---
name: "alpm-epoch"
section: "7"
platform: "linux"
package: "alpm-docs"
version: "0.13.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/alpm-epoch"
---

# alpm-epoch(7)

version prefix to enforce a higher version consideration for ALPM based packages.

## NAME

epoch - version prefix to enforce a higher version consideration for ALPM based packages.

## DESCRIPTION

The **epoch** format is a version format, that is used as prefix to **pkgver** in a composite version string. This format is used in build scripts or file formats for package data description or reproduction to indicate, that a composite version is to be considered newer than one without or a lower **epoch** component. This enables package maintainers to release downgraded versions of a package if needed.

The **epoch** value is represented by a non-negative integer and is considered to default to ‘0’ if unset.

When used in a composite version string, **epoch** is directly followed by a ‘:’ sign and the **pkgver**.

If two composite version strings are sorted, they are first sorted based on their **epoch** component and only afterwards based on their **pkgver** component.

As general rule, the sorting precedence is: `epoch > pkgver`.

## EXAMPLES

The explicit `1` **epoch** component in the right hand composite version string overrules the implicit `0` **epoch** component of the left hand composite version string. Since the **epoch** takes precedence, `1:0.9.0` is considered “newer” than `1.0.0` even though the upstream version represented by the **pkgver** component is older.

```
"1.0.0" < "1:0.9.0"
```

Composite version strings with the same **pkgver** component are also sorted according to their **epoch** component first.

```
"1:1.0.0" < "2:1.0.0"
```

## SEE ALSO

[**BUILDINFO**(5)](/BUILDINFO/5.md), [**PKGBUILD**(5)](/PKGBUILD/5.md), [**PKGINFO**(5)](/PKGINFO/5.md), [**SRCINFO**(5)](/SRCINFO/5.md), [**alpm-package-version**(7)](/alpm-package-version/7.md), [**alpm-pkgrel**(7)](/alpm-pkgrel/7.md), [**alpm-pkgver**(7)](/alpm-pkgver/7.md), [**vercmp**(8)](/vercmp/8.md)