How to install AUR packages (manually + helpers) (2024)

The Arch Linux repositories are one of the most complete in all of Linux. If a program is not available in the official Arch Linux repository, it should be available in the Arch User Repository or AUR. So, this post will teach you how to install AUR packages both manually and with some helping program.

INTRODUCTION

So, if a package is available for Linux, it is unlikely you will not find it in the AUR. Many Arch users say that the AUR is one of the main reasons they use Arch Linux. If you use Arch Linux or you are about to move to Arch Linux, you will have to use the AUR sooner or later. However, installing packages from the AUR seems to be complicated if you have never done it before. But I will try to present the process in the easiest way possible.

In the first part of this post, I will show you how to install AUR packages manually. Then, in the second part, you will learn how to use some AUR helpers that simplify and automate the installation process. There are several helpers available. In the video above, I showed how to install and use Yaourt, and aurman. But both these programs are discontinued now. So, in this post, I will show you how to install and use yay, yet another yogurt. The video tutorial showing yay is at the end of this post.

Before we start I would like to warn you that all AUR packages are user-produced content, so use them at your own risk.

Prerequisites

To install AUR packages, you need to have some building programs on your system to compile a program. You will also need the git program to download the source code of the AUR packages. To install all the required packages, run the following command:

sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git

In addition, I also recommend enabling parallel compiling on your system to improve the compiling speed. To do that, open the file /etc/makepkg.conf.

sudo nano /etc/makepkg.conf

It is a very large file but if you press the combination CTRL + W, you can search for a term MAKEFLAGS.

How to install AUR packages (manually + helpers) (1)

So, most likely you will have a value of -j2, which means to use 2 threads of the processor. But if your processor has more than two threads, you can replace -j2 with -j$(nproc). The variable $(nproc)will define a number of available threads in your processor automatically.

How to install AUR packages (manually + helpers) (2)

Then, press CTRL+O to save the changes and CTRL+X to exit.

After that, you should be able to install AUR packages without problems.

Manual Installation

To install a program from AUR manually, you need to perform a few steps. Basically, you have to do the following:

  1. Find the package in the AUR.
  2. Clone the repository.
  3. Check the PKGBUILD file.
  4. Compile and install the program.

1. Find the package in the AUR

On Arch Linux website, you need to go to the AUR section. and search for the package you are about to install. For example, I will search for Spotify. Spotify is not in the official repository of Arch Linux because it is proprietary software.

How to install AUR packages (manually + helpers) (3)

Then, you will see all the information about the program on the next screen. To install an AUR package, you will need to copy the link in Git Clone URL.

How to install AUR packages (manually + helpers) (4)

2. Clone the repository

After doing that, it is necessary to clone the repository using git. However, I recommend creating a dedicated folder for this type of programs. For example, I created the Programs folder where I compile all the non-official program. Next, enter this folder and clone the repository of the program you selected earlier (Spotify in my case)”

git clone htps://aur.archlinux.org/spotify.git
How to install AUR packages (manually + helpers) (5)

3. Check the PKGBUILD file.

After the cloning is finished, a new folder containing the program code will be created. In this case, it is called spotify. Enter it and list its contents with the command ls. In that folder, you should see the PKGBUILD file.

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You can open it with nano, explore its content and edit it if necessary. You can learn about PKGBUILD format at the Arch Linux Wiki.

How to install AUR packages (manually + helpers) (7)

4. Compile and install the program.

After that, you can start compiling it by running this command in the program directory:

makepkg -si
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Depending on the package, it can take quite some time. Next, you have to type your password to install the program.

How to install AUR packages (manually + helpers) (9)

Now, the program is installed and you can open the program from the main menu.

This way you can install any program from the AUR. As you can see, the process is quite simple, it all comes down to cloning the repository, accessing the folder, verifying the PKGBUILD file and finally, starting the installation.

Install AUR Packages using a helper

There are several AUR helpers available. You can see the full list at this page of Arch Linux Wiki. The installation procedure for these helpers is the same as manual installation from the AUR shown above. I will show how to install yay. It is recommended by the developer of aurman, which I used before, and it is also a recommended helper on Manjaro website. I also liked it after I tested it.

To start installing it, find the git URL of yay in the AUR webpage and clone the repository:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git

Now, enter the downloaded folder, build and install the program.

makepkg -si

Now, yay is available for use. For example, to search for a program in the AUR, use this command:

yay package_name

If you already know that package name, you can install it right away with the -S option:

yay -S package_name

You can also use yay to search both the AUR and official repositories with -Ss option.

yay -Ss package_name

Finally, to upgrade all the packages, use this command.

yay -Sua

As you can see from these commands yay uses the same syntax as in pacman. You can discover all available options of yay with the man command:

man yay

I hope you will enjoy using yay.

CONCLUSION

The AUR is a very large source of packages for Arch Linux. It should satisfy the needs of any Linux user. If you were unsure how to use the AUR, I hope you are more confident now as you know how to install AUR packages either manually or with some a helper program such as yay.

I believe you may also like my post on “10 Things to do first after installing Arch Linux”.

How to install AUR packages (manually + helpers) (2024)

FAQs

How to install packages from AUR manually? ›

Manually Downloading a Package From the AUR

Go to the package web page and copy the Git Clone URL. You don't have to run pacman to install the generated package archive. The makepkg command will automatically invoke pacman, which will then install the package along with the necessary dependencies.

How to install a package with Pkgbuild? ›

Summary
  1. Download the source tarball of the software to package.
  2. Try compiling the package and installing it into an arbitrary directory.
  3. Copy over the prototype /usr/share/pacman/PKGBUILD. ...
  4. Edit the PKGBUILD according to the needs of your package.
  5. Run makepkg and check whether the package builds correctly.
Feb 19, 2023

How to install a package from source Arch? ›

However, if you are still curious, follow the steps below:
  1. First, install the required dependencies as shown sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git wget yajl. ...
  2. Next, navigate to the package-query directory cd package-query/
  3. Compile and install it as shown below and exit the directory $ makepkg -si.

What is the difference between Pacman and AUR? ›

Pacman only handles updates for pre-built packages in its repositories. AUR packages are redistributed in form of PKGBUILDs and need an AUR helper to automate the re-build process.

How do I list manually installed packages in Linux? ›

You need to run apt list --manual-installed=true command to check all the manually installed packages.

How to install packages in command? ›

The Install-Package cmdlet installs a software package and its dependencies. Install-Package uses parameters to specify the packages Name and Source. The Credential parameter uses a domain user account with permissions to install packages. The command prompts you for the user account password.

How to install packages offline in Arch? ›

The steps are:
  1. downloading the up to date package databases on a computer with internet access,
  2. transferring them to the offline computer,
  3. generating the list of packages required from the offline computer to update it,
  4. downloading them with their signature on a computer with internet access,
Feb 28, 2023

How to install a package using npm install? ›

To install a package, npm uses the following algorithm:
  1. load the existing node_modules tree from disk.
  2. clone the tree.
  3. fetch the package.json and assorted metadata and add it to the clone.
  4. walk the clone and add any missing dependencies.
  5. dependencies will be added as close to the top as is possible.
Jun 14, 2018

How to install all packages in Arch Linux? ›

If you have just installed Arch Linux, before you can add more packages, you'll have to sync your system with the master servers by updating your local package list. Then, you can easily upgrade all your packages to the latest version by downloading the files from official servers.

How do I manually install Arch packages? ›

Compile and install the program.
  1. Find the package in the AUR. On Arch Linux website, you need to go to the AUR section. ...
  2. Clone the repository. After doing that, it is necessary to clone the repository using git . ...
  3. Check the PKGBUILD file. ...
  4. Compile and install the program.
Feb 18, 2019

How do I manually install Arch? ›

How to Install Arch Linux [Step by Step Guide]
  1. Step 1: Download the Arch Linux ISO.
  2. Step 2: Create a live USB of Arch Linux.
  3. Step 3: Boot from the live USB. Not using US keyboard? ...
  4. Step 4: Partition the disks. ...
  5. Step 4: Create filesystem. ...
  6. Step 5: Connect to WiFi.
  7. Step 6: Select an appropriate mirror.
  8. Step 7: Install Arch Linux.

How to install a package from source? ›

Install Software From Source
  1. Step 1: Get The Server Ready. As a best practice, make sure your packages are up to date: ...
  2. Step 2: Download Dependencies. When installing a package from source code, you'll need to manage the installation of the package dependencies. ...
  3. Step 3: Download The Source Package. ...
  4. Step 4: Install Git.
Oct 22, 2019

Does Pac-Man install AUR packages? ›

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.

How to install Aurman Arch Linux? ›

How to Install any package (for example aurman) manually ?
  1. Step 1: Install these packages. Ensure the base-devel package group is installed. ...
  2. Step 2: Install setuptools. Install setuptools using pip. ...
  3. Step 3: Download AUR package. ...
  4. Step 4: Install aurman. ...
  5. Step 5: Run this command.

What are the yellow dots in Pac-Man called? ›

4. Pac-Man's favorite snack pellets -- the tiny dots he munches as he moves around the video game board -- were originally cookies. The "power cookies" are now the larger pellets he uses to eat the ghosts. 5.

Which command is used to install packages? ›

The apt command is a powerful command-line tool, which works with Ubuntu's Advanced Packaging Tool (APT). The commands contained within apt provide the means for installing new software packages, upgrading existing software packages, updating the package list index, and even upgrading the entire Ubuntu system.

What is the command for all installed packages? ›

We use the apt list command to list all the installed and available packages. The output of the apt list command is very long.

What are the Linux commands for installing packages? ›

Linux install command is used to copy files to a specified destination and set attributes. It copies files to a specified destination. It is not used to install programs as its name specifies. To download and install a program, we have to use apt-get, apt, yum, and more utilities, depending on the type of distribution.

How to install a package using sudo? ›

Installing with APT

Once in the package location folder, you can use the following command format sudo apt install ./package_name. deb . For example, to install virtual-box, you can run. Also, the command above will install all the required software dependencies for the package that you are installing.

How to install package version in Linux? ›

Here's how to do it:
  1. Step 1: Update the Package Repository. Before you can install a specific package version, you need to make sure that your package repository is up-to-date. ...
  2. Step 2: Find the Available Package Versions. ...
  3. Step 3: Install the Specific Package Version.
Feb 22, 2023

How to install a package from a local directory in Linux? ›

3 Answers
  1. Install the source package, change into the source directory, configure and install the package irrespective of the packaging systems manually to a directory of your choice. apt-get source <package> ...
  2. Create a chroot environment into which you will install the packages: debootstrap precise myfancyinstall.
Sep 27, 2012

How to install apt package in Arch Linux? ›

How to Install APT and DNF on Arch Linux
  1. As a preliminary step, update and upgrade your system using: sudo pacman -Syu.
  2. Issue the following command to install DNF and APT using yay: yay -S dnf && yay -S apt.
Oct 9, 2022

How to install a package in Linux without Internet? ›

2. Use apt-offline
  1. use scp to copy the deb file onto your offline server.
  2. sudo dpkg -i apt-offline*something.deb on the server.
  3. generate a request for a package index update and consequent installation of a package on the offline machine: sudo apt-offline set --install-packages PACKAGENAME --update apt-offline.sig.
Mar 14, 2022

How to download npm packages manually? ›

Installing npm packages locally
  1. Installing. A package can be downloaded with the command npm install <package name> . For example: ...
  2. Using the installed package. Once the package is in node_modules, you can use it in your code. ...
  3. Using the --save flag with package. json. ...
  4. Manually adding dependencies to package. json.

How to install npm dependencies manually? ›

The 'npm install' command should add all the dependencies and devDependencies automatically during installation. If you need to add specific devDependencies to your project, you can use this command- 'npm install --save-dev'. This will add your desired npm library to the package.

How to install all packages in npm command? ›

Install Package Globally

NPM can also install packages globally so that all the node. js application on that computer can import and use the installed packages. NPM installs global packages into /<User>/local/lib/node_modules folder. Apply -g in the install command to install package globally.

How to install all packages at once? ›

You can install multiple packages by passing a vector of package names to the function, for example, install. packages(c("dplyr", "stringr")) . That function will install the requested packages, along with any of their non-optional dependencies.

How to install all packages in requirements? ›

Use the pip install -r requirements. txt command to install all of the Python modules and packages listed in your requirements. txt file. This saves time and effort.

How to install single package in Linux? ›

How to Debian upgrade or update a single package
  1. Open the Terminal application by visiting menus in the GUI.
  2. Update package index by running sudo apt update command.
  3. Now only update nginx package by running sudo apt install nginx command.
  4. If nginx package already installed it will try to update to the latest version.
Aug 5, 2020

How do I install anything in Arch? ›

Pre-installation
  1. Acquire an installation image. ...
  2. Verify signature. ...
  3. Prepare an installation medium. ...
  4. Boot the live environment. ...
  5. Set the console keyboard layout. ...
  6. Verify the boot mode. ...
  7. Connect to the internet. ...
  8. Update the system clock.
Apr 13, 2023

Where do packages get installed Arch Linux? ›

There are a few places for apps to be installed in Arch Linux: for apps that follow the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard and are installed by system package manager (in case of Arch pacman ), /usr/ tree is used. Most commonly used parts by applications are: /usr/bin/ - this is where the app's binaries (executables) go.

How to install Arch install scripts? ›

Process
  1. READ THE ARCH INSTALL DOCS. ...
  2. READ THE WHOLE SCRIPT. ...
  3. Download an Arch Linux installer ISO and boot it on the system you want to install.
  4. Copy the arch_install.sh script to the live system. ...
  5. Make the arch_install.sh script executable. ...
  6. Run the script. ...
  7. If there were no errors, reboot and enjoy!

Can you install Arch without USB? ›

But you'll need the card and a USB<>microsd card adapter to put the operating system install media on the microsd card using a different machine with working usb ports.

How to install Arch from USB? ›

To create an Arch Linux installer, download the ISO image file on your Android device. Plug the USB drive to your device, using a USB-OTG adapter if needed. Open EtchDroid, select Flash raw image, select your Arch ISO, then select your USB drive. Grant the USB API permission and confirm.

How to install Arch on UEFI? ›

How to Install Arch Linux
  1. Step 1 – Download and Boot Arch Linux. ...
  2. Step 2 – Prepare the Installation. ...
  3. Step 3 – Partition the Disk (UEFI Systems Only) ...
  4. Step 4 - Partition the Disk (MBR Systems Only) ...
  5. Step 5 - Install the Base Packages (UEFI and MBR Systems) ...
  6. Step 6 – Start the Arch Linux Installation.
Sep 24, 2021

How to install package without dependencies? ›

By default, apt-get install installs all dependencies at the “depends” or “recommends” level. Pass the --no-install-recommends option to tell it not to install “recommends”-level dependencies. You can make this the default setting by adding APT::Install-Recommends "false"; to /etc/apt/apt.

How do I install missing packages? ›

How to Find and Fix Broken Packages
  1. Open the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard and enter: sudo apt --fix-missing update.
  2. Update your system's package list from the available sources: sudo apt update.
  3. Now, force the installation of the broken packages using the -f flag.
Sep 21, 2022

How to install R packages locally? ›

For example, in RStudio, we need to complete the following steps:
  1. Click Tools → Install Packages.
  2. Select Package Archive File (.zip, .tar.gz) in the Install from: slot.
  3. Find the corresponding file on the local machine, and click Open.
  4. Click Install.
Apr 13, 2022

How do I install one package in pacman? ›

To install a single package or list of packages, including dependencies, issue the following command: # pacman -S package_name1 package_name2 ...

How do I know if pacman package is installed? ›

You can use the Pacman command with the -Q option to list all installed packages on your system. In the above command, you should see two columns. The first column is the name of the installed packages and the second column is the version of the installed packages.

How to install LVM in Arch Linux? ›

  1. Install Arch Linux on LVM.
  2. LVM on software RAID.
  3. dm-crypt/Encrypting an entire system#LVM on LUKS.
  4. dm-crypt/Encrypting an entire system#LUKS on LVM.
  5. Resizing LVM-on-LUKS.
  6. Create root filesystem snapshots with LVM.
Mar 10, 2023

How to install Arch Linux ISO file? ›

  1. Download the Arch Linux ISO. Before we can install Arch Linux, we must download the ISO image from the Arch Linux website. ...
  2. Burning the Arch Linux ISO to a DVD. ...
  3. Boot up Arch Linux. ...
  4. Set the Keyboard Layout. ...
  5. Check your Internet Connection. ...
  6. Enable NTP. ...
  7. Partition the Hard Drive. ...
  8. Create Filesystem.
Feb 14, 2019

How to install Arch Linux GUI VM? ›

Install Arch Linux in VirtualBox
  1. Download. Download the latest version from: https://www.archlinux.org/download/ ...
  2. Prepare VM. Create a new VM, choose type Linux and version Arch Linux (64-bit). ...
  3. Pre-flight checks. Check network: ping archlinux.org.
  4. Installation. Partition the disk: ...
  5. Post-installation steps. ...
  6. Optional steps.

Who is the slowest ghost in Pac-Man? ›

Sue makes her first appearance in fourteen years in Pac-Man 256. She appears in groups of three, and can only move horizontally. When the group is in front of Pac-Man, they will stop moving. She is also the slowest of all the ghosts.

What does the strawberry mean in Pac-Man? ›

The Strawberry is a fruit from the Pac-Man video games that appears in the second levels in several maze games. In classic Pac-Man, it is worth 300 points. In Ms. Pac-Man, can be eaten for 200 points. It even appeared in Pac-Mania for 2,000 points and the Pac-Man Championship Edition games for 1,200 points.

How to manually install packages in pfsense? ›

Installing Packages
  1. Navigate to System > Packages, Available Packages tab.
  2. Locate the package to install in the list. Tip. Search for a package by entering a value in the Search term box and clicking Search.
  3. Click Install to the right of the package entry.
  4. Click Confirm to proceed with the package installation.
Jun 30, 2022

How to install a package in Linux without Internet connection? ›

2. Use apt-offline
  1. use scp to copy the deb file onto your offline server.
  2. sudo dpkg -i apt-offline*something.deb on the server.
  3. generate a request for a package index update and consequent installation of a package on the offline machine: sudo apt-offline set --install-packages PACKAGENAME --update apt-offline.sig.
Mar 14, 2022

How to manually install a package in Ubuntu? ›

Installing deb package on Ubuntu/Debian
  1. Install gdebi tool and then open and install the . deb file using it.
  2. Use dpkg and apt-get command line tools as follows: sudo dpkg -i /absolute/path/to/deb/file sudo apt-get install -f.

How to install a package from source in Linux? ›

Let's explore how you can compile and install a package from source on Linux.
  1. Step 1: Installing the Required Tools. ...
  2. Step 2: Downloading the Package Source Code. ...
  3. Step 3: Compiling the Source Code. ...
  4. Step 4: Building the Software Package. ...
  5. Step 5: Installing the Software Package.
Dec 7, 2021

How to install npm package globally manually? ›

Install Package Globally

NPM can also install packages globally so that all the node. js application on that computer can import and use the installed packages. NPM installs global packages into /<User>/local/lib/node_modules folder. Apply -g in the install command to install package globally.

How to install package with apt offline? ›

Navigate to the directory on the flash drive containing the two files then enter: sudo apt-offline install bundle. zip . Once it completes your repositories will be updated. Once that completes, you can then install PACKAGENAME by then entering: sudo apt-get install PACKAGENAME .

How to install missing packages in Linux? ›

How to Find and Fix Broken Packages
  1. Open the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard and enter: sudo apt --fix-missing update.
  2. Update your system's package list from the available sources: sudo apt update.
  3. Now, force the installation of the broken packages using the -f flag.
Sep 21, 2022

What does set to manually installed mean? ›

Save this answer. It means that a package was manually selected and not automatically by another packages or a meta-packages. The difference it, that the latter can be auto-removed, when the package that triggered this install is not anymore present (after an upgrade, or because it was removed).

How to install a npm package manually? ›

To install a package, npm uses the following algorithm:
  1. load the existing node_modules tree from disk.
  2. clone the tree.
  3. fetch the package.json and assorted metadata and add it to the clone.
  4. walk the clone and add any missing dependencies.
  5. dependencies will be added as close to the top as is possible.
Jun 14, 2018

How to install a package from source Ubuntu? ›

Install Software From Source
  1. Step 1: Get The Server Ready. As a best practice, make sure your packages are up to date: ...
  2. Step 2: Download Dependencies. When installing a package from source code, you'll need to manage the installation of the package dependencies. ...
  3. Step 3: Download The Source Package. ...
  4. Step 4: Install Git.
Oct 22, 2019

How to install a package in Ubuntu? ›

GEEKY: Ubuntu has by default something called APT. To install any package, just open a terminal ( Ctrl + Alt + T ) and type sudo apt-get install <package name> . For instance, to get Chrome type sudo apt-get install chromium-browser . SYNAPTIC: Synaptic is a graphical package management program for apt.

How to install a package as non root user in Linux? ›

Procedure
  1. Unzip the package to a local directory.
  2. Upload the installation package cyberlinux. ...
  3. Log in to the UNIX system with a non-root account. ...
  4. On the command line, navigate to the temporary directory where the installation package is located.
  5. Use the tar command to extract the installation files. ...
  6. Run the install.

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