aura

Search for packages from the AUR

$ aura [[-As|--aursync --search]] [keyword|regex]

$ aura [[-A|--aursync]] [package]

$ aura [[-Akua|--aursync --diff --sysupgrade --delmakedeps]]

$ aura [[-S|--sync]] [package]

$ aura [[-Syu|--sync --refresh --sysupgrade]]

$ aura [[-Rsu|--remove --recursive --unneeded]] [package]

$ aura [[-Oj|--orphans --abandon]]

aura [global-options] {[-S|-D|-Q|-R|-U] [options] [packages]}

-S
    Sync: install or download packages from repos/AUR

-Syu
    Full system upgrade including AUR packages

-Qs
    Query installed AUR packages

-Qi
    Show detailed info on installed package

-R
    Remove package

-D
    Database maintenance (e.g., update AUR db)

-U
    Upgrade specific PKGBUILD tarball

-A
    AUR-only mode, ignore repos

--diff
    View PKGBUILD diffs before building

-k, --keep
    Keep temporary build files

--chroot
    Use clean chroot for builds

--editor
    Specify editor for PKGBUILD review

--hotedit
    Edit PKGBUILD interactively before build

--rebuild
    Force rebuild even if unchanged

-B
    Build PKGBUILD without installing

--ignore
    Ignore specified packages

--needed
    Skip packages already satisfying deps

-h, --help
    Show help

-v, --version
    Display version info

--color
    Control color output (auto|always|never)

Aura is a feature-rich command-line tool for managing packages from the Arch User Repository (AUR) on Arch Linux and derivatives. It serves as a drop-in replacement for pacman, extending its functionality to seamlessly handle both official repositories and AUR packages. Aura automates dependency resolution, PKGBUILD downloads, source building via makepkg, and installation, while providing safeguards like diff reviews before building and smart upgrade detection to avoid breakage.

Key strengths include parallel compilation support, a separate AUR database to track user-built packages, automatic AUR comment fetching for build-time options, and robust error handling. It prevents common pitfalls such as rebuilding unchanged PKGBUILDs or ignoring AUR updates during system upgrades. Written in Haskell for efficiency and purity, aura emphasizes safety and minimal user intervention. Ideal for power users seeking a unified package management experience without graphical frontends.

Requires GHC (Haskell compiler) installed; install aura itself from AUR. Not suitable for beginners due to build-time risks. AUR packages lack binary guarantees—review PKGBUILDs. No longer actively developed by original author.

aura -Syu   Full upgrade
aura -S package-name   Install AUR package
aura -Qm   List foreign (AUR) packages

Edit ~/.aura.conf for custom makepkg flags, editor, or aurcomment fetching.
Default db path: ~/.aura/aurdb.

Aura maintains ~/.aura/aurdb for tracking AUR pkgs separately from pacman. Update with aura -Sy.

Developed by Eric Draken (pseudonym Fowler) starting in 2012, aura was one of the first Haskell-based AUR helpers. Released under GPL3, it peaked in popularity around 2015-2018 for its innovative features like smart diffs and AUR DB. Maintained on GitHub with community contributions, though newer helpers like yay/paru have gained traction.

pacman(8), makepkg(8), git(1)