[SOLVED] Is there any way to modify a package's "Required By" field?

ricotries · 2021-12-08 04:30:20

As my list of AUR packages increases, some of these I have only installed because some other package required it, but it is become harder to track why some of these packages were installed.

For example, I installed the package "skdet", which "rkhunter" can use to enable some tests but does not actually require it to be installed. The output of pacman for "skdet":

# pacman -Qi skdet
Name : skdet
Version : 1.0-1
Description : Simple rootkit detector that can be used by rkhunter.
Architecture : x86_64
URL : http://dvgevers.home.xs4all.nl/
Licenses : GPL
Groups : None
Provides : None
Depends On : None
Optional Deps : None
Required By : None
Optional For : None
Conflicts With : None
Replaces : None
Installed Size : 36.58 KiB
Packager : Unknown Packager
Build Date : Wed 18 Aug 2021 09:15:07 AM EDT
Install Date : Wed 18 Aug 2021 09:15:29 AM EDT
Install Reason : Installed as a dependency for another package
Install Script : No
Validated By : None

Is there a way to modify the metadata of packages in the local database? Besides changing the "Install Reason", I have not found any related options in the man page for pacman, nor any related information in the Arch Linux documentation for pacman.

Last edited by ricotries (2021-12-08 05:16:25)

jasonwryan · 2021-12-08 04:52:39

But it is not required by rkhunter: it says as much in the description.

What problem are you actually trying to solve?

ricotries · 2021-12-08 05:03:50

Basically, avoiding some packages from being listed as orphans when they were installed separately on purpose.

If I executed

pacman -Qdt

it will be listed as a "real orphan" since technically no other package depends on it, but yet I did install it to be used by a utility from another package.

Allan · 2021-12-08 05:05:54

If you want skdet to be a dependency of rkhunter, you need to edit the rkhunter file in the pacman database. But this will revert every update of rkhunter. Other option is to build your own rkhunter package with skdet listed as a dependency - but again, you will need to keep up with the Arch packages.

jasonwryan · 2021-12-08 05:07:49

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=237977

ricotries · 2021-12-08 05:16:07

Not 100% what I was looking for, but it helps and I avoid removing packages I deem appropriate.

@Allan I will definitely do more research into what you mentioned to have a better understanding of the package database.

Thank you!

Xyne · 2021-12-08 05:28:29

Another option is to create an empty metapackage that serves no purpose other than listing the packages that you want as dependencies. It's a kludge, but it works.

Arch Linux

#1 2021-12-08 04:30:20

[SOLVED] Is there any way to modify a package's "Required By" field?

#2 2021-12-08 04:52:39

Re: [SOLVED] Is there any way to modify a package's "Required By" field?

#3 2021-12-08 05:03:50

Re: [SOLVED] Is there any way to modify a package's "Required By" field?

#4 2021-12-08 05:05:54

Re: [SOLVED] Is there any way to modify a package's "Required By" field?

#5 2021-12-08 05:07:49

Re: [SOLVED] Is there any way to modify a package's "Required By" field?

#6 2021-12-08 05:16:07

Re: [SOLVED] Is there any way to modify a package's "Required By" field?

#7 2021-12-08 05:28:29

Re: [SOLVED] Is there any way to modify a package's "Required By" field?

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