Pacman holes the OS partition?

jebez · 2025-12-17 12:28:26

In /etc/pacman.conf there's the option CacheDir & pacman has the argument --cachedir .

By default Pacman downloads its packages in /var/cache/pacman/pkg , then install them, then deleting the packages:

sudo rm /var/cache/pacman/pkg/*

or

sudo pacman -Scc

a script: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 6#p2236226 .

I wonder if it holes the OS partition? I've the OS partition & the data partition, so maybe better cachedir the data partition? The RAM?

Last edited by jebez (2025-12-17 12:42:18)

seth · 2025-12-17 14:13:47

What do you mean by "holes"?
Defragmentation? If you've an SSD/nvme that borderline doesn't matter any more.

Personally I've the pacman cache in a tmpfs (ie. eg. /tmp ie. the RAM) - if you have enough RAM and/or remember to clean up after a successful update that's probably the least wasteful/wearing.

jebez · 2025-12-17 20:57:34

By holes I mean free space fragmentation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_syst … tion#Types .
F2FS is subject to file fragmentation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F2FS ...
My OS partition is F2FS on NVMe, there's the command defrag.f2fs , the OS F2FS partition defrags itself is not possible, need e.g. archlinux-*-x86_64.iso ...

I guess you use like:

#!/bin/bash
cd
konsole --hold -e bash -c 'sudo mount -t tmpfs none /var/cache/pacman/pkg
sudo pacman -Syu
sudo umount /var/cache/pacman/pkg
bash'

?
It uses less electricity & faster than on Flash memory?

Last edited by jebez (2025-12-17 21:38:16)

seth · 2025-12-17 21:05:25

It's faster (though the network will be the limiting factor) and doesn't wear not clutter your disk.
The F2FS wiki article btw. explicitly states that it's capable of online defragmentation?

nb. that file fragmentation on NAND isn't nearly as bad as on a HDD; there's overhead for the FS to piece the file together but it needs to get really bad to "feel" that, so doing that once per year on a regularly used system should be plenty.

I guess you use like:

No, I'm setting CacheDir to a tmpfs path.

jebez · 2025-12-17 21:15:01

seth wrote:

The F2FS wiki article btw. explicitly states that it's capable of online defragmentation?

/dev/nvme0n1p2 is the OS partition:

[a@archlinux ~]$ defrag.f2fs /dev/nvme0n1p2
Info: Mounted device!
        Error: Not available on mounted device!

Sorry I not readed your "(ie. eg. /tmp ie. the RAM)" & I discovered https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Tmpfs#Usage , so since I've 32 GiB of RAM, see my edited https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 6#p2236226 .

Last edited by jebez (2025-12-17 23:46:47)

Arch Linux

#1 2025-12-17 12:28:26

Pacman holes the OS partition?

#2 2025-12-17 14:13:47

Re: Pacman holes the OS partition?

#3 2025-12-17 20:57:34

Re: Pacman holes the OS partition?

#4 2025-12-17 21:05:25

Re: Pacman holes the OS partition?

#5 2025-12-17 21:15:01

Re: Pacman holes the OS partition?

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