Manjaro Linux allows you to take advantage of its Arch Linux background and search for software from within the Arch User Repository (AUR). This is a collection of community maintained source code packages that are built and installed on your system (instead of being downloaded as pre-built binaries). Historically this has been a good solution for getting more niche software or just the latest version of a particular piece of software. Plus it lets you feel all l337 as you watch the terminal scroll through the compilation process like you are part of The Matrix.
Using the AUR in Manjaro
If you want to make use of the AUR in Manjaro you can but you should know that doing so can also cause problems on your system. These are not officially maintained or supported installations and so any number of things can go wrong as a result. Because of that the AUR is disabled by default so in order to enable it simply open the Package Manager application and enter the preferences window.
Once enabled you can choose to search in the AUR and doing so often shows additional results.
If you choose one of the packages from the AUR (usually ending in -svn) it will kick off an interactive terminal where you have to OK various parts of the build process. I believe there is an option under preferences to turn this off should you wish to do so.
Huzzah! You’ve successfully compiled a program out of the Arch User Repository! Now you can go on your merry way doing whatever it was you wanted to do!
Conclusion
The Arch User Repository provides a nice addition to the regular officially supported repository that makes it much easier to find, download and install extra software packages from source rather than you having to track them down yourself. While there are some risks involved, many people swear by the AUR and so in general it should be relatively safe to use.
This post is part of a series:
Leave a Reply