Shelly 3.2, the latest version of the graphical package manager for Arch Linux and Arch-based distros, is now available and addresses a Flatpak regression introduced after version 3.1.10.
The release also improves cache permissions handling. Shelly now writes user cache files with the appropriate credentials, including when launched through supported privilege-elevation tools. Users with ownership issues can repair Shelly’s directories using the shelly utility --fix-permissions command.
Regarding AUR package builds, version 3.2 fixes architecture detection errors in PKGBUILDs that use associative arrays to calculate supported architectures. It also resolves race conditions between Git mirror maintenance and source cloning.
Package information handling has also been corrected. Both graphical and command-line searches now prioritize installed package versions instead of showing repository versions. Installation status and dates are reported more accurately, and upgrade previews include repository package replacements.
For users managing AppImages, Shelly 3.2 improves desktop integration by using the application’s original desktop-file identity and removing outdated launcher entries during updates. This fixes issues with inconsistent application names and duplicate menu entries.
AppImage update handling now supports discovering embedded update information and .zsync control files. Additional fixes improve GitHub release asset matching and release selection.
Among the new features is the ability to downgrade multiple installed packages in a single transaction. Users can select older versions of several packages and process them together.
The system tray notification service also receives fixes. It monitors package database changes and refreshes its update status after package operations, preventing outdated update indicators. Plus, D-Bus connection handling has been improved, and users can choose which terminal emulator launches updates.
Shelly 3.2 also corrects post-upgrade restart detection. Previously, certain /proc files were wrongly interpreted as empty, preventing accurate process checks. The updated implementation now reads these files correctly and avoids unnecessary restart recommendations caused by deleted /etc/ld.so.cache mappings.
Additional improvements include better cleanup of abandoned pacman download directories, asynchronous removal of stale database locks, ANSI color support in graphical transaction output, and transfer speed indicators for command-line downloads.
For additional details, see the changelog.
