pacdiff is a maintenance utility for Arch Linux, a popular open-source Linux distribution. It is designed to handle the .pacorig, .pacnew, and .pacsave files that are created by the pacman package manager during system updates and package installations.
Pacman is the default package manager for Arch Linux, and it updates packages by overwriting the existing files with the new versions. When a package update changes a configuration file, pacman saves the original file with the .pacorig extension and creates a new file with the changes, named with the .pacnew extension.
pacdiff is designed to help users manage these .pacnew files, by displaying the differences between the original file and the new file, and allowing the user to merge the changes, or keep the original file. pacdiff provides a simple and easy-to-use command-line interface for handling these files, making it easier for users to manage their system configuration during package updates.
pacdiff is an essential tool for Arch Linux users who want to keep their system configurations up-to-date and consistent. By using pacdiff, users can easily manage the .pacnew files created during package updates, ensuring that their system configurations are accurate and up-to-date. With pacdiff, Arch Linux users can benefit from a well-maintained and optimized system, while also enjoying the convenience and ease of use of a powerful maintenance utility.
pacdiff Command Examples
1. Review files that need maintenance in interactive mode:
# pacdiff
2. Use sudo and sudoedit to remove and merge files:
# pacdiff --sudo
3. Review files needing maintenance, creating .bakups of the original if you (O)verwrite:
# pacdiff --sudo --backup
4. Use a specific editor to view and merge configuration files (default is vim -d):
DIFFPROG={{editor}} pacdiff 5. Scan for configuration files with locate instead of using pacman database:
# pacdiff --locate
6. Display help:
# pacdiff --help