pacman-d

View documentation for the original command

$ tldr pacman database

pactree [options] <package_name> [<package_name>...]
Specifically for depth:
pactree {-d | --depth} <depth> [options] <package_name>

-d, --depth <depth>
    Limits the traversal depth of the dependency tree to the specified non-negative integer.

-r, --reverse
    Displays reverse dependencies (i.e., which packages depend on the specified package).

-u, --unique
    Shows each unique package only once, useful for large trees.

-s, --sync
    Includes sync dependencies from the configured repositories, not just installed packages.

-l, --linear
    Produces a linear, non-indented output, listing dependencies sequentially.

-c, --color
    Enables colorized output for better readability.

-q, --quiet
    Suppresses non-essential output, showing only the tree itself.

-h, --help
    Displays a brief help message and exits.

-v, --version
    Shows version information and exits.

The command "pacman-d" is not a standard, standalone Linux command. It is highly probable that this refers to the usage of the
pactree utility with its
-d or
--depth option.

pactree is a powerful tool within the Arch Linux ecosystem, specifically part of the
pacman-contrib package. Its primary function is to visualize the dependency tree of specified packages managed by
pacman. This is invaluable for understanding how different software components relate to each other, identifying direct and indirect dependencies, and debugging dependency-related issues.

When used with the
-d <depth> option,
pactree limits the traversal of the dependency graph to the specified numerical depth. For instance,
-d 1 would show only immediate dependencies,
-d 2 would show immediate dependencies and their immediate dependencies, and so on. This feature is particularly useful for focusing on specific layers of dependencies without being overwhelmed by a very large or deep tree.

The output typically presents a neatly indented, hierarchical view, making it easy to discern parent-child relationships between packages. It queries the local
pacman database to construct these trees, providing an accurate representation of the installed system's package structure.

The command "pacman-d" as a standalone executable does not exist in standard Linux distributions. This analysis assumes the request refers to the common usage of
pactree -d within the Arch Linux environment. Users on Arch-based systems might need to install the
pacman-contrib package to access
pactree (e.g.,
sudo pacman -S pacman-contrib). This utility is specific to the
pacman package manager and its ecosystem, and thus is not applicable to systems using
apt,
dnf,
zypper, etc.

To view the immediate dependencies of a package (e.g., 'firefox'):
pactree -d 1 firefox

To view dependencies up to a depth of 3 for 'kde-applications':
pactree -d 3 kde-applications

To see what packages depend on 'zlib' up to depth 2:
pactree -d 2 -r zlib

The output of pactree typically uses indentation to represent the hierarchical structure of dependencies. Each level of indentation signifies a deeper dependency. When combined with -d, the tree is truncated at the specified depth, ensuring a focused view. For instance:

firefox
├──xulrunner
│ ├──glibc
│ └──libxau
└──gtk3
└──glib2
└──pcre2

pactree is an integral part of the
pacman-contrib package, which houses various auxiliary scripts and tools designed to extend the functionality of the
pacman package manager. It has been developed alongside
pacman itself, evolving as the package management system matured. Its inclusion provides Arch Linux users with advanced capabilities for inspecting and understanding package relationships, a critical aspect of maintaining a rolling-release distribution.

pacman(8), pactree(8), pacman-query(8)