Hey fellow Linux enthusiasts! I’ve been using Manjaro for a while now and have relied heavily on the AUR (Arch User Repository) for its extensive package collection. However, I’ve encountered a particular package that hasn’t seen updates in months, which has me exploring alternatives. Can anyone recommend an exhaustive package manager that’s as user-friendly and comprehensive as the AUR? I’d love to hear your suggestions and experiences with other package managers on Manjaro. Thanks in advance for your insights!
The AUR isn’t a package manager. It’s a package repository that you can use a package manager (on Manjaro it’s probably pamac) to install from.
There really isn’t a more extensive package repository than the AUR, and there’s definitely not one for any Arch based distro. If the package hasn’t been updated in a while, you might have to go to the project website and check for an alternative install method, like Flatpak, AppImage, or a precompiled binary.
ETA - someone pointed out Nix, which I had totally forgotten about. I feel like everything else I say here stands though.
As a side note, and I’m likely to get jumped on by Manjaro fans for this, but on Manjaro extensive use of the AUR can lead to system instability. This is because the official repos for Manjaro are out of sync with the Arch repos, and you can run into dependency problems.
nah, we appreciate the nuance instead of mAnJARo bAd. I agree the AUR can be a problem and in the past so has, but for me hasn’t in a while and never severe
I try to avoid any kind of “ThiNG BAd” statements. They’re just not helpful, and they tend to piss off anyone who likes the thing.
Thanks for not jumping on me, though. I really don’t mean any offense, just trying to be helpful.
If anyone wants to go the Flatpak route, think about enabling Flatpak in the Manjaro package manager. That way you’ll keep a centralised overview of installed software and the package manager will handle any updates.