Keeping packages up-to-date is important on any Linux distro. Arch operates on a rolling release model, delivering bleeding-edge updates to your virtual door as soon as they’re ready. Because of that, frequent updates (combined with effective backups) are necessary to avoid a broken system and corrupt packages.
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Most Arch-based distros use the pacman package manager to download and install updates, a process technically referred to as “syncing.” You’ll use pacman commands to keep your packages synced and operational.
Apply a System Update on Arch Linux
To begin an update of all installed packages, open any terminal app and pass the following command:
You’ll be prompted for your password before the command can proceed. This command checks for available updates. If there are any, it will list the packages, along with their new version numbers.
You’ll then be prompted to confirm that you want to apply a full upgrade. Type y and hit Enter to confirm, or use n to cancel.
If you have packages that you suspect are corrupt, you can force a database download with your update to take care of those issues. Even if no updates are available, pacman will verify the integrity of your currently installed packages. Add a second y to the string to make that happen.
How to Update a Specific Package in Arch Linux
If you only want to update a specific package, use the same command that you used to install it, replacing package_name with your choice.
If you’re not sure what the name of a package is, you can search your installed packages using the -Qs flag.
Be sure to replace string with your search term. This will search both package names and descriptions, so you should find what you’re looking for easily.
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