AUR helpers - ArchWiki

# AUR helpers

From ArchWiki

This article is being considered for archiving.

Reason: Due to administrative reasons the content of this page has moved to github. [1] (Discuss in Talk:AUR helpers#Outsourcing to GitHub)
Warning: AUR helpers are not supported by Arch Linux. You should become familiar with the manual build process in order to be prepared to troubleshoot problems.
Note: Do not edit this article prior to discussion in Talk:AUR helpers.

AUR helpers automate certain usage of the Arch User Repository. Most AUR helpers can search for packages in the AUR and retrieve their PKGBUILDs – others additionally assist with the build and install process.

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. However, keep in mind that a rebuild of package may be required when its shared library dependencies are updated, not only when the package itself is updated.

Since AUR helpers are unsupported, they are not present in the official repositories.

## Legend

The columns have the following meaning:

File review
  Does not source the PKGBUILD at all by default; or, alerts the user and offers the opportunity to inspect the PKGBUILD manually before it is sourced. Some helpers are known to source PKGBUILDs before the user can inspect them, allowing malicious code to be executed. Optional means that there is a command line flag or configuration option to prevent the automatic sourcing before viewing.
Diff view
  Ability to view package differences on inspection. Besides the PKGBUILD, this includes changes to files such as `.install` or `.patch` files.
Git clone
  Uses git-clone(1) by default to retrieve build files from the AUR.
Reliable parser
  Ability to handle complex packages by using the provided metadata (RPC/.SRCINFO) instead of PKGBUILD parsing, such as aws-cli-gitAUR.
Reliable solver
  Ability to correctly solve and build complex dependency chains, such as ros-lunar-desktopAUR.
Split packages
  Ability to correctly build and install:
  - Multiple packages from the same package base, without rebuilding or reinstalling multiple times, such as clionAUR
  - Split packages which depend on a package from the same package base, such as libc++AUR and libc++abiAUR.
  - Split packages independently, such as python-pyalsaaudioAUR and python2-pyalsaaudioAUR.

Clean build
  Does not export new variables that can prevent a successful build process.
Batch interaction
  Ability to prompt before the build process, in particular:
  1. Inspection of package files or their differences;
  2. Summary of package upgrades;
  3. Resolution of package conflicts and installations.
  An asterisk denotes functionality specifically enabled by the user.
Shell completion
  Tab completion is available for the listed shells.

Note:

- Table rows are sorted by column values, where Yes or N/A take precedence over Partial or Optional and No, or alphabetically if values are equal.
- Optional means that a feature is available, but only through a command-line argument or configuration option. Partial means that a feature is not fully implemented, or that it partially deviates from the given criteria.

## Search and download

Name | Written in | File review | Git clone | Reliable parser | Reliable solver | Shell completion | Specificity
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
auracle-gitAUR | C++ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | bash | print build order
pbgetAUR | Python | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – | –
yaahAUR | Bash | Yes | Optional | Yes | – | bash | –
cowerAUR | C | Yes | No | Yes | – | bash, zsh | regex support, sort by votes/popularity
package-queryAUR | C | Yes | – | No | – | – | search only
repoctlAUR | Go | Yes | No | Yes | – | zsh | local repository support
aurelAUR (discontinued) | Emacs Lisp | Yes | No | Yes | – | – | Emacs integration

## Download and build

Name | Written in | File review | Diff view | Git clone | Reliable parser | Reliable solver | Split packages | Clean build | Batch interaction | Shell completion | Specificity
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
aurutilsAUR | Bash/C | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 | zsh | vifm, local repository, package signing, clean chroot support, sort by votes/popularity
bauerbillAUR | Python | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 | bash, zsh | trust management, ABS support, extends powerpill, `bb-wrapper` for pacman wrapping
PKGBUILDerAUR | Python | Optional | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | 1* | – | automatic builds by default, use `-F` to disable; multilingual, `pb-wrapper` for pacman wrapping
naamanAUR | Python | Optional | No | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes | 1* | bash | automatic builds by default, use `--fetch` to disable; use `-d` to enable the solver
repofishAUR | Bash | Optional | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | 1* | – | automatic builds by default, use `check` or `update` to disable; local repository support
aurgetAUR | Bash | Optional | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | – | bash, zsh | sort by votes
spinachAUR (discontinued) | Bash | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | – | – | –
burgaurAUR (discontinued) | Python/C | Optional | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | – | – | wrapper for cower

## Pacman wrappers

Warning: pacman(8) wrappers abstract the work of the package manager. They may (optionally or by default) introduce unsafe flags, or other unexpected behavior leading to a defective system.

Name | Written in | File review | Diff view | Git clone | Reliable parser | Reliable solver | Split packages | Clean build | Unsafe flags | Batch interaction | Shell completion | Specificity
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
pakkuAUR | Nim | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | -Sy | 1 | bash, zsh | ABS support, AUR comments, fetch PGP keys
pikaurAUR | Python | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | -Sy | 1, 2, 3 | bash, fish, zsh | dynamic users, multilingual, sort by votes/popularity, print news, ignore errors
yayAUR | Go | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | -Sy* --ask* | 1, 2*, 3* | bash, fish, zsh | fetch PGP keys, sort by votes/popularity, prompt architecture
trizenAUR | Perl | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | -Ud* | 1* | bash, fish, zsh | automatic builds by default, use `-G` to disable; AUR comments
auraAUR | Haskell | Optional | Partial | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | – | 1* | bash, zsh | automatic builds by default, use `--dryrun` to disable; downgrade support, multilingual
aurmanAUR (no user support) | Python | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | -Sy* --ask* | 1, 2*, 3* | bash, fish | fetch PGP keys, sort by votes/popularity, print news
pacaurAUR (discontinued) | Bash/C | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | -Ud --ask | 1, 3 | bash, zsh | multilingual, sort by votes/popularity
wrapaurAUR (stalled) | Bash | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | – | – | – | mirror updates, print news and AUR comments
packer-aurAUR (stalled) | Bash | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | – | – | – | –
yaourtAUR (stalled) | Bash/C | No | Optional | Optional | No | No | No | No | -Sy | 2 | bash, fish, zsh | ABS support, print AUR comments, multilingual

## Graphical

Warning:

- Graphical AUR helpers are typically aimed at Arch-based distributions. Their use in Arch Linux may lead to a defective system, for example through unattended partial upgrades.
- If a helper has known problematic behavior, it is colored with a red entry.

Name | Written in | GUI toolkit | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
argonAUR | Python | GTK+ 3 | –
cylonAUR | Bash | TUI | –
pamac-aurAUR | Vala | GTK+ 3 | uses libalpm(3) instead of pacman(8)
pakku-guiAUR | Python | GTK+ 3 | –
PkgBrowserAUR | Python | Qt 5 | read-only browser for repository packages and AUR
octopiAUR | C++ | Qt 5 | enabled on install notifier service regularly performs partial upgrades

### Update notifiers

Name | Package | Written in | GUI toolkit
--- | --- | --- | ---
aarchup | aarchupAUR | C | GTK+ 2
arch-update | gnome-shell-extension-arch-updateAUR | JavaScript | Clutter
kalu | kaluAUR | C | GTK+ 3
pactray | pactrayAUR | Python | GTK+ 3
Arch Updater | plasma5-applets-kde-arch-update-notifier-gitAUR | C++/QML | Qt 5
updatehint | updatehintAUR | Bash | GTK+ 3

## Libraries

- haskell-archlinux — Library to access the AUR and package metadata from the Haskell programming language.

  http://hackage.haskell.org/package/archlinux || haskell-archlinuxAUR

- python3-aur — Python 3 modules for accessing AUR package information and automating AUR interactions.

  http://xyne.archlinux.ca/projects/python3-aur || python3-aurAUR

## Maintenance

- aur-out-of-date — Uses hoster APIs to check AUR packages for upstream changes.

  https://github.com/simon04/aur-out-of-date || aur-out-of-dateAUR

- pkgbuild-watch — Looks for changes on the upstream web pages.

  http://kmkeen.com/pkgbuild-watch || pkgbuild-watchAUR

- pkgbuildup — Helps AUR package maintainers automatically update PKGBUILD files. Supports a template variable syntax.

  https://github.com/fasheng/pkgbuildup || pkgbuildup-gitAUR

- pkgoutofdate — Parses the source URL from PKGBUILDs and tries to find new versions of packages by incrementing the version number and sending requests to the web server.

  https://github.com/anatol/pkgoutofdate || pkgoutofdate-gitAUR

## Uploading

- aur4_import.sh — Splits a package from a git repository with multiple packages, adding/updating `.SRCINFO` for every commit
- aur4_make_submodule.sh — Replaces a package in a bigger git repository with an AUR 4 submodule, including `.SRCINFO`
- aurpublish — Helper script to manage and upload AUR packages using git-subtree(1). Uses githooks(5) to verify the PKGBUILD integrity, generate .SRCINFO automatically, and create a commit message template.

  https://github.com/eli-schwartz/aurpublish || aurpublish

Categories:

- Package management
- Software comparisons

Hidden category:

- Pages flagged with Template:Archive