Pacman GUI

A modern, fast, and intuitive GTK4 graphical interface for pacman package manager with AUR support for Arch Linux.

Features

Package Management

• 🔍 Search packages in official repositories and AUR
• 📦 Install/Remove packages with real-time logs
• 🗂️ Installed packages management with fast async loading and tabbed interface
• 🔄 System updates with progress tracking

Advanced Features

• 📊 Package dependency visualization with interactive graph viewer
• 🧹 Package cache cleanup - remove old packages or clear entire cache
• ⚡ Async loading with spinners - no UI freezing, smart lazy loading
• 📋 Live operation logs in separate window with timestamps

User Experience

• 🏃 Fast startup - instant launch with background loading
• 🎨 Modern tabbed interface - separate search and installed package views
• 🌙 Dark theme support - follows system theme automatically
• 🛠️ AUR support via yay or paru detection
• 🎯 Beginner-friendly with progress indicators

Installation

From AUR

yay -S pacman-gui
# or
paru -S pacman-gui

Build from source

# Dependencies
sudo pacman -S gtk4 glib2 cmake gcc pkgconf

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/Coneriys/pacman-gui.git
cd pacman-gui
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ..
make

# Install
sudo make install

Dependencies

Required

• gtk4 - GUI toolkit
• glib2 - GLib library
• pacman - Package manager
• polkit - Privilege escalation

Optional

• yay - AUR helper (recommended)
• paru - Alternative AUR helper

Usage

Launch

pacman-gui

Or find "Pacman GUI" in your application menu.

Basic Operations

Search & Install Packages

1. Search packages: Enter package name in search tab and click Search
2. Choose source: Select "Official Repos" or "AUR" from dropdown
3. Install: Select package from list and click Install
4. View dependencies: Select package and click "Dependencies" for interactive graph

Manage Installed Packages

1. Browse installed: Switch to "Installed Packages" tab (loads on first visit)
2. Remove packages: Select installed package and click Remove
3. Refresh list: Click "Refresh Installed Packages" to update

System Maintenance

1. Update system: Click "Update System" button for full system upgrade
2. Clean cache: Use "Clean Cache" to remove old packages or "Clean All Cache" for complete cleanup
3. Monitor operations: All operations show real-time logs in a separate window

AUR Support

The application automatically detects installed AUR helpers (yay/paru). If none found, AUR search will be disabled.

Architecture

src/
├── main.c              # Application entry point
├── pacman_wrapper.c    # Package manager backend
├── pacman_wrapper.h    # Backend interface
└── ui/
    ├── main_window.c       # Main GUI implementation
    ├── main_window.h       # GUI interface
    ├── dependency_viewer.c # Dependency visualization component
    └── dependency_viewer.h # Dependency viewer interface

Key Components

• pacman_wrapper: Handles pacman/AUR operations, dependency parsing, and async package loading
• main_window: Modern tabbed GTK4 interface with async loading, spinners, and real-time logs
• dependency_viewer: Interactive dependency graph visualization with Cairo rendering
• Async operations: Non-blocking package operations with background threads and UI feedback
• Smart loading: Lazy loading of installed packages with smooth transitions and progress indicators

Configuration

The application automatically:

• Detects system theme (light/dark)
• Finds available AUR helpers
• Uses pkexec for privilege escalation

Development

Building

mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
make

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open Pull Request

Code Style

• C11 standard
• 4-space indentation
• GTK4 conventions
• Comment public functions

Why This Project?

Arch Linux is powerful but can be intimidating for newcomers. This GUI provides:

• Accessibility: No need to memorize pacman commands
• Safety: Visual confirmation before operations
• Learning: See actual commands being executed
• Convenience: AUR integration without manual setup
• Performance: Fast, responsive experience even on older hardware

Roadmap

• Package dependency visualization
• Installed packages management
• Package cache cleanup
• Async loading with preloaders
• Package categories/groups
• Configuration settings dialog
• Repository management
• Multiple language support
• Package information details view
• Update notifications

License

GPL-3.0 License. See LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

• Arch Linux community
• GTK development team
• AUR helper developers (yay, paru)

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Wiki: Arch Wiki
• Forum: Arch Linux Forums

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Note: This is unofficial software. Always keep your system updated and understand what packages you're installing.