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Package Management Guide

This guide covers how to manage packages in CachyOS using both pacman (for official repositories) and yay (for AUR packages).

Installing Packages

From Official Repositories

To install a package from the official repositories:

sudo pacman -S package_name

For example, to install Firefox:

sudo pacman -S firefox

From AUR

To install a package from the Arch User Repository (AUR):

yay -S package_name

For example, to install Visual Studio Code:

yay -S visual-studio-code-bin

Install Multiple Packages

You can install multiple packages at once:

sudo pacman -S package1 package2 package3

Searching for Packages

Search Official Repositories

To search for packages in the official repositories:

pacman -Ss search_term

For example, to search for text editors:

pacman -Ss text editor

Search AUR

To search for packages in the AUR:

yay -Ss search_term

Search Installed Packages

To search among your installed packages:

pacman -Qs search_term

Removing Packages

Remove a Package

To remove a package while keeping its dependencies:

sudo pacman -R package_name

Remove a Package and Its Dependencies

To remove a package and all its dependencies that are not required by other packages:

sudo pacman -Rs package_name

Remove a Package and All Its Dependencies

To remove a package, its dependencies, and all packages that depend on it:

sudo pacman -Rsc package_name

Remove AUR Packages

To remove an AUR package:

yay -R package_name

Additional Package Management Commands

List Installed Packages

To list all installed packages:

pacman -Q

Check Package Information

To view detailed information about a package:

pacman -Qi package_name

Update Package Database

To update the package database:

sudo pacman -Sy

Best Practices

  1. Always read package descriptions before installation
  2. Keep your system updated regularly
  3. Remove unused packages to maintain a clean system
  4. Use -Rs or -Rsc carefully as they can remove important dependencies
  5. Check the CachyOS forums if you encounter any issues