pacman-f

View documentation for the original command

$ tldr pacman files

pacman-f [options] <pattern>

-F, --file
    Query the files database. This option is implicitly assumed when pacman-f is used, as it's typically an alias for pacman -F.

-y, --refresh
    Download fresh package databases from the server, including file lists. This is highly recommended before performing file searches (e.g., pacman -Fy) to ensure results are based on the latest package information.

-s, --search
    Search for packages in the sync database whose names or descriptions match <pattern>. When used with -F, it searches for files that match the pattern.

-l, --list
    List files owned by a specified package (e.g., pacman -Fl <package_name>). When combined with -F, it can list files matching a pattern that are part of the file database.

-x, --regex
    Treat <pattern> as a regular expression. This allows for more powerful and flexible search queries.

-q, --quiet
    Suppress output messages, showing only the results. Useful for scripting.

-p, --package
    Display the package name for each matched file. This is the default behavior for file searches.

-h, --help
    Display a short help message and exit.

The command pacman-f is a common alias or wrapper for pacman -F, part of the Arch Linux package manager. Its primary function is to search for files provided by packages within the synchronized package databases. Unlike searching for files on the local filesystem, pacman-f queries the information stored in the package manager's indexes. This allows users to determine which package owns a specific file, or to find packages that provide files matching a certain pattern. It's particularly useful for identifying the source of system files, resolving dependency issues, or locating missing binaries by searching for the package that would install them. For accurate and up-to-date results, it is crucial to first synchronize the file database using the -y option (e.g., pacman -Fy).

For pacman-f to provide accurate and up-to-date results, it is essential to first synchronize the file database. This is achieved by running pacman -Fy. Without this step, the command will operate on potentially stale file lists, leading to incomplete or incorrect search results. The pacman-f command searches for files within the package manager's database, not on your local filesystem.

Before using pacman-f effectively, especially when searching for newly added or updated files, it is crucial to perform a file database synchronization. This is done via pacman -Fy. This command downloads the compressed file lists from the repositories and populates the local file database, ensuring your searches reflect the current state of available packages and their contents.

To find which package owns /usr/bin/ls: pacman -F /usr/bin/ls
To search for packages that provide files matching 'libfoo.so': pacman -F libfoo.so
To search for files matching a regular expression (e.g., 'bash' anywhere in the path): pacman -Fx bash
To update the file database and then search: pacman -Fy && pacman -F <pattern>

The pacman-f command is not a standalone utility but rather a common shorthand or alias for pacman -F, a core feature of the pacman package manager for Arch Linux. Pacman itself was initially released in 2002, and its file database querying capabilities (-F) have been an integral part of its feature set, evolving alongside the manager's development to provide robust package and file management for the Arch ecosystem.

pacman(8), pacman-S(8), pacman-Q(8), pacman-R(8)