pacrepairfile

Search for the package and reset the properties of a file

$ pacrepairfile [path/to/file] --package

$ pacrepairfile [package_name] --quiet --package

$ pacrepairfile [package_name] --[mode|gid|mtime|uid] --package

$ pacrepairfile --help

$ pacrepairfile --version

pacrepairfile [options] <file>...

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

-V, --version
    Show version information for pacrepairfile and exit.

-q, --quiet
    Suppress most output messages, running silently.

-v, --verbose
    Increase the verbosity of output messages, providing more details about the process.

-f, --force
    Pass the --force option to the underlying pacman -S command, compelling a reinstall even if the package is already up-to-date or files conflict.

-R , --root
    Specify an alternative install root directory for pacman operations.

-S , --dbpath
    Specify an alternative database path for pacman to use.

-c , --cachedir
    Specify an alternative package cache directory for pacman.

-l , --logpath
    Specify an alternative log file path for pacman.

-o , --overwrite
    Pass the --overwrite <glob> option to pacman -S, allowing files matching the glob pattern to be overwritten during reinstall.

-P, --print-package
    Instead of reinstalling, merely print the name of the package(s) that own the specified file(s).

The pacrepairfile command is a utility from the pacutils suite designed for Arch Linux and its derivatives. Its primary function is to repair or restore files on a system that have been modified, corrupted, or accidentally deleted. When given one or more file paths, pacrepairfile intelligently queries the libalpm database (Arch Linux Package Management library) to determine which installed package owns each specified file.

Once the owning package is identified, the command then initiates a reinstall of that package using pacman -S --force <package> (or similar, depending on options). This process replaces the problematic files with their original versions from the package, effectively repairing the system's integrity regarding those specific files. It's an indispensable tool for maintaining system stability and quickly resolving file-related issues without having to manually track down and reinstall packages.

Exclusively designed for Arch Linux and its derivatives, relying on the libalpm library and pacman.

Requires root privileges (e.g., using sudo) to perform the actual package reinstall operation. Without sufficient permissions, it can only identify owning packages or print help/version information.

While it reinstalls the original package files, it generally does not touch configuration files that pacman has marked for preservation or user-modified files (e.g., creating .pacnew or .pacsave files). Users should manually review and merge such files.

Does not fix issues with the pacman database itself; it relies on a functional database to identify package ownership.

This command is invaluable for system administrators and power users on Arch Linux who need to quickly restore integrity to specific system files without reinstalling an entire operating system or manually tracking down package sources. It streamlines the process of fixing broken symlinks, corrupted binaries, or missing library files by automatically identifying the owning package and reinstalling it.

pacrepairfile first performs a lookup in the Arch Linux Package Management (ALPM) database to determine which installed package contains the specified file(s). Once the package name is identified, it constructs and executes a pacman -S command, effectively requesting pacman to reinstall that specific package. This ensures all files belonging to that package are restored to their pristine state.

Part of the pacutils suite, pacrepairfile emerged as a specialized tool to address common issues of file corruption or accidental deletion within an Arch Linux system. pacutils itself was developed to offer enhanced functionality and a more consistent command-line interface for tasks that pacman either doesn't directly support or handles differently, leveraging libalpm for direct database interaction. It fills a crucial gap for users needing quick, targeted file system repair without a full package manager reinstall.

pacman(8), paccheck(8), pacutils(7), find(1)