Arch Linux

GortHelpUs

Member

From: .au

Registered: 2025-07-22

Posts: 11

[SOLVED] Pacman upgrade - breaking multilib dependencies

I have somehow upset my package chakras...

sudo pacman -Syu
:: Synchronizing package databases...
 core-testing                                                                                                          4.2 KiB   118 KiB/s 00:00 [-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------] 100%
 core                                                                                                                117.4 KiB  1449 KiB/s 00:00 [-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------] 100%
 extra                                                                                                                 8.0 MiB  5.28 MiB/s 00:02 [-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------] 100%
 multilib                                                                                                            125.3 KiB   895 KiB/s 00:00 [-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------] 100%
:: Starting full system upgrade...
resolving dependencies...
looking for conflicting packages...
error: failed to prepare transaction (could not satisfy dependencies)
:: installing audit (4.1.2-1) breaks dependency 'audit=4.0.5' required by lib32-audit
:: installing libcap (2.77-1) breaks dependency 'libcap=2.76' required by lib32-libcap
:: installing libelf (0.194-1) breaks dependency 'libelf=0.193' required by lib32-libelf 

The lib32-* packages all(?) seem to be related to / used by Steam (installed in July)

Searching the forum for possible solutions, if I try uninstalling all multilib packages, this uninstalls Steam

sudo pacman -R $(comm -12 <(pacman -Qq | sort) <(pacman -Slq multilib | sort))
checking dependencies...
warning: dependency cycle detected:
warning: lib32-keyutils will be removed after its lib32-krb5 dependency
warning: dependency cycle detected:
warning: lib32-pam will be removed after its lib32-systemd dependency
warning: dependency cycle detected:
warning: lib32-mesa will be removed after its lib32-libglvnd dependency

Packages (76) lib32-alsa-lib-1.2.14-1  lib32-alsa-plugins-1.2.12-1  lib32-audit-4.0.5-1  lib32-brotli-1.1.0-1  lib32-bzip2-1.0.8-4  lib32-curl-8.16.0-1  lib32-dbus-1.16.2-1  lib32-e2fsprogs-1.47.3-1  lib32-expat-2.7.3-1
              lib32-fontconfig-2:2.17.1-1  lib32-freetype2-2.14.1-1  lib32-glib2-2.86.0-2  lib32-harfbuzz-12.1.0-1  lib32-icu-76.1-1  lib32-json-c-0.18-2  lib32-keyutils-1.6.3-2  lib32-krb5-1.21.3-1  lib32-libcap-2.76-1
              lib32-libdrm-2.4.125-1  lib32-libelf-0.193-4  lib32-libffi-3.5.2-1  lib32-libgcrypt-1.11.2-1  lib32-libglvnd-1.7.0-1  lib32-libgpg-error-1.55-1  lib32-libidn2-2.3.7-1  lib32-libldap-2.6.10-1  lib32-libnghttp2-1.67.1-1
              lib32-libnghttp3-1.12.0-1  lib32-libnm-1.54.1-1  lib32-libnsl-2.0.1-1  lib32-libpciaccess-0.18.1-1  lib32-libpipewire-1:1.4.9-1  lib32-libpng-1.6.50-1  lib32-libpsl-0.21.5-1  lib32-libssh2-1.11.1-1  lib32-libtasn1-4.20.0-1
              lib32-libtirpc-1.3.7-1  lib32-libunistring-1.3-1  lib32-libva-2.22.0-1  lib32-libx11-1.8.12-2  lib32-libxau-1.0.11-2  lib32-libxcb-1.17.0-1  lib32-libxcrypt-4.4.38-1  lib32-libxcrypt-compat-4.4.38-1  lib32-libxdmcp-1.1.5-1
              lib32-libxext-1.3.6-1  lib32-libxfixes-6.0.1-2  lib32-libxinerama-1.1.5-2  lib32-libxml2-2.15.0-1  lib32-libxshmfence-1.3.3-1  lib32-libxss-1.2.4-2  lib32-libxxf86vm-1.1.5-2  lib32-llvm-libs-1:20.1.8-1
              lib32-lm_sensors-1:3.6.2-2  lib32-mesa-1:25.2.4-2  lib32-ncurses-6.5-2  lib32-nspr-4.37-1  lib32-nss-3.117-1  lib32-openssl-1:3.6.0-1  lib32-p11-kit-0.25.10-2  lib32-pam-1.7.1-1  lib32-pcre2-10.46-1  lib32-pipewire-1:1.4.9-1
              lib32-spirv-tools-1:1.4.328.1-1  lib32-sqlite-3.50.4-1  lib32-systemd-258.1-1  lib32-util-linux-2.41.2-1  lib32-vulkan-icd-loader-1.4.328.1-1  lib32-vulkan-mesa-device-select-1:25.2.4-2  lib32-vulkan-radeon-1:25.2.4-2
              lib32-wayland-1.24.0-1  lib32-xcb-util-keysyms-0.4.1-2  lib32-xz-5.8.1-1  lib32-zlib-1.3.1-2  lib32-zstd-1.5.7-2  steam-1.0.0.85-1

Total Removed Size:  346.85 MiB

:: Do you want to remove these packages? [Y/n]

Assume after the culling, I then run

pacman -Syu

and reinstall Steam, I should be good?

Just want to confirm this is the recommended course of action before I pull the trigger.

I do have a working Timeshift backup, just in case...

Last edited by GortHelpUs (2025-10-31 22:27:34)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 13,248

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman upgrade - breaking multilib dependencies

The testing repos are all or nothing. You can't have core-testing enabled without extra-testing, and multilib-testing if you're also using multilib.

GortHelpUs

Member

From: .au

Registered: 2025-07-22

Posts: 11

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman upgrade - breaking multilib dependencies

The testing repos are all or nothing. You can't have core-testing enabled without extra-testing, and multilib-testing if you're also using multilib.

I am legitimately trying to recall how (or why) I would have enabled core-testing.

To your suggestion, if I enable multilib-testing, I'm able to proceed with

pacman -Syu

Am I courting disaster here?

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 13,248

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman upgrade - breaking multilib dependencies

multilib-testing *and* extra-testing. Again, all or nothing, it's your call which one. If you don't want testing at all, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Offici … positories

GortHelpUs

Member

From: .au

Registered: 2025-07-22

Posts: 11

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman upgrade - breaking multilib dependencies

multilib-testing *and* extra-testing. Again, all or nothing, it's your call which one. If you don't want testing at all, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Offici … positories

Understood. I've commented out all testing repos and pacman is now proceeding w/o dependency conflicts. Thank you.

siuhamlop

Member

Registered: 2025-11-02

Posts: 2

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman upgrade - breaking multilib dependencies

I only have core, extra and multilib on but I still get the same error....

sudo pacman -Syu
:: Synchronizing package databases...
 core is up to date
 extra is up to date
 multilib is up to date
:: Starting full system upgrade...
resolving dependencies...
looking for conflicting packages...
error: failed to prepare transaction (could not satisfy dependencies)
:: installing audit (4.1.2-1) breaks dependency 'audit=4.0.5' required by lib32-audit
:: installing libcap (2.77-1) breaks dependency 'libcap=2.76' required by lib32-libcap
:: installing libelf (0.194-1) breaks dependency 'libelf=0.193' required by lib32-libelf

WorMzy

Administrator

From: Scotland

Registered: 2010-06-16

Posts: 13,111

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman upgrade - breaking multilib dependencies

Try a different mirror, it seems the one you're using has an outdated multilib.

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Making lemonade from lemons since 2015.

siuhamlop

Member

Registered: 2025-11-02

Posts: 2

Re: [SOLVED] Pacman upgrade - breaking multilib dependencies

Try a different mirror, it seems the one you're using has an outdated multilib.

Regenerate the (Hong Kong) list same error, but change to (Japan) solve the problem, thanks.