Ax

Ax is a modern AUR helper and Pacman wrapper written in Rust, designed for simplicity, efficiency, and reliability. It aims to streamline package management on Arch Linux systems by seamlessly integrating official repository packages and the Arch User Repository (AUR).

Features

• Unified Interface: Handles both official repository packages (via pacman) and AUR packages transparently.
• Safety First:
  • Arch Linux News Integration: Checks the latest Arch Linux News before performing system upgrades to prevent potential breakage.
  • PKGBUILD Review: Prompts users to review PKGBUILD files and view git diffs before building.
• Improved Performance: Utilizes libalpm directly for efficient package database queries, reducing the overhead of spawning pacman processes.
• Interactive Search: Simple and effective interactive menu for searching and selecting packages.
• Configuration: Highly configurable via a TOML configuration file to control build directories, editors, and behavior.
• Clean Builds: Easy option to force clean builds for troubleshooting.

Installation

Arch User Repository (Recommended)

You can easily install ax from the AUR using your favorite helper (or makepkg):

yay -S ax-bin
# or
yay -S ax-git

Crates.io

You can also install the binary via Cargo:

cargo install axpm

Note: Ensure ~/.cargo/bin is in your PATH.

Build from Source

Ensure you have the base development tools installed:

sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git

Clone the repository and install using Cargo:

git clone https://github.com/Manpreet113/ax.git
cd ax
cargo install --path .

Usage

Ax follows a syntax similar to pacman to minimize the learning curve. In fact, it supports all standard pacman commands and transparently forwards them.

Search and Install

Search for a package in both official repositories and the AUR:

ax <query>
# Example: ax spotify

Install Specific Package

Install a specific package by name:

ax -S <package_name>

System Upgrade

Perform a full system upgrade (sync repo databases, upgrade repo packages, and upgrade AUR packages), checking for important news first:

ax -Syu

Remove Package

Remove a package and its unused dependencies:

ax -R <package_name>

Query Local Packages

List installed packages or search the local database:

ax -Q
ax -Qs <query>

Upgrade from Local File

Install a local package archive:

ax -U /path/to/package.pkg.tar.zst

Files Database and Other Commands

All other pacman commands like Database (-D), Files (-F), and Deptest (-T) are also supported and passed through transparently:

ax -F <file_name>
ax -D --asexplicit <package_name>

Force Clean Build

To force a clean build (remove build directory before building AUR packages):

ax -S <package> --cleanbuild

Configuration

Ax can be configured via ~/.config/ax/config.toml. The file is automatically created on first run if it doesn't exist.

Example Configuration

# ~/.config/ax/config.toml

# Directory where AUR packages are built.
# Default: $XDG_CACHE_HOME/ax or ~/.cache/ax
build_dir = "/home/user/.cache/ax"

# Editor to use for PKGBUILD reviews.
# Default: $EDITOR or 'vi'
editor = "nvim"

# Whether to always clean the build directory before building.
# Default: false
clean_build = false

# Whether to check and display Arch Linux News before upgrades.
# Default: true
show_news = true

# Whether to use a diff viewer for inspecting changes.
# Default: true
diff_viewer = true

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for details.