It really weighs a lot š¤
It really weighs a lot š¤
One thing I don't understand is why yay has to compile almost everything I need to download from the AUR. Is it just an yay thing or do all AUR helpers do this? I just installed yay and without even installing anything else there are thousands of files and folders in the yay folder and somehow my drive usage has also increased quite a bit. If I look inside the folder, the reason there are so many files and folders because most of the folder is filled with source files. Why do I care about keeping source files? I just need the binary. So am I supposed to use a different AUR helper? How do I not keep the source file and why does it even compile them in the first place?
The Arch User Repository is designed for PKGBUILD projects, meaning everything should be compiled from source. The only exception are PKGBUILDs labeled with a hyphen. Keeping the source files is beneficial because it speeds up rebuilds during updates. You probably include make dependencies in the build process, which are needed to assemble the PKGBUILD but not essential for running the final package. These dependencies might also consist of additional AUR packages. Keep in mind these repositories are community-run, so you must grasp their functionality and purpose. This can lead to issues if they're not well-maintained or properly developed. Be mindful that some packages may require regular rebuilding even without new versions. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_...l_packages https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_User_Repository
You should be able to build in the temporary directory, it will vanish after a restart. Unless you don't restart it. Make sure it's located at /temp and remember to remove the binary files. It's a bit disappointing when all sources end up in the wrong place.
@Nayr438 I maybe understand, but that is still a lot of bloat. And either way I still do not care about the source files. I heard there is a way to get only the binary files in yay using some flag idk. As @BoomerDutch , is that possible? But how do I manage stuff? Like I mean how do I redirect the target to the /tmp folder and then where do I take out the binary? The AUR is so great that it is almost needed for regular use but I hate compiling stuff. Also, is yay even the best AUR helper if not good? What does "Search and Download" and "Search and Build" mean at https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/AUR_helpers ? Yay is only a pacman wrapper.
I think you need to forward the folder. I usually move it to a temporary spot, but I didnāt realize it was an issue. Iāll check back later if I remember. Source to tmp is what Iāve done before, but Iām stuck. Iāll try again soon. Symlinking worksāGoogle explained it by searching āhow to link folder to other folder.ā So use ln -s /sourcefolder /targetfolder. Anything from sourcefolder points directly to the target, so you donāt have a choice. Regarding the source location, Iām not sure what that is.
Yes, there will be a point to temporarily install packages and they should remove themselves automatically. For updates, you only need a binary onceāafter that, you can wait up to two months before compiling again. Otherwise, just use the system; it's very stable and mostly fixable.
Many people misunderstand what AUR really is and what a helper should do. If you donāt want to create anything, use the -bin versions that are available. Calling everything "bloat" is understandable, but dependencies exist naturallyāthereās little you can do about it. The cache is there for storage; just turn it off if you need to, and start fresh next time. Itās not recommended. You can also use the --cleanafter flag during installation or upgrades to remove cached files automatically.