$ Linux Command

Packages

pacman

Manage packages on Arch Linux and related systems.

packageinstallupdatearch

Additional Notes

pacman is a package-management command used to manage packages on Arch Linux and related systems. It handles package installation, removal, upgrade, and dependency resolution on Arch Linux and derivatives.

Always sync the package databases with pacman -Sy or pacman -Syu before installing packages to avoid partial upgrades. If a database update breaks a partial install, use pacman -Syu to synchronize everything.

Syntax

pacman [options] command [package-or-file...]

Parameters

  • options: Flags that change how pacman behaves.
  • package: Package name to install, remove, query, or upgrade.
  • file: Local package file or repository metadata file when the command supports it.

Common Options

  • -S PACKAGE: Install a package.
  • -Syu: Sync repositories and upgrade the system.
  • -R PACKAGE: Remove a package.
  • -Ss TERM: Search repositories.
  • -Qi PACKAGE: Show installed package info.

Examples

sudo pacman -Syu
sudo pacman -S nginx
pacman -Ss ripgrep
pacman -Qi git

Practical Notes

On rolling-release systems, keep package databases and packages in sync with pacman -Syu.