reports, along with the implicit signoff of the package maintainer.

extra

This repository can be found in . /extra/os/ on your favorite mirror.

extra contains all packages that do not fit in core. Example: Xorg, window managers, web browsers, media players, tools for working with languages such as Python and Ruby, and a lot more.

community

This repository can be found in . /community/os/ on your favorite mirror.

community contains packages that have been adopted by Trusted Users from the Arch User Repository. Some of these packages may eventually make the transition to the core or extra repositories as the developers consider them crucial to the distribution.

multilib

This repository can be found in . /multilib/os/ on your favorite mirror.

multilib contains 32-bit software and libraries that can be used to run and build 32-bit applications on 64-bit installs (e.g. wine , steam , etc).

With the multilib repository enabled, the 32-bit compatible libraries are located under /usr/lib32/ .

Enabling multilib

To enable multilib repository, uncomment the [multilib] section in /etc/pacman.conf :

Then upgrade the system and install the desired multilib packages.

Disabling multilib

Execute the following command to remove all packages that were installed from multilib:

If you have conflicts with gcc-libs reinstall the gcc-libs package and the base-devel group.

Comment out the [multilib] section in /etc/pacman.conf :

Then upgrade the system.

Testing repositories

The intended purpose of the testing repository is to provide a staging area for packages to be placed prior to acceptance into the main repositories. Package maintainers (and general users) can then access these testing packages to make sure that there are no problems integrating the new package. Once a package has been tested and no errors are found, the package can then be moved to the primary repositories.

Not all packages need to go through this testing process. However, all packages destined for the core repository must go to testing first. Packages that can affect many packages (such as perl or python ) should be tested as well. Testing is also usually used for large collections of packages such as GNOME and KDE.

testing

This repository can be found in . /testing/os/ on your favorite mirror.

testing contains packages that are candidates for the core or extra repositories.

New packages go into testing if:

• They are destined for the core repo. Everything in core must go through testing

• They are expected to break something on update and need to be tested first.

testing is the only repository that can have name collisions with any of the other official repositories. If enabled, it has to be the first repository listed in your /etc/pacman.conf file.

community-testing

This repository is similar to the testing repository, but for packages that are candidates for the community repository.

multilib-testing

This repository is similar to the testing repository, but for packages that are candidates for the multilib repository.

gnome-unstable

This repository contains testing packages for the next stable or stable release candidate version of the GNOME desktop environment, before they are moved to the main testing repository.

To enable it, add the following lines to /etc/pacman.conf :

The gnome-unstable entry should be first in the list of repositories (i.e., above the testing entry).

Please report packaging related bugs in our bug tracker, while anything else should be reported upstream to GNOME Gitlab.

kde-unstable

This repository contains the latest beta or Release Candidate of KDE Plasma and Applications.

To enable it, add the following lines to /etc/pacman.conf :

The kde-unstable entry should be first in the list of repositories (i.e., above the testing entry).

Make sure you make bug reports if you find any problems.

Disabling testing repositories

If you enabled testing repositories, but later on decided to disable them, you should:

1. Remove (comment out) them from /etc/pacman.conf
2. Perform a pacman -Syuu to «rollback» your updates from these repositories.

The second item is optional, but keep it in mind if you notice any problems.

Staging repositories

This repository contains broken packages and is used solely by developers during rebuilds of many packages at once. In order to rebuild packages that depend on, for example, a new shared library, the shared library itself must first be built and uploaded to the staging repositories to be made available to other developers. As soon as all dependent packages are rebuilt, the group of packages is then moved to testing or to the main repositories, whichever is more appropriate.

See [1] for more historical details.

Historical background

Most of the repository splits are for historical reasons. Originally, when Arch Linux was used by very few users, there was only one repository known as official (now core). At the time, official basically contained Judd Vinet’s preferred applications. It was designed to contain one of each «type» of program — one DE, one major browser, etc.

There were users back then that did not like Judd’s selection, so since the Arch Build System is so easy to use, they created packages of their own. These packages went into a repository called unofficial, and were maintained by developers other than Judd. Eventually, the two repositories were both considered equally supported by the developers, so the names official and unofficial no longer reflected their true purpose. They were subsequently renamed to current and extra sometime near the release version 0.5.

Shortly after the 2007.8.1 release, current was renamed core in order to prevent confusion over what exactly it contains. The repositories are now more or less equal in the eyes of the developers and the community, but core does have some differences. The main distinction is that packages used for Installation CDs and release snapshots are taken only from core. This repository still gives a complete Linux system, though it may not be the Linux system you want.

Some time around 0.5/0.6, there were a lot of packages that the developers did not want to maintain. Jason Chu set up the «Trusted User Repositories», which were unofficial repositories in which trusted users could place packages they had created. There was a staging repository where packages could be promoted into the official repositories by one of the Arch Linux developers, but other than this, the developers and trusted users were more or less distinct.

This worked for a while, but not when trusted users got bored with their repositories, and not when untrusted users wanted to share their own packages. This led to the development of the AUR. The TUs were conglomerated into a more closely knit group, and they now collectively maintain the community repository. The Trusted Users are still a separate group from the Arch Linux developers, and there is not a lot of communication between them. However, popular packages are still promoted from community to extra on occasion. The AUR also allows untrusted users to submit PKGBUILDs.

After a kernel in core broke many user systems, the «core signoff policy» was introduced. Since then, all package updates for core need to go through a testing repository first, and only after multiple signoffs from other developers are then allowed to move. Over time, it was noticed that various core packages had low usage, and user signoffs or even lack of bug reports became informally accepted as criteria to accept such packages.

In late 2009/the beginning of 2010, with the advent of some new filesystems and the desire to support them during installation, along with the realization that core was never clearly defined (just «important packages, handpicked by developers»), the repository received a more accurate description.

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Unofficial user repositories/Repo-ck

Repo-ck is an unofficial Arch Linux repository hosting generic and CPU-optimized kernels. It has been in operation since 2011 and is maintained by graysky.

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Kernels package

Brand	Group Alias	Description	Build flags enabled by patchset
Any	ck-generic	x86-64 generic kernel good for any supported CPU	-march=x86-64
	ck-generic-v2	x86-64-v2 generic kernel good for any supported CPU	-march=x86-64-v2
	ck-generic-v3	x86-64-v3 generic kernel good for any supported CPU	-march=x86-64-v3
	ck-generic-v4	x86-64-v4 generic kernel good for any supported CPU	-march=x86-64-v4

Selecting the correct CPU optimized package

If a model specific kernel is not offered, users should select one of the three generic packages that is best matched to the specific hardware. To tell which generic package is best, simply run:

If x86-64-v3 (supported, searched) is in the output, use the ck-generic-v3 group. If only x86-64-v2 (supported, searched) is in the output, use the ck-generic-v2 group. If neither are in the output, use the ck-generic group.

Those wanting CPU-specific optimized packages can run the following command (assuming that base-devel is installed):

The resulting -march is what GCC would use natively. Refer to the table above for a mapping of this value to the correct group; again, not every possible value will have a specific group.

For further help, see:

Speed benefits of CPU optimized packages

Extensive testing comparing the effect of GCC compile options show varying results, from no change to rather significant speed ups. [1] [2] [3]

This article or section needs expansion.

Setup

Add repository

Add the repository to /etc/pacman.conf under the Arch official repositories:

Additional mirror

aviallon hosts a mirror with better bandwidth and stability, synchronized every 6 hours. You can add it to your pacman.conf :

Install kernel

Update your sync database and install the chosen kernel variant (see above for available variants):

Update boot loader configuration

If you are using GRUB with a common setup, then you can update its configuration by regenerating the main configuration file.

Troubleshooting

Support

Downloads interrupt regularly

Graysky is using Go Daddy as his web host. Some of the transfers from their poorly implemented server end in an incomplete transfer. To combat this, list the repository address multiple times and pacman will automatically try the next available server.

Alternatively, change the pacman downloader to wget, which automatically resumes downloads.

See this forum post for an explanation of these issues.

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Arch User Repository

The Arch User Repository (AUR) is a community-driven repository for Arch users. It contains package descriptions (PKGBUILDs) that allow you to compile a package from source with makepkg and then install it via pacman. The AUR was created to organize and share new packages from the community and to help expedite popular packages’ inclusion into the community repository. This document explains how users can access and utilize the AUR.

A good number of new packages that enter the official repositories start in the AUR. In the AUR, users are able to contribute their own package builds ( PKGBUILD and related files). The AUR community has the ability to vote for packages in the AUR. If a package becomes popular enough — provided it has a compatible license and good packaging technique — it may be entered into the community repository (directly accessible by pacman or abs).

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Getting started

Users can search and download PKGBUILDs from the AUR Web Interface. These PKGBUILD s can be built into installable packages using makepkg, then installed using pacman.

• Ensure the base-devel package group is installed in full ( pacman -S —needed base-devel ).
• Glance over the #FAQ for answers to the most common questions.
• You may wish to adjust /etc/makepkg.conf to optimize the build process to your system prior to building packages from the AUR. A significant improvement in package build times can be realized on systems with multi-core processors by adjusting the MAKEFLAGS variable, by using multiple cores for compression, or by using different compression algorithm. Users can also enable hardware-specific compiler optimizations via the CFLAGS variable. See makepkg#Tips and tricks for more information.

It is also possible to interact with the AUR through SSH: type ssh aur@aur.archlinux.org help for a list of available commands.

History

In the beginning, there was ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/incoming , and people contributed by simply uploading the PKGBUILD, the needed supplementary files, and the built package itself to the server. The package and associated files remained there until a Package Maintainer saw the program and adopted it.

Then the Trusted User Repositories were born. Certain individuals in the community were allowed to host their own repositories for anyone to use. The AUR expanded on this basis, with the aim of making it both more flexible and more usable. In fact, the AUR maintainers are still referred to as TUs (Trusted Users).

Between 2015-06-08 and 2015-08-08 the AUR transitioned from version 3.5.1 to 4.0.0, introducing the use of Git repositories for publishing the PKGBUILD s. Existing packages were dropped unless manually migrated to the new infrastructure by their maintainers.

Git repositories for AUR3 packages

The AUR Archive on GitHub has a repository for every package that was in AUR 3 at the time of the migration. Alternatively, there is the aur3-mirror repository which provides the same.

Installing and upgrading packages

Installing packages from the AUR is a relatively simple process. Essentially:

1. Acquire the build files, including the PKGBUILD and possibly other required files, like systemd units and patches (often not the actual code).
2. Verify that the PKGBUILD and accompanying files are not malicious or untrustworthy.
3. Run makepkg in the directory where the files are saved. This will download the code, compile it, and package it.
4. Run pacman -U package_file to install the package onto your system.

Prerequisites

First ensure that the necessary tools are installed by installing the base-devel group in full which includes make and other tools needed for compiling from source.

Next choose an appropriate build directory. A build directory is simply a directory where the package will be made or «built» and can be any directory. The examples in the following sections will use

/builds as the build directory.

Acquire build files

Locate the package in the AUR. This is done using the search field at the top of the AUR home page. Clicking the application’s name in the search list brings up an information page on the package. Read through the description to confirm that this is the desired package, note when the package was last updated, and read any comments.

There are several methods for acquiring the build files for a package:

• Clone its git repository, labeled «Git Clone URL» in the «Package Details» on its AUR page. This is the preferred method, an advantage of which is that you can easily get updates to the package via git pull .

• Download a snapshot, either by clicking the «Download snapshot» link under «Package Actions» on the right hand side of its AUR page, or in a terminal:

Acquire a PGP public key if needed

Check if a signature file in the form of .sig or .asc is part of the PKGBUILD source array, if that is the case, then acquire one of the public keys listed in the PKGBUILD validpgpkeys array. Refer to makepkg#Signature checking for more information.

Build the package

Change directories to the directory containing the package’s PKGBUILD.

View the contents of all provided files. For example, to use the pager less to view PKGBUILD do:

..@ vimdiff . The advantage of vimdiff is that you view the entire contents of each file along with indicators on what has changed.

Make the package. After manually confirming the contents of the files, run makepkg as a normal user. Some helpful flags:

• -s / —syncdeps automatically resolves and installs any dependencies with pacman before building. If the package depends on other AUR packages, you will need to manually install them first.
• -i / —install installs the package if it is built successfully. This lets you skip the next step that is usually done manually.
• -r / —rmdeps removes build-time dependencies after the build, as they are no longer needed. However these dependencies may need to be reinstalled the next time the package is updated.
• -c / —clean cleans up temporary build files after the build, as they are no longer needed. These files are usually needed only when debugging the build process.

Install the package

The package can now be installed with pacman:

Upgrading packages

In the directory containing the package’s PKGBUILD you must first update the files and changes by using the command

then follow the previous build and install instructions.

Feedback

Commenting on packages

The AUR Web Interface has a comments facility that allows users to provide suggestions and feedback on improvements to the PKGBUILD contributor.

Python-Markdown provides basic Markdown syntax to format comments.

Voting for packages

One of the easiest activities for all Arch users is to browse the AUR and vote for their favourite packages using the online interface. All packages are eligible for adoption by a TU for inclusion in the community repository, and the vote count is one of the considerations in that process; it is in everyone’s interest to vote!

Sign up on the AUR website to get a «Vote for this package» option while browsing packages. After signing up it is also possible to vote from the commandline with aurvote AUR , aurvote-git AUR or aur-auto-vote-git AUR .

Alternatively, if you have set up ssh authentication, you can directly vote from the command line using your ssh key. This means that you will not need to save or type in your AUR password.

Flagging packages out-of-date

First, you should flag the package out-of-date indicating details on why the package is outdated, preferably including links to the release announcement or the new release tarball.

You should also try to reach out to the maintainer directly by email. If there is no response from the maintainer after two weeks, you can file an orphan request. See AUR submission guidelines#Requests for details.

Debugging the package build process

1. Ensure your build environment is up-to-date by upgrading before building anything.
2. Ensure you have the base-devel group installed.
3. Use the -s option with makepkg to check and install all dependencies needed before starting the build process.
4. Try the default makepkg configuration.
5. See Makepkg#Troubleshooting for common issues.

If you are having trouble building a package, first read its PKGBUILD and the comments on its AUR page.

It is possible that a PKGBUILD is broken for everyone. If you cannot figure it out on your own, report it to the maintainer (e.g. by posting the errors you are getting in the comments on the AUR page). You may also seek help in the AUR Issues, Discussion & PKGBUILD Requests forum.

The reason might not be trivial after all. Custom CFLAGS , LDFLAGS and MAKEFLAGS can cause failures. To avoid problems caused by your particular system configuration, build packages in a clean chroot. If the build process still fails in a clean chroot, the issue is probably with the PKGBUILD .

See Creating packages#Checking package sanity about using namcap . If you would like to have a PKGBUILD reviewed, post it on the aur-general mailing list to get feedback from the TUs and fellow AUR members, or the Creating & Modifying Packages forum. You could also seek help in the IRC channel #archlinux-aur on the Libera Chat network.

Submitting packages

Users can share PKGBUILDs using the Arch User Repository. See AUR submission guidelines for details.

Web interface translation

See i18n.txt in the AUR source tree for information about creating and maintaining translation of the AUR Web Interface.

What kind of packages are permitted on the AUR?

The packages on the AUR are merely «build scripts», i.e. recipes to build binaries for pacman. For most cases, everything is permitted, subject to usefulness and scope guidelines, as long as you are in compliance with the licensing terms of the content. For other cases, where it is mentioned that «you may not link» to downloads, i.e. contents that are not redistributable, you may only use the file name itself as the source. This means and requires that users already have the restricted source in the build directory prior to building the package. When in doubt, ask.

How can I vote for packages in the AUR?

What is a Trusted User / TU?

A Trusted User, in short TU, is a person who is chosen to oversee AUR and the community repository. They are the ones who maintain popular PKGBUILDs in community, and overall keep the AUR running.

What is the difference between the Arch User Repository and the community repository?

The Arch User Repository is where all PKGBUILDs that users submit are stored, and must be built manually with makepkg. When PKGBUILD s receive enough community interest and the support of a TU, they are moved into the community repository (maintained by the TUs), where the binary packages can be installed with pacman.

Foo in the AUR is outdated; what should I do?

In the meantime, you can try updating the package yourself by editing the PKGBUILD locally. Sometimes, updates do not require changes to the build or package process, in which case simply updating the pkgver or source array is sufficient.

Foo in the AUR does not compile when I run makepkg; what should I do?

You are probably missing something trivial, see #Debugging the package build process.

ERROR: One or more PGP signatures could not be verified!; what should I do?

Most likely you do not have the required public key(s) in your personal keyring to verify downloaded files. See Makepkg#Signature checking for details.

How do I create a PKGBUILD?

I have a PKGBUILD I would like to submit; can someone check it to see if there are any errors?

There are several channels available to submit your package for review; see #Debugging the package build process.

How to get a PKGBUILD into the community repository?

Usually, at least 10 votes are required for something to move into community. However, if a TU wants to support a package, it will often be found in the repository.

Reaching the required minimum of votes is not the only requirement, there has to be a TU willing to maintain the package. TUs are not required to move a package into the community repository even if it has thousands of votes.

Usually when a very popular package stays in the AUR it is because:

• Arch Linux already has another version of a package in the repositories
• Its license prohibits redistribution
• It helps retrieve user-submitted PKGBUILDs. AUR helpers are unsupported by definition.

How can I speed up repeated build processes?

What is the difference between foo and foo-git packages?

Many AUR packages come in «stable» release and «unstable» development versions. Development packages usually have a suffix denoting their Version Control System and are not intended for regular use, but may offer new features or bugfixes. Because these packages only download the latest available source when you execute makepkg , their pkgver() in the AUR does not reflect upstream changes. Likewise, these packages cannot perform an authenticity checksum on any VCS source.

Why has foo disappeared from the AUR?

It is possible the package has been adopted by a TU and is now in the community repository.

Packages may be deleted if they did not fulfill the rules of submission. See the aur-requests archives for the reason for deletion.

If the package used to exist in AUR3, it might not have been migrated to AUR4. See the #Git repositories for AUR3 packages where these are preserved.

How do I find out if any of my installed packages disappeared from AUR?

The simplest way is to check the HTTP status of the package’s AUR page:

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