pacman -S
Packages and runtimes
Usage
sudo pacman -S [--needed] <package>Installs a package from the sync repositories on Arch; because the distribution rolls, refreshing with -Sy and installing without upgrading creates a partial upgrade that breaks libraries, so use -Syu.
Common flags
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -Syu | refresh and upgrade the whole system, the supported way to update |
| --needed | do not reinstall packages already at that version |
| --noconfirm | no prompts, for scripts |
| -Ss <pattern> | search the repositories |
| -R <package> | remove a package |
| -Qi <package> | show what is installed and why |
Examples
sudo pacman -S ripgrepinstalls from the sync repositories
sudo pacman -Syuthe full upgrade Arch expects you to run
sudo pacman -S --needed base-develinstalls the group, skipping what is there
The question is always what goes where: inside this project, or on the whole machine.
How to read this
- Square brackets [ ] mark a part you may leave out.
- An ellipsis … means you can list more than one.
- Flags are case-sensitive — in some commands -r and -R do different things.
Questions
Q. What does pacman -S do?
Installs a package from the sync repositories on Arch; because the distribution rolls, refreshing with -Sy and installing without upgrading creates a partial upgrade that breaks libraries, so use -Syu.
Q. How do I type it?
sudo pacman -S [--needed] <package> — square brackets mark the parts you can leave out.
Q. How many flags are worth knowing?
6 are listed here; the full set is in man pacman. This command sits under Packages and runtimes.
Related commands
man page: man pacman--S