Xbps package manager
Cheat Sheet
The xbps package manager is the package management system used by Void Linux. Below is a cheat sheet that outlines some of the most common commands you might use when managing packages with xbps.
Updating Package Database
sudo xbps-install -S # Synchronize the repositories and update the package list
Installing Packages
sudo xbps-install -y <package_name> # Install a package and answer yes to any prompts
Removing Packages
sudo xbps-remove <package_name> # Remove a package sudo xbps-remove -R <package_name> # Remove a package and its dependencies (if not needed by other packages) sudo xbps-remove -O # Remove obsolete packages (packages that no longer exist in the repositories)
Searching for Packages
xbps-query -Rs <search_term> # Search for a package in the repositories
Package Information
xbps-query <package_name> # Display information about a package xbps-query -R <package_name> # Display information about a package in the repositories xbps-query -l # List all installed packages xbps-query -L # List all repositories
Updating System
sudo xbps-install -Su # Update all packages to the latest versions
Managing Hold/Ignore Packages
xbps-pkgdb -m hold <package_name> # Prevent a package from being updated xbps-pkgdb -m unhold <package_name> # Remove the hold status from a package
Handling Configuration Files
xbps-diff -C # Check for differences between pkg-provided and user-modified config files
Cleaning the Cache
sudo xbps-remove -O # Remove unneeded/obsolete packages from the cache sudo xbps-remove -o # Remove only cached packages that aren't installed
Fixing Package States
sudo xbps-pkgdb -a # Check for and fix any issues with package integrity
Managing Repositories
sudo xbps-install -r <custom_repo> <package_name> # Install a package from a specific repository
Upgrading Specific Package
sudo xbps-install -u <package_name> # Upgrade a specific package to the latest version
Downgrading Packages
sudo xbps-install -f <package_name>-<version> # Force install a specific version of a package, effectively downgrading it
Locking Package Version (Alternative to Hold)
echo "<package_name>=<version_ignored>" | sudo tee -a /etc/xbps.d/10-ignore-version.conf # Ignore updates for a specific version of a package
Verify Package Integrity
xbps-pkgdb -a # Verify the integrity of all packages
Reconfigure Package
sudo xbps-reconfigure -f <package_name> # Reconfigure a package, possibly after manual changes to its configuration Remember to replace <package_name> with the actual name of the package and <version> with the specific version number you want to install or hold. Also, <search_term> is the term you're searching for in the repositories, and <custom_repo> is the custom repository's name or URL you want to use.
Always use these commands with caution and make sure you understand what each command does before running it. Depending on the system’s configuration, some commands may require elevated privileges; hence the use of sudo.