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Mattscreative edited this page Dec 5, 2025 · 2 revisions

Arch Linux Pacman Configuration Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to configuring pacman on Arch Linux, including pacman.conf settings, performance optimization, and advanced configuration options.

Table of Contents

  1. Understanding pacman.conf
  2. Basic Configuration
  3. Performance Optimization
  4. Repository Configuration
  5. Security Settings
  6. Advanced Options
  7. Troubleshooting

Understanding pacman.conf

What is pacman.conf?

pacman.conf is the main configuration file for pacman, Arch Linux's package manager.

Location:

/etc/pacman.conf

What it controls:

  • Repository settings
  • Package installation options
  • Performance settings
  • Security settings
  • Download options

File Structure

Basic structure:

[options]
# Global options here

[core]
# Core repository

[extra]
# Extra repository

[community]
# Community repository

Basic Configuration

Opening pacman.conf

Edit configuration:

# Edit with your preferred editor
sudo vim /etc/pacman.conf

# Or with nano (easier for beginners)
sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf

Important Sections

Main sections:

  1. [options] - Global settings
  2. [repository-name] - Repository definitions

Performance Optimization

Parallel Downloads

Enable parallel downloads (2025 recommended):

[options]
ParallelDownloads = 5

What this does:

  • Downloads multiple packages simultaneously
  • Significantly faster package installation
  • Default in Pacman 7.1 (2025)

Recommended values:

  • 5: Good balance (recommended)
  • 10: Fast internet
  • 3: Slow internet

Color Output

Enable colored output:

[options]
Color

Benefits:

  • Easier to read output
  • Highlights important information
  • Better user experience

Progress Bar

Show download progress:

[options]
# Progress bar is enabled by default in Pacman 7.1

Repository Configuration

Official Repositories

Standard repositories:

[core]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

[extra]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

[community]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

[multilib]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

What each repository contains:

  • core: Essential system packages
  • extra: Additional packages
  • community: Community-maintained packages
  • multilib: 32-bit packages for 64-bit systems

Repository Priorities

Set repository priority:

[repository-name]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
SigLevel = PackageRequired

Security Settings

Signature Verification

Configure signature checking:

[options]
SigLevel = Required DatabaseOptional
LocalFileSigLevel = Optional

SigLevel options:

  • Required: All packages must be signed
  • Optional: Signatures checked if available
  • Never: No signature checking (not recommended)

Package Verification

Verify packages before installation:

[options]
CheckSpace

What this does:

  • Checks disk space before installation
  • Prevents failed installations
  • Recommended for all users

Advanced Options

Ignore Packages

Ignore specific packages:

[options]
IgnorePkg = package-name

Use cases:

  • Temporarily ignore problematic packages
  • Keep specific package versions
  • Avoid automatic updates

Example:

IgnorePkg = linux-lts

Ignore Groups

Ignore package groups:

[options]
IgnoreGroup = group-name

No Upgrades

Prevent package upgrades:

[options]
NoUpgrade = /etc/pacman.conf

Use cases:

  • Protect configuration files
  • Prevent overwriting custom configs

No Extract

Prevent file extraction:

[options]
NoExtract = /etc/pacman.conf

Useful Options

Verbose Output

Show detailed output:

# Use -v flag when running pacman
sudo pacman -Syu -v

Clean Package Cache

Automatic cache cleaning:

[options]
# CleanMethod = KeepInstalled

Options:

  • KeepInstalled: Keep installed packages
  • KeepCurrent: Keep current version
  • KeepUsed: Keep recently used

Common Configurations

Minimal Configuration

Basic setup:

[options]
ParallelDownloads = 5
Color
CheckSpace

[core]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

[extra]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

[community]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

Performance-Optimized

Maximum performance:

[options]
ParallelDownloads = 10
Color
CheckSpace
ILoveCandy

[core]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

[extra]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

[community]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

ILoveCandy:

  • Fun pacman animation
  • Shows progress with pacman character
  • Purely cosmetic

Troubleshooting

Configuration Errors

Check configuration:

# Test configuration
sudo pacman -Syu

# Check for syntax errors
# pacman will report errors

Common Issues

Issue: ParallelDownloads not working

Solution:

# Ensure it's in [options] section
[options]
ParallelDownloads = 5

Issue: Repository not found

Solution:

# Check repository name
# Ensure Include path is correct
[repository-name]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

Summary

This guide covered pacman.conf configuration, including performance optimization, repository settings, security options, and advanced configuration.

Key Takeaways:

  • Enable ParallelDownloads for faster installs
  • Use Color for better readability
  • Configure SigLevel for security
  • Test configuration after changes

Next Steps

This guide is based on the ArchWiki. For the most up-to-date information, always refer to the official ArchWiki. Updated for Pacman 7.1 (2025).

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