---
name: "checkupdates"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "pacman-contrib"
version: "1.13.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/checkupdates"
---

# checkupdates(8)

safely print a list of pending updates

## NAME

checkupdates - safely print a list of pending updates

## SYNOPSIS

*checkupdates* \[options\]

## DESCRIPTION

*checkupdates* checks for pending updates using a separate pacman database located in **TMPDIR** if **CHECKUPDATES\_DB** is not set and outputs a list of updates with the old and new version.

## OPTIONS

- **-c, --change**

  Check for new available updates only, prints the list of available updates only if it differs from the last time checkupdates was run with that option.

- **-d, --download**

  Download any pending updates to the pacman cache.

- **-h, --help**

  Display syntax and command-line options.

- **--nocolor**

  Do not colorize output. Color must be enabled in pacman.conf for the listing to be colored to begin with.

- **-n, --nosync**

  Do not sync the temporary database, works best when the temporary database is updated regularly through some other means such as a cronjob or systemd timer.

- **-V, --version**

  Display version information.

## ENVIRONMENT

**CHECKUPDATES\_DB**

Override the default *${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/checkup-db-${UID}* temporary database location.

**CHECKUPDATES\_CHANGE**

state file location for the -c/--change option.

**TMPDIR**

Override the default */tmp* temporary directory.

**XDG\_STATE\_HOME**

Override the default *$HOME/.local/state* state directory

## ERRORS

On exit, checkupdates will return one of the following error codes.

0

Normal exit condition.

1

Unknown cause of failure.

2

No updates are available.

## SEE ALSO

[**pacman**(8)](/pacman/8.md), [**pacman.conf**(5)](/pacman.conf/5.md)

## BUGS

Bugs? You must be kidding; there are no bugs in this software. But if we happen to be wrong, file an issue with as much detail as possible at https://gitlab.archlinux.org/pacman/pacman-contrib/-/issues/new.

## AUTHORS

Current maintainers:

• Johannes Löthberg \<johannes@kyriasis.com\>

• Daniel M. Capella \<polyzen@archlinux.org\>

For additional contributors, use git shortlog -s on the pacman-contrib.git repository.