[Solved] Pacman: is there an option to only download updates

raphix · 2013-11-19 16:25:51

Hello,
I cannot find a way to only download packages and install them later. My use case: I have a laptop and a fast connexion at university and I would like to download the packages there. Since I am working, downloading is okay, but installing requires more computing power and regurlarly freezes my machine, which I'd like to avoid. I would like to run the installing part later, say at home for instance.
The manual indicates -w to be an option, but when I run

# pacman -Sw

I get

error: no target specified

as if I must indicate a package name.

I expected to be able to run

pacman -Syw

at work, and then

pacman -Su

at home.

Is there an option hidden in one of my config files preventing me to do this? Or another way to do it?

Last edited by raphix (2013-11-19 16:39:11)

graysky · 2013-11-19 16:29:42

Not understanding your rational, but I think `pacman -Syuw` should work.

EDIT: Edited my post for accuracy based on apg's post 2 down from mine.

Last edited by graysky (2013-11-19 16:38:14)

WorMzy · 2013-11-19 16:30:48

Use shell redirection to pipe the list of updates into it, but use a fake sync database (i.e. like checkupdates uses), or else you run the risk of partial updates or broken packages if you happen to -S something before you complete the update.

apg · 2013-11-19 16:36:21

You want -Suw

raphix · 2013-11-19 16:38:40

Thank you very much, apg!

alphaniner · 2013-11-19 16:39:33

pacman -Syw doesn't work because -Sy doesn't download packages, it just updates databases. pacman -Syuw is what you want.

And pacman -Sw doesn't work because you're not giving it anything to work with. It's intended to be used like pacman -Sw <package>.

Last edited by alphaniner (2013-11-19 16:40:57)

karol · 2013-11-19 16:42:58

apg wrote:

You want -Suw

I think OP needs 'pacman -Syuw':

$ sudo pacman -Syuw
:: Synchronizing package databases...
 testing is up to date
 community-testing is up to date
 core is up to date
 extra is up to date
 community is up to date
 xyne-i686 is up to date
 infinality-bundle is up to date
:: Starting full system upgrade...
resolving dependencies...

Packages (1):

Name           Old Version  New Version  Net Change  Download Size

extra/firefox  25.0-1       25.0.1-1     0.00 MiB        21.75 MiB

Total Download Size:   21.75 MiB

:: Proceed with download? [Y/n] 
(1/1) checking keys in keyring                                                                  [########################################################] 100%
(1/1) checking package integrity                                                                [########################################################] 100%

Now the package sits in the cache and you can update your system at will with 'pacman -Su'.

Last edited by karol (2013-11-19 16:45:20)

raphix · 2013-11-19 17:49:22

After reading your remarks (thanks to all of you), I think the manual could be amended, since "-w Retrieve all packages from the server, but do not install/upgrade anything" lead me to assume that the option "-w" was sufficient to "retrieve" packages.

I think there could be to parts, one to precise that it can be used alone, pacman -Sw <package>, and one to mention its use in conjonction with "-u", pacman -Syuw. I don't know how/whom to propose this modification (directly by email to pacman maintainers?)

Last edited by raphix (2013-11-19 17:52:59)

alphaniner · 2013-11-19 19:28:19

You need to think of the switch description in context and focus on 'all packages' instead. What does 'all packages' consist of? The only reasonable answer is that it depends on the rest of the command.

Besides, one could also run pacman -Sy; pacman -Suw, pacman -Syyuw, pacman -Syy; pacman -Suw, etc. So specifying all uses of the switch is impractical.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-11-19 16:25:51

[Solved] Pacman: is there an option to only download updates

#2 2013-11-19 16:29:42

Re: [Solved] Pacman: is there an option to only download updates

#3 2013-11-19 16:30:48

Re: [Solved] Pacman: is there an option to only download updates

#4 2013-11-19 16:36:21

Re: [Solved] Pacman: is there an option to only download updates

#5 2013-11-19 16:38:40

Re: [Solved] Pacman: is there an option to only download updates

#6 2013-11-19 16:39:33

Re: [Solved] Pacman: is there an option to only download updates

#7 2013-11-19 16:42:58

Re: [Solved] Pacman: is there an option to only download updates

#8 2013-11-19 17:49:22

Re: [Solved] Pacman: is there an option to only download updates

#9 2013-11-19 19:28:19

Re: [Solved] Pacman: is there an option to only download updates

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