Arch Linux

gildersleeve

Member

Registered: 2025-09-29

Posts: 5

Yay (or other AUR helpers)

I'm new to Arch, and a somewhat relative newbie to Linux. I'm learning a lot though!

I just came across AUR helpers like Yay. A lot of Reddit posts and such assume one is using them, but it seems it's a level of abstraction away. There's one post I found here recommending people away from them - that they help and hurt, where doing it manually you learn more and can fix the problems easier.

So is it a coin toss thing? Obvious as you get more advanced?

Basically, for where I'm at:

AUR helpers, yay or nay?

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 69,157

Re: Yay (or other AUR helpers)

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/AUR_helpers - see the big fat red warning.
Using an AUR helper implies that you don't have to rely on it - if you know your way around and <random AUR helper> actually makes your life easier you can use it.
But if it fails to install a package, you'll have to check whether you can install the package manually before you report it as broken.

As for yay specifically: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 0#p2148350 …

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gildersleeve

Member

Registered: 2025-09-29

Posts: 5

Re: Yay (or other AUR helpers)

Thanks! I did see the warning but it was hard to tell how to interpret it. Your post help clarify it. So I'll not install or use one until I am so proficient myself that I can clearly see the value / find problems.

EmilyParker

Member

Registered: 2025-09-26

Posts: 1

Re: Yay (or other AUR helpers)

Thanks for sharing those links and explanations. I was also searching for clear guidance on AUR helpers, so your reply is really useful. I’ll review the resources you mentioned carefully.

Last edited by EmilyParker (2025-10-03 07:21:01)