How to use the command 'pacman-mirrors' (with examples)
Pacman-mirrors is a command used in Manjaro Linux to generate a mirrorlist. A mirrorlist is a list of servers that host the necessary files for package installations and updates. The command allows users to generate a mirrorlist, check the status of the current mirrors, display the current branch, switch to a different branch, and generate a mirrorlist using only mirrors in the user’s country.
Use case 1: Generate a mirrorlist using the default settings:
Code:
sudo pacman-mirrors --fasttrack
Motivation:
Generating a mirrorlist using the default settings is useful when you want to quickly update your mirrorlist and ensure that you have access to the latest package updates. This command will generate a mirrorlist using the fastest available mirrors.
Explanation:
sudo: This command requires superuser privileges to update the system.pacman-mirrors: The command itself.--fasttrack: This option generates a mirrorlist with the fastest available mirrors.
Example output:
Generated mirrorlist with 10 entries in 2.481 seconds
Use case 2: Get the status of the current mirrors:
Code:
pacman-mirrors --status
Motivation:
Getting the status of the current mirrors is helpful to identify any issues with the mirrors or to check if they are up-to-date. This command provides information about the status of each mirror, such as whether it is up, synced, or outdated.
Explanation:
pacman-mirrors: The command itself.--status: This option displays the status of the current mirrors.
Example output:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1 [None] http://mirror.gigenet.com/manjaro
2 [None] http://mirror.truenetwork.ru/manjaro
3 [None] http://ftp.uni-stuttgart.de/manjaro
4 [None] http://mirror.terrahost.no/linux/manjaro
5 [None] http://free.nchc.org.tw/manjaro
6 [None] http://mirror3.hexcore.xyz/manjaro
7 [None] http://mirror.lnx.sk/manjaro
.....
Use case 3: Display the current branch:
Code:
pacman-mirrors --get-branch
Motivation:
Displaying the current branch is useful when you want to check which branch is currently active in your Manjaro Linux system. Manjaro Linux offers multiple branches, including stable, unstable, and testing. Each branch represents a different level of stability and availability of software updates.
Explanation:
pacman-mirrors: The command itself.--get-branch: This option displays the current branch in use.
Example output:
stable
Use case 4: Switch to a different branch:
Code:
sudo pacman-mirrors --api --set-branch unstable
Motivation:
Switching to a different branch allows you to access different levels of software updates and stability in Manjaro Linux. This is useful when you want to test software in a more experimental or bleeding-edge environment or when you require the latest features and updates.
Explanation:
sudo: This command requires superuser privileges to update the system.pacman-mirrors: The command itself.--api: This option enables API mode to interact with the mirror ranking and branch setting API.--set-branch: This option sets the desired branch. In this example, we set the branch to “unstable”.
Example output:
The branch has been set to unstable
Use case 5: Generate a mirrorlist, only using mirrors in your country:
Code:
sudo pacman-mirrors --geoip
Motivation:
Generating a mirrorlist using only mirrors in your country can significantly improve download speeds and reduce latency. This is especially beneficial for users located in countries with a large number of available mirrors.
Explanation:
sudo: This command requires superuser privileges to update the system.pacman-mirrors: The command itself.--geoip: This option generates a mirrorlist using mirrors only from the user’s country.
Example output:
Generated mirrorlist with 5 entries in 1.923 seconds
Conclusion:
The command pacman-mirrors is a powerful tool in Manjaro Linux for managing and optimizing mirrorlists. It allows users to generate mirrorlists with different options, check the status of current mirrors, switch to different branches, and generate mirrorlists based on geographic location. By utilizing these features, users can ensure faster download speeds, access to the latest package updates, and a more optimized software management experience.
