# aurtools

A small set of shell scripts to manage AUR packages on Arch Linux **without** `yay`, `paru`, or any other AUR helper.

This project follows the classic AUR workflow: clone the package repository, review the `PKGBUILD`, build with `makepkg`, and install with `pacman -U`. [web:22][web:303][web:305]

## Included scripts

- `aurinstall` — clone or update an AUR package repository, optionally review `PKGBUILD`, build the package, and install it with `pacman -U`. [web:22][web:305]
- `aurupdate` — iterate through local AUR package repositories, pull updates, rebuild selected packages, and reinstall them locally. [web:22][web:305]
- `aurremove` — remove installed AUR packages with `pacman -Rns` and optionally delete the local repository directory. [web:46][web:107]
- `_aurtools` — Zsh completion file for the scripts, including optional online package-name completion for `aurinstall` via the AUR RPC interface. [web:281]

## Why use this

This setup is intended for users who want full visibility into what gets built and installed from the AUR. Instead of relying on a full AUR helper, it keeps each package as a normal Git repository under `~/Aur`, making updates and audits easier to understand and review. [web:22][web:189]

## Requirements

Install the usual Arch build tools first:

```bash
sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git
```

Some optional features require additional tools:

```bash
sudo pacman -S curl jq zsh
```

- `curl` and `jq` are used by the optional online completion for `aurinstall` through the AUR RPC API. [web:281]
- `zsh` is needed only for the provided completion script.
- An editor such as `nvim` is useful if `aurinstall` is run with review options like `-e`, `-E`, or `-d`.

## Installation

Copy the scripts somewhere in your `PATH`, for example `~/.local/bin`:

```bash
mkdir ~/Aur
install -Dm755 aurinstall ~/.local/bin/aurinstall
install -Dm755 aurupdate ~/.local/bin/aurupdate
install -Dm755 aurremove ~/.local/bin/aurremove
```

Install the Zsh completion file:

```bash
mkdir -p ~/.zsh/completions
install -Dm644 completions/_aurtools ~/.zsh/completions/_aurtools
```

Then ensure the completion directory is in `fpath` and initialize completion in `~/.zshrc`:

```zsh
fpath=("$HOME/.zsh/completions" $fpath)
autoload -Uz compinit
compinit
```

## Repository layout

The scripts assume that AUR repositories are stored under `~/Aur` by default:

```text
~/Aur/
├── package-one/
├── package-two/
└── package-three/
```

Each package is kept as its own Git repository cloned from `https://aur.archlinux.org/<pkgname>.git`, which matches the documented AUR workflow. [web:22][web:189]

## Usage

### Install a package

```bash
aurinstall proton-pass-bin
```

This clones the package if needed, builds it with `makepkg`, and installs the resulting package file with `pacman -U`. [web:22][web:305]

### Prompt before editing build files

```bash
aurinstall -e swayfx
```

### Always open `PKGBUILD` before building

```bash
aurinstall -E swayfx
```

Reviewing `PKGBUILD` before building is an important AUR safety habit because `makepkg` executes build instructions defined there. [web:303][web:305]

### Download and audit only

```bash
aurinstall -d swayfx
```

This mode updates or clones the repository and lets the user inspect package files without building or installing anything.

### Update local AUR repositories

```bash
aurupdate
```

This walks through the repositories stored in `~/Aur`, pulls upstream changes, and rebuilds selected packages.

### Remove a package

```bash
aurremove calcure
```

This removes the installed package with `pacman -Rns`, which removes the package, unneeded dependencies, and package-managed config files. [web:46][web:107][web:212]

## Zsh completion

The included completion script supports:

- local completion from existing repositories in `~/Aur` for `aurinstall`
- optional remote name completion for `aurinstall` through the AUR RPC interface [web:281]
- completion of installed foreign packages for `aurremove` via `pacman -Qm` [web:46]

If completion behaves strangely after changes, rebuild the completion cache:

```zsh
rm -f ~/.cache/zsh/zcompdump*
autoload -Uz compinit
compinit
```

## Security note

AUR packages are user-contributed build scripts, not official binary packages. The safest workflow is to inspect `PKGBUILD`, sources, checksums, and build steps before installation. [web:22][web:303][web:305]

## License

A permissive license such as MIT or ISC fits this kind of shell-script project well. GitHub recommends adding an explicit license if the repository is meant to be reused by others. [web:317][web:322]