Arch Linux has rolled out the latest version of its beloved package manager, Pacman 7.0. Several new features and improvements have been introduced to enhance its functionality and user experience, so let’s look at them.
Pacman 7.0 Package Manager Highlights
The new version’s highlight is the addition of the DownloadUser configuration option. This setting allows heightened security by dropping privileges when downloading files and addressing common vulnerabilities associated with file permissions during downloads.
This means that files are now temporarily stored in a directory owned by DownloadUser, ensuring that the download process remains contained and does not write outside the designated area on Linux systems.
Moreover, for advanced users needing more control, Pacman 7.0 introduces the DisableSandbox option alongside a --disable-sandbox flag. This feature allows download write restrictions to be disabled, which is useful in scenarios where users operate within a secured or customized environment.
Pacman 7.0 also brings numerous fixes and enhancements that bolster the robustness and reliability of the package manager. Notably, it ensures that both database updates and signatures are retrieved from the same location, streamlining the update process and addressing issues previously noted with XferCommand.
It also replaces sprintf with snprintf, a safer alternative that helps prevent buffer overflows—a common security flaw in software development. Additionally, the update fixes a significant read-after-free bug when parsing configuration files and addresses issues with searching in non-NULL but empty file lists.
For developers and maintainers, makepkg—the script responsible for compiling and building packages from source—has received multiple updates. These include removing GITFLAGS support and enhancements in handling git sources to better support changes without depending on user configuration.
In addition, it also enhances the visibility of source-related errors with new return codes and prevents overriding of certain build environment variables, ensuring more predictable build processes.
Lastly, the pacman-key tool, crucial for security in package signing, now correctly handles permission checks for operations performed without root access, an essential update for maintaining security in multi-user environments.
Refer to the full changelog for detailed information about all the novelties and improvements that Pacman 7.0 brings. Arch users will get it as an update in the coming days when they run the well-known pacman -Syu command.
