Quote:
To check whether a package is installed on your system you can run:
pacman -Q ffmpeg
or, if you’re unsure of the package name:
pacman -Q | grep ffmpeg
dalto
* EndeavourOS ships with `base-devel` and `git` installed so you don’t need to install them.
If for example, i want to check if some package is installed or not on my system, for example in this case “base-devel”.
I have tried both your method,
$ pacman -Q "base-devel"
error: package 'base-devel' was not found
$ pacman -Q base-devel
error: package 'base-devel' was not found
$ pacman -Q | grep base-devel
$ pacman -Q | grep "base-devel"
I tried the method from internet:
$ pacman -Qs "base-devel"
local/autoconf 2.69-7 (base-devel)
A GNU tool for automatically configuring source code
local/automake 1.16.2-3 (base-devel)
A GNU tool for automatically creating Makefiles
local/binutils 2.35-2 (base-devel)
A set of programs to assemble and manipulate binary and object files
local/bison 3.6.4-1 (base-devel)
The GNU general-purpose parser generator
local/fakeroot 1.24-2 (base-devel)
Tool for simulating superuser privileges
local/file 5.39-1 (base-devel)
File type identification utility
local/findutils 4.7.0-2 (base-devel)
GNU utilities to locate files
local/flex 2.6.4-3 (base-devel)
A tool for generating text-scanning programs
local/gawk 5.1.0-1 (base-devel)
GNU version of awk
local/gcc 10.2.0-3 (base-devel)
The GNU Compiler Collection - C and C++ frontends
local/gettext 0.21-1 (base-devel)
GNU internationalization library
local/grep 3.4-1 (base-devel)
A string search utility
local/groff 1.22.4-3 (base-devel)
GNU troff text-formatting system
local/gzip 1.10-3 (base-devel)
GNU compression utility
local/libtool 2.4.6+42+gb88cebd5-14 (base-devel)
A generic library support script
local/m4 1.4.18-3 (base-devel)
The GNU macro processor
local/make 4.3-3 (base-devel)
GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs
local/pacman 5.2.2-1 (base-devel)
A library-based package manager with dependency support
local/patch 2.7.6-8 (base-devel)
A utility to apply patch files to original sources
local/pkgconf 1.7.3-1 (base-devel)
Package compiler and linker metadata toolkit
local/sed 4.8-1 (base-devel)
GNU stream editor
local/sudo 1.9.3.p1-1 (base-devel)
Give certain users the ability to run some commands as root
local/texinfo 6.7-3 (base-devel)
GNU documentation system for on-line information and printed output
local/which 2.21-5 (base-devel)
A utility to show the full path of commands
Am i wrong that $pacman -Qs is actually query from repo instead of from my os ? What does “local” here means ?
base-devel isn’t a single package but rather a group of base packages arch is built on. That is why you see so many packages associated with the term base-devel
Yes, you are wrong. -Q queries installed (local) packages.
If you want to search the repos, use -Ss.
And, as others have already pointed out, base-devel is not a package, it’s a group of packages, that’s why it doesn’t show up when you search for it with -Q (but all 24 packages belonging to it show up on the list).
Why then -Q (which is query for installed packages) found nothing
** i know now you said “base-devel” is a group can’t search this way ** hear me out, please.
$ pacman -Q "base-devel"
error: package 'base-devel' was not found
BUT, -Qs (also query for installed packages) lists out all these installed packages on local machine ?
$ pacman -Qs "base-devel"
local/autoconf 2.69-7 (base-devel)
A GNU tool for automatically configuring source code
local/automake 1.16.2-3 (base-devel)
A GNU tool for automatically creating Makefiles
local/binutils 2.35-2 (base-devel)
A set of programs to assemble and manipulate binary and object files
local/bison 3.6.4-1 (base-devel)
The GNU general-purpose parser generator
local/fakeroot 1.24-2 (base-devel)
Tool for simulating superuser privileges
local/file 5.39-1 (base-devel)
File type identification utility
local/findutils 4.7.0-2 (base-devel)
GNU utilities to locate files
local/flex 2.6.4-3 (base-devel)
A tool for generating text-scanning programs
local/gawk 5.1.0-1 (base-devel)
GNU version of awk
local/gcc 10.2.0-3 (base-devel)
The GNU Compiler Collection - C and C++ frontends
local/gettext 0.21-1 (base-devel)
GNU internationalization library
local/grep 3.4-1 (base-devel)
A string search utility
local/groff 1.22.4-3 (base-devel)
GNU troff text-formatting system
local/gzip 1.10-3 (base-devel)
GNU compression utility
local/libtool 2.4.6+42+gb88cebd5-14 (base-devel)
A generic library support script
local/m4 1.4.18-3 (base-devel)
The GNU macro processor
local/make 4.3-3 (base-devel)
GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs
local/pacman 5.2.2-1 (base-devel)
A library-based package manager with dependency support
local/patch 2.7.6-8 (base-devel)
A utility to apply patch files to original sources
local/pkgconf 1.7.3-1 (base-devel)
Package compiler and linker metadata toolkit
local/sed 4.8-1 (base-devel)
GNU stream editor
local/sudo 1.9.3.p1-1 (base-devel)
Give certain users the ability to run some commands as root
local/texinfo 6.7-3 (base-devel)
GNU documentation system for on-line information and printed output
local/which 2.21-5 (base-devel)
A utility to show the full path of commands
[enos-andrew@enos-andrew-pc ~]$ pacman -Ss "base-devel"
core/autoconf 2.69-7 (base-devel) [installed]
A GNU tool for automatically configuring source code
core/automake 1.16.2-3 (base-devel) [installed]
A GNU tool for automatically creating Makefiles
core/binutils 2.35-2 (base-devel) [installed]
A set of programs to assemble and manipulate binary and object files
core/bison 3.6.4-1 (base-devel) [installed]
The GNU general-purpose parser generator
core/fakeroot 1.24-2 (base-devel) [installed]
Tool for simulating superuser privileges
core/file 5.39-1 (base-devel) [installed]
File type identification utility
core/findutils 4.7.0-2 (base-devel) [installed]
GNU utilities to locate files
core/flex 2.6.4-3 (base-devel) [installed]
A tool for generating text-scanning programs
core/gawk 5.1.0-1 (base-devel) [installed]
GNU version of awk
core/gcc 10.2.0-3 (base-devel) [installed]
The GNU Compiler Collection - C and C++ frontends
core/gettext 0.21-1 (base-devel) [installed]
GNU internationalization library
core/grep 3.4-1 (base-devel) [installed]
A string search utility
core/groff 1.22.4-3 (base-devel) [installed]
GNU troff text-formatting system
core/gzip 1.10-3 (base-devel) [installed]
GNU compression utility
core/libtool 2.4.6+42+gb88cebd5-14 (base-devel) [installed]
A generic library support script
core/m4 1.4.18-3 (base-devel) [installed]
The GNU macro processor
core/make 4.3-3 (base-devel) [installed]
GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs
core/pacman 5.2.2-1 (base-devel) [installed]
A library-based package manager with dependency support
core/patch 2.7.6-8 (base-devel) [installed]
A utility to apply patch files to original sources
core/pkgconf 1.7.3-1 (base-devel) [installed]
Package compiler and linker metadata toolkit
core/sed 4.8-1 (base-devel) [installed]
GNU stream editor
core/sudo 1.9.3.p1-1 (base-devel) [installed]
Give certain users the ability to run some commands as root
core/texinfo 6.7-3 (base-devel) [installed]
GNU documentation system for on-line information and printed output
core/which 2.21-5 (base-devel) [installed]
A utility to show the full path of commands
[enos-andrew@enos-andrew-pc ~]$ pacman -Qs "base-devel"
local/autoconf 2.69-7 (base-devel)
A GNU tool for automatically configuring source code
local/automake 1.16.2-3 (base-devel)
A GNU tool for automatically creating Makefiles
local/binutils 2.35-2 (base-devel)
A set of programs to assemble and manipulate binary and object files
local/bison 3.6.4-1 (base-devel)
The GNU general-purpose parser generator
local/fakeroot 1.24-2 (base-devel)
Tool for simulating superuser privileges
local/file 5.39-1 (base-devel)
File type identification utility
local/findutils 4.7.0-2 (base-devel)
GNU utilities to locate files
local/flex 2.6.4-3 (base-devel)
A tool for generating text-scanning programs
local/gawk 5.1.0-1 (base-devel)
GNU version of awk
local/gcc 10.2.0-3 (base-devel)
The GNU Compiler Collection - C and C++ frontends
local/gettext 0.21-1 (base-devel)
GNU internationalization library
local/grep 3.4-1 (base-devel)
A string search utility
local/groff 1.22.4-3 (base-devel)
GNU troff text-formatting system
local/gzip 1.10-3 (base-devel)
GNU compression utility
local/libtool 2.4.6+42+gb88cebd5-14 (base-devel)
A generic library support script
local/m4 1.4.18-3 (base-devel)
The GNU macro processor
local/make 4.3-3 (base-devel)
GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs
local/pacman 5.2.2-1 (base-devel)
A library-based package manager with dependency support
local/patch 2.7.6-8 (base-devel)
A utility to apply patch files to original sources
local/pkgconf 1.7.3-1 (base-devel)
Package compiler and linker metadata toolkit
local/sed 4.8-1 (base-devel)
GNU stream editor
local/sudo 1.9.3.p1-1 (base-devel)
Give certain users the ability to run some commands as root
local/texinfo 6.7-3 (base-devel)
GNU documentation system for on-line information and printed output
local/which 2.21-5 (base-devel)
A utility to show the full path of commands
Because that only lists packages and base-devel is not a package. Groups are nothing more than a list of packages. Groups don’t get installed, only packages.
Once again, you can use pacman -Qg to see what packages from the groups are installed.
I see, i might got what you meant.
Are you saying, a group does not have to be installed all altogether, but a few among the “group” could be not yet installed, while other has already installed ?
When you install a group, all packages within that group get installed (EDIT: you get prompted whether you want to install everything or just some packages), and when you uninstall a group, all packages within that group get uninstalled (again, you get prompted which packages you want to remove). That’s it.