[SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

wadk · 2021-02-12 12:34:50

I'm a newbie idiot, so I ended up installing some files from AUR using git clone and makepkg creating unowned installations for pacman. I also used debtap for one .deb package. According to some, I did a cardinal sin.

So, my question is how do I manage these files? Did I do something wrong? What makes this especially awkward is that one of the files is linux-git (the kernel and modules).

Why did I do it? Unfortunately, I needed drivers drom mesa-git and linux-git and my brain is still too small to create or understand manual compiling from source and PKGBUILD from this link:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Creating_packages

Last edited by wadk (2021-02-12 13:31:29)

Slithery · 2021-02-12 12:44:32

wadk wrote:

I'm a newbie idiot, so I ended up installing some files from AUR using git clone and makepkg creating unowned installations for pacman.

If you used AUR packages and makepkg then they are tracked by pacman. That's the whole point of using AUR packages.
You can check this by using (for example)...

pacman -Qi linux-git

wadk · 2021-02-12 12:58:46

So no harm done. Thank you, got a wrong impression from some topics where people were shouting only way to install is pacman -S or compiling from source. I guess only extra maintenance step is manually updating one debtap package I installed.

Last edited by wadk (2021-02-12 13:01:18)

CarbonChauvinist · 2021-02-12 13:17:53

Grovelling is not a substitute for doing your homework

I'll just leave this here, there's a worrying trend of this kind of <cough> "smallbrain" <cough> groupthink/newspeak which appears to born from certain youtube personalities (sigh)

Linux on youtube has been one of the worst things overall really....

wadk · 2021-02-12 13:46:36

Setting up Arch workstation is a hobby for me, so after spending too much time finding polarizing messages on the topic I wanted some answers.

The language was just a gag. And a reaction after reading answers like these:

"What exactly are you trying to install? Instead of trying to convert a Debian package to an Arch package (which could potentially screw up your system), I think it's better to try to find a proper Arch package in the first place."

Common sense said installing .deb directly through software distributor is safer than installing AUR package e.g. for a banking app.

Linux content on youtube? Gotta have a watch.

Last edited by wadk (2021-02-12 13:52:38)

Trilby · 2021-02-12 15:11:33

wadk wrote:

And a reaction after reading answers like these:
"What exactly are you trying to install? Instead of trying to convert a Debian package to an Arch package (which could potentially screw up your system), I think it's better to try to find a proper Arch package in the first place."

The quoted answer is good. But there seems to be a lot of all or nothing thinking here. Using debtap to conver a debian package to an arch package, then installing that with pacman will result in the package being properly tracked by pacman. This is a valid way to install software. What you quoted did not call it a 'sin' nor did it say it'd break pacman or leave untracked files; it just (accurately) highlighting that finding / creating a proper arch package would be better.

Essentially, the order of preference - with better options listed first:

1. Packages in the main repos
2. Packages in the AUR (or maybe in well-maintained unofficial repos if building it yourself is impractical on your hardware).
3. Packages you create a proper PKGBUILD for and build from official upstream sources (and then perhaps submit the PKGBUILD to the AUR).
4. Converting from other distro's packages (e.g., via debtap). But this should be a last resort and only seems to make sense for proprietary and / or closed-source software for which upstream provides only the prebuilt packages for other distros.

The fourth one is the "least good". But when necessary it is a valid and appropriate way to make a package for arch.

Last edited by Trilby (2021-02-12 15:17:33)

wadk · 2021-02-12 19:12:56

Trilby wrote:

1. Packages in the main repos
2. Packages in the AUR (or maybe in well-maintained unofficial repos if building it yourself is impractical on your hardware).
3. Packages you create a proper PKGBUILD for and build from official upstream sources (and then perhaps submit the PKGBUILD to the AUR).
4. Converting from other distro's packages (e.g., via debtap). But this should be a last resort and only seems to make sense for proprietary and / or closed-source software for which upstream provides only the prebuilt packages for other distros.

Thanks for giving clarity with the sequence. I have one package that is proprietary, therefore 4th option was necessary.

Quote was from reddit and seems like Arch community there is more puritan than Arch users here, heh.

finoderi · 2021-02-13 06:08:35

wadk wrote:

Common sense said installing .deb directly through software distributor is safer than installing AUR package e.g. for a banking app.

Only if you cannot be bothered to read the content of the PKGBUILD for that package.

wadk · 2021-02-13 07:50:22

finoderi wrote:

Only if you cannot be bothered to read the content of the PKGBUILD for that package.

Aren't you then putting all trust on yourself verifying the code by basically saying "I am auditing this code for myself and it is secure"? I would still trust a closed source program over AUR upload in case a secure connection is required, e.g. a banking or a cryptocurrency application. Many security professionals have been hacked through code exploits, so I do not feel confident to audit a code over a closed source direct download.

Last edited by wadk (2021-02-13 08:07:26)

finoderi · 2021-02-13 09:09:58

wadk wrote:

Aren't you then putting all trust on yourself verifying the code by basically saying "I am auditing this code for myself and it is secure"?

Nope, becuase I read a PKGBUILD, not 'auditing code'.
It's pretty human readable - https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/PKGBUILD

Arch Linux

#1 2021-02-12 12:34:50

[SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

#2 2021-02-12 12:44:32

Re: [SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

#3 2021-02-12 12:58:46

Re: [SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

#4 2021-02-12 13:17:53

Re: [SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

#5 2021-02-12 13:46:36

Re: [SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

#6 2021-02-12 15:11:33

Re: [SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

#7 2021-02-12 19:12:56

Re: [SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

#8 2021-02-13 06:08:35

Re: [SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

#9 2021-02-13 07:50:22

Re: [SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

#10 2021-02-13 09:09:58

Re: [SOLVED] How to manage manual installs? Small brain.

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