What's the Best AUR Helper? (Paru vs Yay vs Pikaur)

Summary

This video provides a detailed comparison of three popular AUR helpers for Arch Linux: Yay, Paru, and Pikaur. It explains their features, differences, and usability, highlighting how Yay is functional but less strict on safety, Paru offers extra quality-of-life features with enforced PKGBUILD review, and Pikaur provides a colorful, user-friendly interface with preconfigured prompts. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding manual package building for troubleshooting, discusses graphical alternatives, and offers practical advice for safely managing AUR packages. Ultimately, Paru is recommended for most users, while Pikaur is a solid alternative for those who prefer a better UI experience.

Takeaways

• 😀 AUR helpers are tools that simplify installing packages from the Arch User Repository, with yay, paru, and Peak AUR being some of the most popular.
• 😀 Users should understand the manual build process for AUR packages, as AUR helpers can break and manual intervention may be needed.
• 😀 Yay is written in Go, actively maintained, and can handle both Pac-Man and AUR packages, but it doesn't prompt users to read package builds by default.
• 😀 Paru is written in Rust, originally a rewrite of yay, and includes extra features like forcing package build reviews and syntax highlighting with bat.
• 😀 Paru allows users to open package builds in custom editors or terminal file managers, improving usability for reviewing and editing packages.
• 😀 Peak AUR offers a colorful, user-friendly interface, pre-asks questions for long builds, and shows Arch Linux news by default, enhancing the installation experience.
• 😀 Peak AUR prompts users to review package builds and is written in Python, which may be a downside for users preferring other languages.
• 😀 Manually building AUR packages involves cloning the repository and running commands like 'makepkg -si', but it lacks automatic update handling.
• 😀 Tools like AUR utils provide a middle ground between full AUR helpers and manual builds by easing the update and installation process.
• 😀 Graphical package managers like Pamac are not recommended on Arch Linux, as they can abstract too much and break easily for new users.
• 😀 Overall recommendation: Paru is considered the best AUR helper due to its features and usability, but Peak AUR is also a good alternative depending on user preferences.

Q & A

What is an AUR helper and why would you use one?

An AUR helper is a tool that simplifies installing and managing packages from the Arch User Repository (AUR). It automates the process of downloading, building, and installing AUR packages, and often wraps Pac-Man commands for easier system updates.

Why does the video recommend knowing the manual build process even if using an AUR helper?

AUR helpers can fail or break, and they abstract much of the package installation process. Knowing the manual build process allows you to troubleshoot, manually rebuild packages, and understand what the helper is doing behind the scenes.

What are the three most popular AUR helpers discussed in the video?

The three AUR helpers discussed are yay, paru, and Pikaur.

What are the key features of yay?

Yay is written in Go, wraps Pac-Man commands, allows installing, removing, and searching AUR packages, but by default does not prompt users to read PKGBUILD files before installation.

How does paru differ from yay?

Paru is a rewrite of yay in Rust with extra features. It forces users to review PKGBUILD files, supports syntax highlighting via Bat, allows opening builds in editors or file managers, and can display comments directly in the terminal.

What unique features does Pikaur offer?

Pikaur, written in Python, provides a colorful terminal UI by default, prompts all installation questions ahead of time, displays Arch Linux news during updates, and allows editing PKGBUILD files before installation.

Why might some users prefer Pikaur over the other AUR helpers?

Users who like pre-configured defaults, a visually enhanced interface, and pre-answered installation prompts may prefer Pikaur because it streamlines the process without additional setup.

What is the manual AUR build process and when would you use it?

The manual process involves cloning the package repository using git, navigating to the folder, and running `makepkg -si` to build and install the package. You would use it when an AUR helper fails or for deeper control over the installation.

Why does the video advise against using graphical AUR helpers like Pamac on Arch Linux?

Graphical AUR helpers abstract too much of the process, can break easily, and may not provide the user with necessary understanding to troubleshoot problems. Command-line helpers are simpler, more reliable, and more in line with Arch Linux principles.

Which AUR helper does the video recommend as the best overall, and why?

The video recommends paru as the best overall AUR helper because it balances full functionality with useful quality-of-life features, such as mandatory PKGBUILD review, syntax highlighting, editor/file manager support, and comment viewing.

Can all three AUR helpers perform basic tasks like installing and updating packages?

Yes, yay, paru, and Pikaur can all perform basic tasks such as installing, updating, and removing AUR packages, as well as wrapping Pac-Man commands for system updates.

What is a PKGBUILD file and why should you review it?

A PKGBUILD is a shell script that defines how a package is built and installed. Reviewing it ensures that the code is safe, contains no malicious commands, and helps users understand what changes will be made to their system.