--- name: "pactrans" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "pacutils" version: "0.15.0-2" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/pactrans" --- # pactrans(1) install/remove alpm packages ## NAME pactrans, pacinstall, pacremove - install/remove alpm packages ## SYNOPSIS ``` pactrans [options] ... pacinstall [options] ... pacremove [options] ... pactrans (--help|--version) ``` ## DESCRIPTION Install/remove alpm packages. The **pacinstall** and **pacremove** aliases are provided as a convenience, differing only in their default interpretation of *targets*. Otherwise, they are identical. If *stdin* is not connected to a terminal, *pkgspec*s to install/remove will be read from *stdin*. ## OPTIONS ### Operations Operation options affect the interpretation of all targets following them until another operation option is encountered. - **--spec** (**pactrans** default) Interpret following targets as *pkgspec*s. If a *pkgspec* indicates a package file or a repository package, it will be installed. If it indicates a package in the local database, it will be removed. See PKGSPEC for details on the format. - **--install** (**pacinstall** default) Interpret following targets as packages to be installed from a repository. If only the package name is provided repositories will be searched in the order they are declared. - **--remove** (**pacremove** default) Interpret following targets as package names to be uninstalled. - **--file** Interpret following targets as paths to package files to be installed. - **--sysupgrade** Upgrade installed packages. ### Configuration Options - **--cachedir**=*path* Set an alternate cache directory path. - **--config**=*path* Set an alternate configuration file path. - **--dbext**=*extension* Set an alternate sync database extension. - **--dbpath**=*path* Set an alternate database path. - **--logfile**=*path* Set an alternate log file path. - **--root**=*path* Set an alternate installation root. - **--sysroot**=*path* Set an alternate system root. See [**pacutils-sysroot**(7)](/pacutils-sysroot/7.md). - **--null**\[=*sep*\] Set an alternate separator for values parsed from *stdin*. By default a newline `"\n"` is used as the separator. If **--null** is used without specifying *sep* `"NUL"` will be used. - **--debug** Display additional debugging information. - **--print-only** Display the what the transaction would do and exit. - **--no-confirm** Assume default responses to all prompts. - **--no-timeout** Disable low-speed timeouts for downloads. - **--help** Display usage information and exit. - **--version** Display version information and exit. ### Transaction Options - **--dbsync** Update sync databases before performing the transaction. - **--dbonly** Make the changes to the database without actually extracting or removing any packages. - **--nodeps** Ignore dependency versions. Pass twice to ignore dependency checks altogether. - **--no-scriptlet** Do not run package install scripts. - **--no-hooks** Do not run transaction hooks. - **--assume-installed**=*package*\[=*version*\] Behave as if *package* is installed. ### Sysupgrade Options - **--ignore-pkg**=*package* Ignore upgrades for package *package*. *package* may be a shell-style glob pattern. - **--ignore-group**=*group* Ignore upgrades for any packages in group *group*. *group* may be a shell-style glob pattern. ### --install/--file Options - **--as-deps** Mark all installed packages as dependencies. - **--as-explicit** Mark all installed packages as explicitly installed. - **--download-only** Download packages without actually installing them. ### --remove Options - **--cascade** Uninstall all installed packages that depend on a package being uninstalled. - **--no-backup** Do not save *.pacsave* backups. - **--recursive** Uninstall any dependencies of packages being removed that are not required by any other packages. - **--unneeded** Do not uninstall any packages required by an installed package. ### Prompt Disposition Options - **--resolve-conflicts**=*method* Select a method to use for resolving conflicts. Possible values for *method* are: - "prompt" Prompt the user to remove the installed conflicting package. - "none" Do not remove any conflicting packages. - "all" Remove any conflicting packages. - "provided" Remove a conflicting package if the new package provides it. - "depends" Remove a conflicting package if it was installed as a dependency. - "provided-depends" Remove a conflicting package if it was installed as a dependency and the new package provides it. - **--resolve-replacements**=*method* Select a method to use for resolving replacements. Possible values for *method* are: - "prompt" Prompt the user to replace the package. - "none" Do not replace any packages. - "all" Perform all available package replacements. - "provided" Perform replacements where the new package provides the old one. - "depends" Perform replacements where the old package was installed as a dependency. - "provided-depends" Perform replacements where the old package was installed as a dependency and the new package provides the old one. - **--install-ignored-packages**=*prompt\|yes\|no* Set the disposition for prompts to install ignored packages. - **--delete-corrupt-files**=*prompt\|yes\|no* Set the disposition for prompts to delete corrupt package. - **--use-first-provider**=*prompt\|yes\|no* Set the disposition for prompts to select a provider. If set to `"yes"`, the first available provider will be selected. - **--skip-unresolvable**=*prompt\|yes\|no* Set the disposition for prompts to skip packages with unresolvable dependencies. - **--import-pgp-keys**=*prompt\|yes\|no* Set the disposition for prompts to import missing PGP keys. - **--yolo** Set all prompt disposition options to their `"all"` or `"yes"` value and set **--no-confirm**. NOTE: regardless of the disposition options chosen, all dependencies must still be satisfied in order for the transaction to succeed unless **--nodeps** is used as well. ## PKGSPEC A *pkgspec* is a string that can identify an individual package. Accepted formats are: - \/\ ``` core/pacman local/pacman ``` - \://\ ``` file:///var/cache/pacman/pkg/pacman-4.1.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz ``` ## EXAMPLES - Replace *foo* with *bar* ``` pactrans local/foo baz/bar ``` Or, if *bar*'s repository is unknown: ``` pacinstall bar --remove foo ``` - Install *foo* and *bar*: ``` pactrans --install foo bar ``` ## CAVEATS **pactrans** determines whether or not to read *pkgspec*s from *stdin* based on a naive check using [**isatty**(3)](/isatty/3.md). If **pactrans** is called in an environment, such as a shell function or script being used in a pipe, where *stdin* is not connected to a terminal but does not contain *pkgspec*s to install/remove, **pactrans** should be called with *stdin* closed. For POSIX-compatible shells, this can be done with `"<&-"`.