Arch Linux needs some maintenance from time to time. And people seem to break their installs frequently. Here are some steps to help with some maintenance and avoid breaking the install.
1. Remove Orphan Packages
Orphan packages should be removed every now and then as they are not needed anymore by the applications installed currently on the system.
Check for orphaned packages:
# pacman -QtdqThis step can remove important files so please check all the files and make sure your system is backed up before executing this command:
# sudo pacman -Rns $(pacman -Qtdq)2. Check The System For Errors
System service errors are common and should be checked frequently to know what is broken and needs fixing:
# sudo systemctl --failed3. Check Log Files For Errors
You can check log files for system errors as well:
# sudo journalctl -p 3 -xb4. Updating The Linux Kernel
If the latest kernel is being used, the system should be updated once a week after reading the Arch Wiki News
5. Prevent The Linux Kernel From Updating
You can stay on a particular Linux Kernel and update the rest of the system if need be using this method:
# sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf- Find the line #IgnorePkg and uncomment it and after = put linux
6. AUR Packages
Most of the required packages can be found in the Pacman repository. For additional packages and a bigger repository, people use the AUR. But the AUR contains packages that are out of date and abandoned which can be dangerous for the system. Hence it is better to avoid AUR packages if one cannot be careful about these things. Or else, you can check the Arch Wiki for AUR packages that have not been updated or have been abandoned.
7. Refresh Pacman
Refreshing the Pacman database and updating packages is recommended and should be done frequently, which can be done using the command below
# sudo pacman -Syy