I've got a bit of anxiety when it comes to installing software from the AUR because I'm not comfortable with it. If I find software X that isn't available in the official Pacman repository or as a Flatpak, is there any other way to install it? I want to make sure I'm not compromising my system.
2 Answers
The AUR typically has PKGBUILDs for packages, which is how Arch manages installations that aren't in the official repos. If you check the PKGBUILD before installing, it can ease your worries. This file shows what’s necessary for building and installing the software. As long as you understand what each part does (and you can easily google it), you can feel relatively secure. It's like compiling software from source with community support!
Trust is a big deal when dealing with AUR. Instead of just installing directly, take a moment to read through the PKGBUILD. You don't have to trust the package blindly; you can verify what it does yourself. That way, you have more control over what gets installed on your system!
That's exactly right! I used to feel the same way, but once I started checking the PKGBUILD, I felt much more comfortable using AUR packages.