---
name: "expac"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "expac"
version: "10-13"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/expac"
---

# expac(1)

alpm data extraction utility

## NAME

expac - alpm data extraction utility

## SYNOPSIS

Usage: *expac* \[options\] \<format\> targets...

## DESCRIPTION

expac is a data extraction tool for alpm databases. It features printf-like flexibility and aims to be used as a simple tool for other pacman based utilities which don't link against the library. It uses pacman.conf as a config file for locating and loading your local and sync databases.

Invoking expac consists of supplying a format string, which is generally described by one to many of the formatting tokens (see the **FORMATTING** section), any relevant options and zero to many targets. The format string **must** be the first non-option argument. Targets can be a simple package name, a query string (in the case of a search), or in repo/package syntax when the -sync option is supplied.

## OPTIONS

- **-Q, --query**

  Search the local database for provided targets. This is the default behavior.

- **-S, --sync**

  Search the sync databases for provided targets.

- **-s, --search**

  Search for packages matching the strings specified by targets. This is a boolean AND query and regex is allowed.

- **-g, --group**

  Return packages matching the specified targets as package groups.

- **--config** \<file\>

  Read from *file* for alpm initialization instead of */etc/pacman.conf*.

- **-H, --humansize** \<size\>

  Format package sizes in SI units according to *size*. Valid options are:

  ```
    B, K, M, G, T, P, E, Z, Y
  ```

- **-1, --readone**

  Stop searching after the first result. This only has an effect on -S operations without -s.

- **-d, --delim** \<string\>

  Separate each package with the specified *string*. The default value is a newline character.

- **-l, --listdelim** \<string\>

  Separate each list item with the specified *string*. Lists are any interpreted sequence specified with a capital letter. The default value is two spaces.

- **-p, --file**

  Interpret targets as paths to local files.

- **-t, --timefmt** \<format\>

  Output time described by the specified *format*. This string is passed directly to [**strftime**(3)](/strftime/3.md). The default format is `%c`.

- **-v, --verbose**

  Output more. \`Package not found' errors will be shown, and empty field values will display as 'None'.

- **-V, --version**

  Display version information and quit.

- **-h, --help**

  Display the help message and quit.

## FORMATTING

The format argument allows the following interpreted sequences:

```
  %a    architecture
  %B    backup files
  %b    build date
  %C    conflicts with (no version strings)
  %D    depends on
  %d    description
  %E    depends on (no version strings)
  %e    package base
  %f    filename (only with -S)
  %F    files (only with -Q)
  %g    base64 encoded PGP signature (only with -S)
  %G    groups
  %H    conflicts with
  %h    sha256sum
  %i    has install scriptlet (only with -Q)
  %k    download size (only with -S)
  %l    install date (only with -Q)
  %L    licenses
  %m    install size
  %M    modified backup files (only with -Q)
  %n    package name
  %N    required by
  %O    optional deps
  %o    optional deps (no descriptions)
  %p    packager name
  %P    provides
  %R    replaces (no version strings)
  %r    repo
  %s    md5sum
  %S    provides (no version strings)
  %T    replaces
  %u    project URL
  %V    package validation method
  %v    version
  %w    install reason (only with -Q)
  %!    result number (auto-incremented counter, starts at 0)
  %%    literal %
```

Note that for any lowercase tokens aside from `%m` and `%k`, full printf support is allowed, e.g. %-20n. This does not apply to any list based, date, or numerical output.

Standard backslash escape sequences are supported, as per [**printf**(1)](/printf/1.md).

## EXAMPLES

Emulate pacman's search function:

```
  $ expac -Ss '%r/%n %v\n    %d' <search terms>
```

List the oldest 10 installed packages (by build date):

```
  $ expac --timefmt=%s '%b\t%n' | sort -n | head -10
```

## AUTHOR

Dave Reisner \<d@falconindy.com\>