Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

Conusoid · 2021-05-02 16:34:23

I'm usually updating/upgrading arch with 'sudo pacman -Syu' once a week to have relatively stable system. Obviously sometimes i need to install some new packages so i'm using 'sudo pacman -S'. Is there any risks or downsides of it? like those caused by 'pacman -Sy' updates?
Did not find answer to this specific question anywhere even in this forum (though search here is not working in some cases and gives me 'time-out' message).
Yes, i'm new to arch and yes, you can keep your 'wanna stability? use debian'
Anyway thanks for your answers in advance and sorry if it's a duplicate topic.

Last edited by Conusoid (2021-05-02 17:58:31)

archimboldo · 2021-05-02 16:50:45

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System … nsupported

GaKu999 · 2021-05-02 17:01:54

Partial upgrades are unsupported as stated ^.

For installing a new package 'S $pkg' is the way to go.
When a specific package version is not in the repos anymore, then its time to 'Syu'.
Simple as that.

Conusoid · 2021-05-02 17:29:56

archimboldo wrote:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System … nsupported

I do undestand that some people just answering the subject but not reading question itself.
I've read that wiki page and it says about partial update what I mentioned in the context of bad consequences. But the question is about installing packages with 'sudo pacman -S' without any updating unwanted consequences. Is there any?

teckk · 2021-05-02 17:39:59

installing packages with 'sudo pacman -S' without any updating unwanted consequences. Is there any?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Pacman

pacman -S <pkgname> will install that package and it's dependencies from the mirror in your /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist. That is the correct way to install a package. The info comes from pacmans database. /var/lib/pacman/sync

You can do that as long as you want. But, the longer you go without an update, the less likely that package version will still be on the mirror. Depends on what it is. The kernel sometimes updates 3 times a week. Some things don't update in 3 months.

archimboldo · 2021-05-02 17:41:15

Conusoid wrote:

But the question is about installing packages with 'sudo pacman -S' without any updating unwanted consequences. Is there any?

No. If you update it once a week, you will be fine.

Conusoid · 2021-05-02 17:54:42

Thank you very much for fast and informative response, guys!

Last edited by Conusoid (2021-05-02 17:55:43)

ayekat · 2021-05-02 18:27:58

archimboldo wrote:

Conusoid wrote:
But the question is about installing packages with 'sudo pacman -S' without any updating unwanted consequences. Is there any?
No. If you update it once a week, you will be fine.

You can also be fine if you update less (or more) often. The frequency of updating doesn't really matter here.

As mentioned above by teckk and GaKu999, using `pacman -S {package}` is perfectly fine—until your local DB is outdated enough that the mirror no longer contains the package version you want (you'll hit 404s, and the correct solution there is -Syu).

Last edited by ayekat (2021-05-02 18:28:16)

schard · 2021-05-02 19:37:26

Conusoid wrote:

But the question is about installing packages with 'sudo pacman -S' without any updating unwanted consequences. Is there any?

Yes! Mirrors are being updated frenquently and arbitrarily. Hence are the packages hosted there. So by running pacman -S <package> you risk running into 404 Errors if the package has been updated in the meantime.
This won't break anything but can confuse newbies and costs time, since you'll need to subsequently run an update anyways. Therefore I recommend only installing new packages with pacman -Syu <package>.

Conusoid · 2021-05-02 20:37:06

Dang it! I knew there's something like this But since it won't break anything I think I can take that risk. As far as I understand daily (or even more often) updating could cause serious time loss in some cases. I think the most rational would be to choose the lesser of two evils in terms of relative stability. There has to be some balance imo
I mean I'm already installed packages this way, but I did it with some concern. Now, with the information received from you, I have a much better idea of what I am doing. Thanks a lot!

kokoko3k · 2021-05-02 21:24:14

schard wrote:

Conusoid wrote:
But the question is about installing packages with 'sudo pacman -S' without any updating unwanted consequences. Is there any?
Yes! Mirrors are being updated frenquently and arbitrarily. Hence are the packages hosted there. So by running pacman -S <package> you risk running into 404 Errors if the package has been updated in the meantime.
This won't break anything but can confuse newbies and costs time, since you'll need to subsequently run an update anyways. Therefore I recommend only installing new packages with pacman -Syu <package>.

The beautiful underrated feature of arch:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_Linux_Archive
Now used as a fallback in pacman.conf:

[core]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
Server = https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/.all

[extra]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
Server = https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/.all

[community]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
Server = https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/.all

[multilib]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
Server = https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/.all

Watch out for the missing security updates, tho.

Last edited by kokoko3k (2021-05-02 21:29:12)

eschwartz · 2021-05-02 22:16:48

kokoko3k wrote:

The beautiful underrated feature of arch:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_Linux_Archive
Now used as a fallback in pacman.conf:

Indeed both beautiful and underrated. But, why not add it to the mirrorlist file once, rather than to every repository section?

kokoko3k · 2021-05-03 05:02:42

It is a particular repo, so it deserves a particular place; just a matter of personal taste.

Are there any side effects in keeping it in pacman.conf?

eschwartz · 2021-05-05 05:37:52

It isn't "a particular repo", though -- in fact, it isn't a repo at all, it is capable of resolving -S / -Su but completely incapable of resolving -Sy / -Syu (and in fact future versions of pacman will, upon getting 404 errors for core.db and a bunch more dbs, remove the Server from the current session and not try it for packages).

Are there any side effects in keeping 5-10 mirror urls hardcoded in pacman.conf instead of included via a mirrorlist?

Arch Linux

#1 2021-05-02 16:34:23

Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#2 2021-05-02 16:50:45

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#3 2021-05-02 17:01:54

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#4 2021-05-02 17:29:56

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#5 2021-05-02 17:39:59

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#6 2021-05-02 17:41:15

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#7 2021-05-02 17:54:42

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#8 2021-05-02 18:27:58

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#9 2021-05-02 19:37:26

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#10 2021-05-02 20:37:06

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#11 2021-05-02 21:24:14

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#12 2021-05-02 22:16:48

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#13 2021-05-03 05:02:42

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

#14 2021-05-05 05:37:52

Re: Is it safe to install packages without updating the system? [SOLVED]

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