An update notifier & applier for Arch Linux that assists you with important pre / post update tasks and that includes a clickeable systray applet for an easy integration with any panel on any Desktop Environment / Window Manager.
Optional support for AUR / Flatpak packages and desktop notifications.
Arch-Update is designed to follow usual system maintenance steps, as described in the Arch Wiki.
Features:
- Includes a clickeable systray applet that dynamically changes to act as an update notifier & applier. Easy to integrate with any panel on any Desktop Environment & Window Manager.
- Automatic check and listing of every packages available for update.
- Offers to display the latest Arch Linux news before applying updates.
- Automatic check and listing of orphan packages and offers to remove them.
- Automatic check for old and / or uninstalled cached packages and offers to remove them.
- Lists and helps you processing pacnew & pacsave files.
- Automatic check for pending kernel updates requiring a reboot to be applied and offers to do so if there's one.
- Automatic check for services requiring a post upgrade restart and offers to do so if there are.
- Support for
sudo,doas&run0. - Optional support for AUR packages (through
paru,yayorpikaur). - Optional support for Flatpak packages.
- Optional support for desktop notifications on new available updates.
Install the arch-update AUR package.
See also the list of optional dependencies (available in the "from source" section below) you may need.
Install required dependencies:
sudo pacman -S --needed pacman-contrib archlinux-contrib curl fakeroot htmlq diffutils hicolor-icon-theme python python-pyqt6 qt6-svg glib2Additional optional dependencies you might need or want:
- paru: AUR Packages support
- yay: AUR Packages support
- pikaur: AUR Packages support
- flatpak: Flatpak Packages support
- libnotify: Desktop notifications support on new available updates (see https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Desktop_notifications)
- vim: Default merge program for pacdiff
- qt6-wayland: Systray applet support on Wayland
Download the archive of the latest stable release and extract it (alternatively, you can clone this repository via git clone).
To install arch-update, go into the extracted / cloned directory and run the following command:
sudo make installIf you want to run simple unit tests, you can run the following command (requires bats):
make testTo uninstall arch-update, go into the extracted / cloned directory and run the following command:
sudo make uninstallThe usage consist of starting the systray applet and enabling the systemd timer.
To start the systray applet, launch the "Arch-Update Systray Applet" application from your app menu.
To start it automatically at boot, you can either:
- Run the following command (preferred method for most Desktop Environments, uses XDG Autostart):
arch-update --tray --enable- Enable the associated systemd service (in case your Desktop Environment doesn't support XDG Autostart):
systemctl --user enable --now arch-update-tray.serviceIf you use a Window Manager or a Wayland Compositor, you can add the arch-update --tray command to your "auto-start" apps in your configuration file instead.
If the systray applet doesn't start at boot regardless, please read this chapter.
The systray icon will automatically change depending on the current state of your system ('up to date' or 'updates available'). When clicked, it launches arch-update via the arch-update.desktop file.
The systray applet attempts to read the arch-update.desktop file at the below paths and in the following order:
$XDG_DATA_HOME/applications/arch-update.desktop$HOME/.local/share/applications/arch-update.desktop$XDG_DATA_DIRS/applications/arch-update.desktop/usr/local/share/applications/arch-update.desktop<-- Default installation path when installing Arch-Update from source/usr/share/applications/arch-update.desktop<-- Default installation path when installing Arch-Update from the AUR
In case you want (or need) to customize the arch-update.desktop file, copy it in a path that has a higher priority than the default installation path and modify it there (to ensure that your custom arch-update.desktop file supersedes the default one and that your modifications are not being overwritten on updates).
This can be useful to force Arch-Update to launch with a specific terminal emulator when clicking the systray applet for instance.
If clicking the systray applet does nothing, please read this chapter.
There is a systemd service (in /usr/lib/systemd/user/arch-update.service or in /usr/local/lib/systemd/user/arch-update.service if you installed Arch-Update from source) that executes the check function when started (see the Documentation chapter).
To start it automatically at boot and then once every hour, enable the associated systemd timer (you can modify the auto-check cycle to your liking, see the Tips and tricks - Modify the auto-check cycle chapter):
systemctl --user enable --now arch-update.timerOnce started, the systray applet appears in the systray area of your panel.
It is the icon at the right of the 'wifi' one in the screenshot below:
With the system timer enabled, Arch-Update automatically checks for updates at boot and then once every hour. The check can be manually triggered by running the arch-update --check command or by right-clicking the systray icon and then clicking on the Check for updates menu entry:
If there are new available updates, the systray icon will show a red circle and a desktop notification indicating the number of available updates will be sent (requires libnotify and a running notification server):
You can then see the list of available updates in the systray icon's tooltip by hovering your mouse over it:
Alternatively, you can see the list of available updates in the dropdown menu entry by right-clicking the systray icon:
When the systray icon is left-clicked, it prints the list of packages available for updates inside a terminal window and asks for the user's confirmation to proceed with the installation (it can also be launched by running the arch-update command, requires paru, yay or pikaur for AUR packages support and flatpak for Flatpak packages support).
By default, if at least one Arch Linux news has been published since the last run, Arch-Update will offer you to read the latest Arch Linux news directly from your terminal window.
The news published since the last run are tagged as [NEW]:
When recent news get listed, you can select the news to read (e.g. 1 3 5), select 0 to read them all or press "enter" to proceed with update.
If no news has been published since the last run, Arch-Update will directly proceed to the update after you gave your confirmation.
In both cases, from there, you just have to let Arch-Update guide you through the various steps required for a complete and proper update of your system! 😄
Certain options can be enabled, disabled or modified via the arch-update.conf configuration file. See the arch-update.conf documentation chapter for more details.
An update notifier & applier for Arch Linux that assists you with
important pre / post update tasks.
Run arch-update to perform the main "update" function:
Display the list of packages available for update, then ask for the user's confirmation
to proceed with the installation.
Before performing the update, offer to display the latest Arch Linux news.
Post update, check for orphan & unused packages, old cached packages, pacnew & pacsave files,
pending kernel update, as well as services requiring a post upgrade restart and, if there are,
offers to process them.
Options:
-c, --check Check for available updates, change the systray icon and send a desktop notification containing the number of available updates (if there are new available updates compared to the last check)
-l, --list Display the list of pending updates
-d, --devel Include AUR development packages updates
-n, --news [Num] Display latest Arch News, you can optionally specify the number of Arch news to display with `--news [Num]` (e.g. `--news 10`)
-D, --debug Display debug traces
--gen-config Generate a default / example `arch-update.conf` configuration file (see the arch-update.conf(5) man page for more details), you can optionally pass the `--force` argument to overwrite any existing `arch-update.conf` configuration file
--show-config Display the `arch-update.conf` configuration file currently used (if it exists)
--edit-config Edit the `arch-update.conf` configuration file currently used (if it exists)
--tray Launch the Arch-Update systray applet, you can optionally add the `--enable` argument to start it automatically at boot.
-h, --help Display this help message and exit
-V, --version Display version information and exit
Exit Codes:
0 OK
1 Invalid option
2 No privilege elevation command (sudo, doas or run0) is installed or the one set in the `arch-update.conf` configuration file isn't found
3 Error when launching the Arch-Update systray applet
4 User didn't gave the confirmation to proceed
5 Error when updating the packages
6 Error when calling the reboot command to apply a pending kernel update
7 No pending update when using the `-l / --list` option
8 Error when generating a configuration file with the `--gen-config` option
9 Error when reading the configuration file with the `--show-config` option
10 Error when creating the autostart desktop file for the systray applet with the `--tray --enable` option
11 Error when restarting services that require a post upgrade restart
12 Error during the pacnew files processing
13 Error when editing the configuration file with the `--edit-config` option
14 Libraries directory not found
15 The diff prog editor set in the `arch-update.conf` configuration file isn't found
For more information, see the arch-update(1) man page.
Certain options can be enabled, disabled or modified via the arch-update.conf configuration file, see the arch-update.conf(5) man page.
The arch-update.conf file is an optional configuration file for arch-update to enable, disable
or modify certain options within the script.
This configuration file has to be located in "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/arch-update/arch-update.conf"
or "${HOME}/.config/arch-update/arch-update.conf".
A default / example configuration file can be generated by running: `arch-update --gen-config`
The supported options are:
- NoColor # Do not colorize output.
- NoVersion # Do not show versions changes for packages when listing pending updates (including when using the `-l / --list` option).
- NewsNum=[Num] # Number of Arch news to display before updating and with the `-n / --news` option (see the arch-update(1) man page for more details). Defaults to 5.
- AURHelper=[AUR Helper] # AUR helper to be used for AUR packages support. Valid values are `paru`, `yay` or `pikaur`. If this option is not set, Arch-Update will use the first available AUR helper in the following order: `paru` then `yay` then `pikaur` (in case none of them is installed, Arch-Update will not take AUR packages into account).
- PrivilegeElevationCommand=[Cmd] # Command to be used for privilege elevation. Valid values are `sudo`, `doas` or `run0`. If this option is not set, Arch-Update will use the first available command in the following order: `sudo`, `doas` then `run0`.
- KeepOldPackages=[Num] # Number of old packages' versions to keep in pacman's cache. Defaults to 3.
- KeepUninstalledPackages=[Num] # Number of uninstalled packages' versions to keep in pacman's cache. Defaults to 0.
- DiffProg=[Editor] # Editor to use to visualize / edit differences during the pacnew files processing. Defaults to the `$DIFFPROG` environment variable's value (or `vimdiff` if `$DIFFPROG` isn't set). Note that, due to the lack of option to preserve environment variable in `doas`, this option will be ignored when using `doas` as the privilege elevation method.
- TrayIconStyle=[Style / Color] # Style to be used for the systray applet icon. Valid values are the available style / color variants for the icon set, listed in https://github.com/Antiz96/arch-update/tree/main/res/icons. Defaults to "light".
Options are case sensitive, so capital letters have to be respected.
For more information, see the arch-update.conf(5) man page.
Arch-Update supports AUR packages if paru, yay or pikaur is installed:
See https://github.com/morganamilo/paru and https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/paru
See https://github.com/Jguer/yay and https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/yay
See https://github.com/actionless/pikaur and https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/pikaur
Arch-Update supports Flatpak packages if flatpak is installed:
See https://www.flatpak.org/ and https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/flatpak/
Arch-Update supports desktop notifications when performing the --check function if libnotify is installed (and a notification server is running):
See https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Desktop_notifications
Make sure you followed instructions of this chapter.
If the systray applet doesn't start regardless, this could be the result of a race condition.
In such case, it might be useful to slightly delay the startup of the systray applet by using a sleep statement beforehand:
- If you used
arch-update --tray --enable, modify theExec=line in thearch-update-tray.desktopfile (which is under~/.config/autostart/by default), like so:
Exec=sh -c "sleep 3 && arch-update --tray"
- If you used the
arch-update-tray.servicesystemd service, runsystemctl --user edit --full arch-update-tray.serviceand modify theExecStart=line, like so:
ExecStart=sh -c "sleep 3 && arch-update --tray"
- If you're using a standalone Window Manager or a Wayland Compositor, add a
sleepstatement before thearch-update --traycommand in your "auto-start" apps in your configuration file, like so:
sleep 3 && arch-update --tray
If the systray applet still does not start at boot, try to gradually increase the value of the sleep.
If you enabled the systemd.timer, the --check option is automatically launched at boot and then once per hour.
If you want to change the check cycle, run systemctl --user edit --full arch-update.timer and modify the OnUnitActiveSec value to your liking.
For instance, if you want Arch-Update to check for new updates every 10 minutes instead:
[...]
[Timer]
OnStartupSec=15
OnUnitActiveSec=10m
[...]
Time units are s for seconds, m for minutes, h for hours, d for days...
See https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/latest/systemd.time.html#Parsing%20Time%20Spans for more details.
In case you want Arch-Update to check for new updates only once at boot, you can simply delete the OnUnitActiveSec line completely.
gio (which is used to launch the arch-update.desktop file when the systray applet is clicked) currently supports a limited list of terminal emulators.
If you don't have any of these terminal emulators installed on your system, you might face an issue where clicking the systray applet does nothing and reports the following error: [...] Unable to find terminal required for application.
While waiting for Gnome to implement a way to allow people using their terminal emulator of choice with gio (which will hopefully happen at some point), you can workaround this issue by copying the arch-update.desktop file to $HOME/.local/share/applications/arch-update.desktop (for instance, see this chapter for more details) and modifying the Exec line in it to "force" arch-update to run with your terminal emulator of choice.
For instance, with alacritty (check your terminal emulator's manual to find the correct option to use):
[...]
Exec=alacritty -e arch-update
Alternatively, you can create a symlink for your terminal emulator that points to /usr/bin/xterm, which is the fallback option for gio (for instance, with alacritty: sudo ln -s /usr/bin/alacritty /usr/bin/xterm) or you can simply install one of the terminal emulators supported by gio.
Please, read the contributing guidelines.
Arch-Update is licensed under the GPL-3.0 license (or any later version of that license).