pactree:tldr:e885a

The pactree command is used in Arch Linux and its derivatives to display the dependency tree of a package. It helps users understand the dependencies of a package by showing the packages it depends on and the packages that depend on it.

Here is the syntax of the pactree command:

pactree [options] package...

The package argument can be the name of a package or a file. By default, pactree displays the dependencies of a package in a tree-like format, showing the package and its direct dependencies indented below it. It starts with the specified package and recursively displays the dependencies of each package in the tree.

For example, if you run the command:

pactree firefox

It will show the dependency tree of the Firefox package, including all the packages it depends on and their dependencies.

Options that can be used with pactree include:

• -h, --help: Displays a help message for the command.
• -l, --list: Instead of showing a tree-like structure, it lists all the packages in a flat format with each package on a separate line.
• -u, --unrequired: Displays only the packages that are not required by any other package. These are usually orphaned packages that can be safely removed.
• -d, --depends: Only displays the direct dependencies of the specified package, excluding their dependencies.
• -r, --reverse: Instead of displaying the dependencies of the specified package, displays the reverse dependencies, i.e., packages that depend on the specified package.
• -s, --short: Simplifies the output by only showing the names of the packages without additional details.

Using pactree can be helpful in understanding the package dependencies, identifying orphaned packages, troubleshooting installation or dependency issues, and managing the package ecosystem of an Arch Linux system.