reflector
Update Pacman mirror list from the reflector project
TLDR
Get all mirrors, sort for download speed and save them
Only get German HTTPS mirrors
Only get the 10 recently sync'd mirrors
Use a configuration file to fetch mirrors
Display help
SYNOPSIS
reflector [options]
PARAMETERS
--country
Filter mirrors by country. Use comma-separated country codes (e.g., US,CA,GB).
--age
Filter mirrors based on how recently they were last synchronized (in hours).
--protocol
Filter mirrors by protocol (HTTP or HTTPS).
--number
Limit the number of mirrors to output.
--sort
Sort mirrors by 'rate', 'age', 'delay', 'score', or 'name'.
--save
Save the mirrorlist to the specified file (usually /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist).
--list-countries
List available country codes.
--verbose
Enable verbose output.
--help
Display help message.
--version
Display version information.
--url
Specify a URL to retrieve the mirror list from instead of the default Arch Linux mirror status page.
--threads
Specify the number of threads to use for downloading mirror data.
--fastest
Return the fastest mirrors based on download time.
DESCRIPTION
reflector is a command-line utility used to retrieve a list of the most up-to-date mirrors for the Arch Linux pacman package manager. It filters and sorts these mirrors based on criteria like download speed and freshness (last synchronization time). This helps users improve the reliability and speed of package downloads.
reflector allows users to customize the selection process based on country, protocol (HTTP/HTTPS), and mirror status. It can also automatically generate a pacman mirrorlist file (/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist) containing the sorted and filtered mirrors. By using reflector, users can ensure they are using the best available mirrors for their location and network conditions, which leads to faster and more reliable package updates and installations. It is a commonly used tool in the Arch Linux ecosystem for optimizing the package management experience.
CAVEATS
Running reflector requires root privileges to modify /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist. Incorrectly configured options can result in a broken pacman setup.
USAGE EXAMPLES
- Update mirrorlist with the 10 fastest mirrors: reflector --fastest 10 --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
- Use only mirrors from the US and Canada: reflector --country US,CA --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
- Find mirrors synced within the last 12 hours sorted by rate: reflector --age 12 --sort rate --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
HISTORY
reflector was created to simplify and automate the process of managing pacman mirrorlists. It evolved from manual mirror selection to an automated tool that dynamically adjusts the mirrorlist based on network conditions and mirror availability. It gained popularity within the Arch Linux community for its effectiveness and ease of use.
SEE ALSO
pacman(8), rankmirrors(1)