An update notifier/applier for Arch Linux that assists you with important pre/post update tasks and that includes a (.desktop) clickeable icon that can easily be integrated with any DE/WM, dock, status/launch bar or app menu. Optional support for AUR package updates and desktop notifications.
Features:
- Includes a (.desktop) clickeable icon that automatically changes to act as an update notifier/applier. Easy to integrate with any DE/WM, dock, status/launch bar, app menu, etc...
- Automatic check and listing of every packages available for update (through checkupdates), optionally shows the version changes as well.
- Offers to print the latest Arch Linux news before applying updates (through curl and htmlq).
- Automatic check and listing of orphan packages and offering you to remove them.
- Helps you processing pacnew/pacsave files (through pacdiff).
- Support for both sudo and doas.
- Optional support for AUR package updates (through yay or paru).
- Optional support for desktop notifications (through libnotify, see: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Desktop_notifications).
Install the arch-update AUR package.
Install dependencies:
sudo pacman -S --needed pacman-contrib curl htmlq diffutils vim
Download the archive of the latest stable release and extract it (alternatively, you can clone this repository via git).
To install arch-update, go into the extracted/cloned directory and run the following command:
sudo make install
To uninstall arch-update, go into the extracted/cloned directory and run the following command:
sudo make uninstall
The usage consist of integrating the .desktop file anywhere (could be your desktop, your dock, your status/launch bar and/or your app menu) and enabling the systemd timer.
The .desktop file is located in /usr/share/applications/arch-update.desktop (or /usr/local/share/applications/arch-update.desktop if you installed arch-update from source).
Its icon will automatically change depending on the different states (checking for updates, updates available, installing updates, up to date).
It will launch the main update function when clicked (see the Documentation chapter). It is easy to integrate with any DE/WM, dock, status/launch bar or app menu.
There is a systemd service in /usr/lib/systemd/user/arch-update.service (or in /etc/systemd/user/arch-update.service if you installed arch-update from source) that executes the check function when launched (see the Documentation chapter).
To launch it automatically at boot and then once every hour, enable the associated systemd timer:
systemctl --user enable --now arch-update.timer
Personally, I integrated the .desktop icon in my top bar.
It is the first icon from the left.
When arch-update is checking for updates, the icon changes accordingly (the check function is automatically triggered at boot and then once every hour if you enabled the systemd timer and can be manually triggered by running the arch-update -c command):
If there are available updates, the icon will show a bell sign and a desktop notification indicating the number of available updates will be sent (requires libnotify/notify-send):
When the icon is clicked, it launches the main update function which refreshes the list of packages available for updates, print it 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. It requires yay or paru for AUR package updates support):
You can optionally configure arch-update to show the version changes during the package listing (see: Tips and tricks - Show package version changes):
Once you gave the confirmation to proceed, arch-update offers to print latest Arch Linux news so you can acknowledge them easily. Select which news to read by typing its associated number. After your read a news, arch-update will once again offers to print latest Arch Linux news, so you can read multiple news at once. Simply press "enter" without typing any number to proceed with update:
While arch-update is performing updates, the icon changes accordingly:
When the update is over, the icon changes accordingly:
arch-update will also search for orphan packages and offers to remove them (if there are):
Additionally arch-update will search for pacnew/pacsave files and offers to process them via pacdiff (if there are):
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: Print 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 print the latest Arch Linux news. Post update, check for orphan packages and pacnew/pacsave files and, if there are, offers to process them.
Options:
-c, --check Check for available updates, send a desktop notification containing the number of available updates (if libnotify is installed)
-h, --help Display this message and exit
-V, --version Display version information and exit
Exit Codes:
0 OK
1 Invalid option
2 No privilege method (sudo or doas) is installed
3 Error when changing icon
4 User didn't gave the confirmation to proceed
5 Error when updating the packages
For more information, see the arch-update(1) man page
Arch-Update supports AUR package updates when checking and installing updates if yay or paru is installed:
See https://github.com/Jguer/yay and https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/yay
See https://github.com/morganamilo/paru and https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/paru
Arch-Update supports desktop notifications when performing the --check function if libnotify (notify-send) is installed:
See https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Desktop_notifications
If you enabled the systemd.timer, the --check option is automatically launched at boot and then once every hour.
If you want to change that cycle, you can edit the /usr/lib/systemd/user/arch-update.timer file (or /etc/systemd/user/arch-update.timer if you installed arch-update from source) and modify the OnUnitActiveSec value.
The timer needs to be re-enabled to apply changes, you can do so by typing the following command:
systemctl --user enable --now arch-update.timer
See https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.time.html
If you want arch-update to show the packages version changes in the main update function, run the following command:
sudo sed -i "s/ | awk '{print \$1}'//g" /usr/bin/arch-update /usr/local/bin/arch-update 2>/dev/null || true
Be aware that you'll have to relaunch that command at each arch-update's new release.
You can raise your issues, feedbacks and suggestions in the issues tab.
Pull requests are welcomed as well!