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Installing Applications

On Nyarch Linux, you can install applications in multiple ways, which are called "Packaging Formats". This page explains the differences between package formats and how to install and manage them.

Supported package formats:

  1. Arch Linux Packages (pacman, .tar.zst)
  2. Flatpaks (Store, .flatpakref, .flatpak)
  3. AppImages (.appimage)
  4. Arch User Repository (yay & paru)

Arch Linux Packages

(Almost) Every Linux distribution has a package manager: it helps you install, remove, and update packages on your computer.

On Arch Linux, the package manager is pacman.

Due to various reasons, pacman is supposed to be used only via terminal and with admin privileges.

Here is some basic usage for pacman. If you want more detailed instructions, check pacman on the Arch Wiki

How to install a package

sudo pacman -S package

For example, to install firefox, you can type

sudo pacman -S firefox

How to remove a package

sudo pacman -R package

If you also want to remove its dependencies, you can use -Rns.

How to update all packages

sudo pacman -Syu

How to search for a package

sudo pacman -Ss package

Flatpaks

Flatpak is a special packaging format that allows you to install applications in a sandboxed environment.

This means you can easily manage what permissions an application has, like you do on smartphones.

Flatpaks have some pros and cons: - Pros: - They work on every Linux distribution - You can control their permissions - Easy to install through the store - You can install applications without admin rights - Cons: - They take more disk space compared to native packages - They are sometimes problematic with some software that is not made to run inside a sandbox - Use for terminal programs often require doing some extra steps

When should I install a flatpak?

  • When the software is supposed to be primarily run as Flatpak (for example Bottles)
  • When you are installing software that you don't trust (you can control its permissions)
  • When it's a GTK/Gnome application (because Nyarch ships their runtimes and they install fast)
  • When the software does not run in the terminal

Installing a Flatpak

Gnome Software

You can use Gnome Software to find, install, uninstall, and update flatpak applications.

immagine immagine

From Flathub

You can find flatpaks on Flathub. Installing an application from there makes your browser download a .flatpakref file; clicking it opens the application in Gnome Software

Note: Every application on Flathub is also in Gnome Software

Command Line

flatpak install application.id

For example, to install firefox via Flatpak

flatpak install org.mozilla.firefox

With the command line, you can also install .flatpak files.

To do that, you can just run

flatpak install file.flatpak

Also, double-clicking on a .flatpak file opens Gnome Software to install it.

Managing Flatpak permissions

You can manage flatpak permissions using Flatseal.

Appimages

Appimages are a special format that can be run on every Linux distribution. - Pros: - They work on every Linux distribution - Cons: - They do not share libraries with other applications - They are generally slower - Often they don't support theming

It is generally not suggested to use appimages if there are other packaging formats available. Use appimages only if there is no alternative.

Installing and managing Appimages

After downloading an appimage, you can double-click on it and it will launch GearLever.

GearLever is a simple software that helps you install and uninstall appimages. You can choose to run the appimage once without installing or add it to the app menu.

Running appimages from command line

You can also straight up run an appimage from the command line by: 1. Giving it the permission to be executed

chmod +x application.appimage
  1. Running it
./application.appimage

Arch User Repository

The AUR (Arch User Repository) is a big community-driven store for packages that aren't officially supported by Arch Linux. If an application exists, it's very likely that you will find it in the AUR.

Nyarch Linux is fully compatible with the AUR, since it uses default Arch Linux repositories.

Warning: The packages on the AUR are uploaded by users, so they might not be safe. It's suggested to always check if they are trustable from the package builds.

Installing a package

To install an AUR package, you need an AUR Helper.

By default, Nyarch Linux ships yay as the default AUR helper. (Or nyay because lol nya)

To install an AUR package, you can run

yay -S package

For example,

yay -S zen-browser-bin
Updating packages
yay

Updates all packages from the AUR

Using paru

paru is a feature-rich AUR helper written in Rust, the successor to yay, providing safer defaults and more active maintenance.

To install paru, you can run:

sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru.git 
cd paru
makepkg -si
Installing packages with paru

paru uses syntax similar to pacman, making it easy to pick up.

To install an AUR package, you can run:

paru -S package

For example,

paru -S chrome
Updating packages
paru

or

paru -Syu

This updates all packages from both official repositories and the AUR.

paru tips
  • Exit review: Press q to exit during review
  • View PKGBUILD: paru -Gp package lets you view the package build script before installation
  • View AUR comments: paru -Gc package lets you view comments from other users about the package
  • Interactive search: Running paru searchterm directly lets you search interactively and select for installation
  • Skip review: paru -S package --skipreview (not recommended for untrusted packages)

Guide to Package names

You might encounter multiple packages for the same program. This is an example for Vesktop: immagine

Based on the suffix:

  • -git: This package is built from the latest code in the Git repository. It might not be stable, but you'll get the latest features and updates. Also, it will compile the package

  • -bin: This package is a binary package, which means it's pre-compiled and ready to use. You don't need to build it from source

  • If there's no suffix, it usually means that the package is the "release" version. In other words, it's the latest stable version of the software, without any suffixes or prefixes. ```