yay: how to install this AUR wizard on Arch Linux based distros

Spring

Arch Linux is an operating system that works very well, but it is not the best option for all users. For that reason, even memes are made that refer to expert users and there are also more friendly distributions such as Manjaro or AntergOS. In fact, I write a lot since Manjaro USB and I am delighted, in part by Pamac, their software store that allows us to install all kinds of packages, like what is in AUR. But what about other Arch Linux-based distros? It may be a good option to use Spring.

The point is that in Arch Linux there is software that has to be compiled. An inexperienced user can get into AUR and get discouraged as soon as you see the main page, especially when you search for any software and see so much information. Yay has been designed a bit for this, being a wizard to use it whenever we want to install software from A (rch) U (ser) R (epository). The acronym comes from "Yet Another Yogurt", and collects and does everything necessary to install software from that AUR that anyone who uses Arch Linux likes so much (if it isn't there, it doesn't exist ... for Linux).

How to install Yay

Basically yay will do all that tedious compilation work for us, leaving us only the task of entering a command and reviewing some warnings, such as where to install a package or if there is a problem. To install it, we will do the following:

  1. We install the base-devel and git packages, if we don't have them. The commands would be the following:
sudo pacman -S base-devel
sudo pacman -S git
  1. Now we have to install Yay. There are two versions, the stable one and the development version, and here we are going to explain the stable version. The first thing will be to clone the Git repository, so we go back to the terminal and write this:
cd /opt
sudo git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
  1. Now we change the name of the owner of the source directory, changing "pablinux" by the name of your user:
sudo chown -R pablinux:users ./yay
  • If we don't know the user or group, we can find out by typing debugpoint id.
  1. Now we go to the directory and compile:
cd yay
makepkg -si
  1. We wait and we would already have this comfortable software installed.

Although I do not see it strictly necessary, in Manjaro it is available in the community repository, so it can be installed with pacman -S yay.

Installing packages and taking other actions

Installing software with this wizard is easy. All we have to do is write "yay" instead of "pacman". For example, to install TuxGuitar, we will type yay -S tuxguitar. Other commands that are the same as with pacman are to update (yay -Syu) or delete a program and all related files (yay -Rns tuxguitar).

In this little guide, the only thing a little more complicated, but not much, is to install the wizard. Once installed, you will see that everything is simpler on your Arch Linux-based system, of course, if you prefer to use the terminal or your software center does not allow you to install AUR software. In any case, we talk about a worthwhile tool install.


4 comments, leave yours

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  1.   emerson said

    NO, it cannot be installed as in manjaro ……
    I like to download it more from AUR

  2.   Tasting90 said

    When leaving Manjaro because of how inflated it is coming (even up to the "minimal" ones) I have tried it in interesting Artix Linux with OpenRc, I thought it would give me some difficulty, what do I know for being without systemd. But nothing, everything has worked great. Thank you.

  3.   Gabriel Torrellas said

    Short, concise and precise, thank you very much

  4.   kike said

    When installing it gives an error: An error occurred in build(). cancelling. Does anyone know the reason?