{"id":511,"date":"2020-06-12T20:17:20","date_gmt":"2020-06-12T12:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freeapp.sbs\/blog\/?p=511"},"modified":"2025-04-01T16:52:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T07:52:04","slug":"lc2gnvmz8xxu9h5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eternalsphere.net\/echoes\/index.php\/2020\/06\/12\/lc2gnvmz8xxu9h5\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use AUR with Arch Linux"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u539f\u6587\uff1ahttps:\/\/linuxhint.com\/aur_arch_linux\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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How to Use AUR with Arch Linux<\/h1>\n
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1 year ago<\/span><\/div>\n
by\u00a0Sidratul Muntaha<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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Arch User Repository, also known as AUR, is a major part of the Arch Linux ecosystem. It\u2019s a community-driven repository for the Arch Linux system that hosts a number of packages outside the official Arch Linux package database.Popular AUR projects can eventually get into the official Arch repository! The fact is, a good number of all the new packages added to the Arch Linux official repositories were first AUR packages before becoming official.<\/p>\n

How AUR works<\/strong><\/h1>\n

AUR is actually a repository of PKGBUILD scripts. It doesn\u2019t necessarily hold the source code of the target package. When you\u2019re using AUR, you\u2019re actually grabbing the PKGBUILD script and building the program for yourself.<\/p>\n

PKGBUILD 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 building process.<\/p>\n

So, when you\u2019re getting a package from AUR, you\u2019re actually grabbing the PKGBUILD script. Your system still needs to execute the script and perform the building process to completely install the package.<\/p>\n

Why AUR?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The thing is, AUR is one of the pivotal reasons why Arch Linux is such a popular one. Unlike other Linux ecosystems, you\u2019re less susceptible to any permanent security hole in your system. Moreover, AUR packages are easier to install and keep up-to-date, all by yourself.<\/p>\n

In the case of AUR, you build the package from source with the help of PKGBUILD. The PKGBUILD script takes care of the entire building process. The maintainer of the package has to create the PKGBUILD, of course. The PKGBUILD system makes the building procedure fluent and hassle-free. Of course, it still holds the potential of installing malicious codes into your system. But instead of adding a complete repo, you just have to worry about the package itself.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t worry; the building procedure is never so simple. It doesn\u2019t take much time, either. Unless, of course, you\u2019re building something heavy like the Linux kernel or Firefox.<\/p>\n

Using AUR<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Enough chitchat about AUR. It\u2019s time to learn how to use AUR.<\/p>\n

Using AUR Classic Method<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is the manual and classic way of installing a package from AUR. Everything has to be performed manually, so this path requires more time and patience. Of course, AUR helpers can automate the entire process, but it\u2019s said that one shouldn\u2019t use any AUR helper if one isn\u2019t able to use AUR manually.<\/p>\n

Installing a package, Classic Method<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Installing a package from AUR is quite different than installing a package with pacman. At first, make sure that your system includes all the necessary tools to perform the building process.<\/p>\n

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sudo<\/span>\u00a0pacman\u00a0-Syu<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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sudo<\/span>\u00a0pacman\u00a0-S<\/span>\u00a0git<\/span>\u00a0base-devel<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once your system is ready, grab the AUR package with Git.<\/p>\n

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git clone<\/span>\u00a0https:\/\/<\/span>aur.archlinux.org\/<<\/span>pkgName><\/span>.git<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Change the active directory.<\/p>\n

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cd<\/span>\u00a0<<\/span>pkgName>\/<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Start the building process.<\/p>\n

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makepkg<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Once the building process is complete, there will be a TAR.XZ file in the directory. Install it using pacman.<\/p>\n

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sudo<\/span>\u00a0pacman\u00a0-U<\/span>\u00a0<<\/span>package_name><\/span>.tar.xz<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Note: The installation process can also be done with the previous step.<\/em><\/p>\n

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makepkg\u00a0-sri<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/p>\n

Uninstalling a package, Classic Method<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As the installation was performed with pacman, use pacman to uninstall the package right away.<\/p>\n

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sudo<\/span>\u00a0pacman\u00a0-R<\/span>\u00a0<<\/span>package_name><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Note: Use the following command<\/p>\n

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sudo<\/span>\u00a0pacman\u00a0-Rs<\/span>\u00a0<<\/span>package_name><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Updating a package, Classic Method<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The installed AUR packages won\u2019t update them automatically. You have to manually update the package by following the previous steps.<\/p>\n

Grab the latest PKGBUILD from AUR.<\/p>\n

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git clone<\/span>\u00a0https:\/\/<\/span>aur.archlinux.org\/<<\/span>pkgName><\/span>.git<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Note: If you didn\u2019t delete the previously created directory, navigate to it and run the following command. Git will upgrade the directory with the latest file(s) and changes.<\/em><\/p>\n

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git pull<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Now, re-run the building and installing process.<\/p>\n

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makepkg
\nsudo<\/span>\u00a0pacman\u00a0-U<\/span>\u00a0<<\/span>pkgName><\/span>.tar.xz<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Or,<\/p>\n

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makepkg\u00a0-sri<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

AUR helper<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To make life easier, here come the AUR helpers. AUR helpers can automate a large portion of the processes, saving time and trouble.<\/p>\n

According to the official Arch Linux AUR helpers wiki, there are numerous AUR helpers out there. While some of them are officially trusted, all of them are capable of performing all the basic jobs efficiently. In this case, we\u2019ll only include a handful AUR helpers that are both trusted and actively maintained.<\/p>\n