Arch Linux

ShnorpSinkledonk

Member

Registered: 2021-02-06

Posts: 24

Hacking packages in the Arch Build System

Hello,

Say I would like to change the source code of an app, say plasma-desktop.
I ran

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/plasma-desktop-git.git

and then tried to build it with

makepkg -s

However, makepkg fails, saying that I need to install a ton of packages ending in "-git". I tried going down that rabbit hole a few months ago, and ended up replacing most of my packages with "-git" ones.
After getting tired of builds constantly failing, I just gave up and reinstalled the regular packages.

My question is, how does someone like me, an average developer, make a change to the code of plasma-desktop, be able to build it and test it out, and then possibly send it to be merged?

Thank you.

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 13,729

Re: Hacking packages in the Arch Build System

That's the AUR, not the ABS. See https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_Build_System

ShnorpSinkledonk

Member

Registered: 2021-02-06

Posts: 24

Re: Hacking packages in the Arch Build System

Ok, it makes sense now. With ABS, I can download the actual package that is used in regular repos. I just thought that PKGBUILD only applies to the AUR.