Neoarch

NeoArch

Modern Package Manager for Arch Linux

Features • Installation • Usage • Contributing • License

Screenshot_20260815_114444

Features

Multi-Source Management

Unify pacman, AUR, Flatpak, and npm under one interface. Search, install, update, and remove packages from any source seamlessly.

Plugin System

50+ built-in plugins with an extensible Python hook system supporting lifecycle hooks (on_startup, on_tick, on_view_changed). Browse and install community plugins from the store.

Bundle System

Create portable package bundles for easy deployment. Export, import, install, and share bundles locally or as community bundles.

Docker Manager

Pull, run, list, stop, and clean containers with port mappings, volumes, environment variables, GPU passthrough, and restart policies.

Git Manager

Clone, build, update, and clean Git projects with a click. Auto-detects build methods: Cargo, Autotools, Makefile, and custom build commands.

Snapshot Integration

Create and restore Timeshift snapshots before updates. Revert to a known good state if anything goes wrong. Automatic cleanup of old snapshots.

Cloud Sync

Sign in with Supabase via OAuth to sync bundle favorites across devices. Session tokens are cached securely for seamless re-authentication.

Scheduled Updates

Set and forget with configurable auto-update intervals (1-30 days), auto-refresh, and optional snapshot-before-update via built-in plugins.

Command-Line Interface

Scriptable package management from the terminal. Search, install, remove, upgrade, list updates, read Arch news, create backups, purge orphans, and run system checks — all with --json output for automation. Runs headless (no GUI required).

neoarch-cli search browserpass        # search pacman + AUR
neoarch-cli install --aur yay         # install from AUR
neoarch-cli upgrade --all             # full system upgrade
neoarch-cli list-updates --json       # machine-readable updates
neoarch-cli news                      # latest Arch Linux news
neoarch-cli doctor                    # system health check
neoarch-cli scan ./PKGBUILD           # security scan (risky tools, elevation, homographs)
neoarch-cli downgrade firefox -l      # list cached versions
neoarch-cli downgrade firefox -p      # downgrade + pin to IgnorePkg
neoarch-cli marks list                # show IgnorePkg / HoldPkg
neoarch-cli marks hold linux          # hold a package
neoarch-cli marks reason firefox explicit  # set install reason
neoarch-cli appimage list             # managed AppImages
neoarch-cli appimage add-repo Obsidian obsidianmd/obsidian-releases
neoarch-cli appimage check --json     # check for AppImage updates
 neoarch-cli backup -c                 # create a backup
 neoarch-cli purge -o                  # remove orphaned packages
 neoarch-cli keyring list              # trusted pacman keys
 neoarch-cli keyring populate          # official Arch keyrings
 neoarch-cli purify corrupt            # find corrupted cache archives
 neoarch-cli purify cache --keep 2     # paccache retention
 neoarch-cli purify flatpak            # remove unused Flatpak runtimes
 neoarch-cli purify merge /etc/x.pacnew --accept  # three-way .pacnew merge
 neoarch-cli restart check --json      # is a reboot recommended?
 neoarch-cli parallel                  # show ParallelDownloads
 neoarch-cli parallel 10               # set it in /etc/pacman.conf (root)
 neoarch-cli schedule show             # weekly update schedule
 neoarch-cli schedule set --days 1,3,5 --time 05:30 --enable
 neoarch-cli recommend --limit 5       # curated package recommendations
 neoarch-cli install-url https://host/pkg.pkg.tar.zst  # install from URL
 neoarch-cli aur-build yay --check     # AUR build (chroot/check/commit)
 neoarch-cli news --mark-read          # read news + mark as read

The appimage subcommands manage a NeoArch-owned AppImage store at ~/.local/share/neoarch/appimages: add (local file), add-url (static URL), and add-repo (GitHub/GitLab/Codeberg/Forgejo latest release). Each gets a desktop entry + icon and is tracked for updates via check/update.

The scan command statically reviews a PKGBUILD (and its .install scriptlets) without executing it, flagging risky post-install tools, privilege elevation, dynamic shell construction, local binary sources, obfuscated tool names, and Unicode homograph spoofing. It exits with code 2 if any critical finding is present, making it safe to gate scripts on.

System Backup

Create full system backups (package list + config export) with Btrfs snapshot support on Btrfs roots. Restore packages from any backup, list snapshots, and auto-prune old backups (keeps last 5).

System Hygiene

Keep your system clean: one-click orphaned package removal (pacman -Qtdq), manage leftover .pacnew/.pacsave files (view diff, accept, or delete), and read the latest Arch Linux news via the built-in RSS reader with offline caching.

Local Package Install

Install .pkg.tar.zst, .pacman, .AppImage, and .flatpakref files with a single click. Auto-detects package type and handles installation with appropriate privileges. Missing-dependency resolution with --assume-installed retry for local packages.

Auth and Credential Caching

Secure session-based sudo credential caching with auto-cleaning on exit. GUI password dialog with SUDO_ASKPASS support for polkit and sudo-A.

System Cache Cleaning

One-click BleachBit cache cleaning and pacman package cache cleanup (pacman -Sc). Reclaim disk space without leaving the app.

Ignore Updates

Mark specific packages to ignore during updates. Persisted to ~/.config/neoarch/ignored_updates.json — survives reboots and updates.

Screenshots

Screenshot_20260813_222846 Search and Discover Packages

Screenshot_20260813_222645 Installed Packages View

Comparison with Shelly-ALPM

NeoArch compared to Shelly-ALPM, another modern Arch Linux package manager:

	Shelly-ALPM	NeoArch
License	GPL-3.0 (copyleft)	MIT (permissive)
Stack	Zig + Vala + .NET, GTK4 native Wayland	Python + PyQt6
Core package mgmt	pacman (`libalpm`)	pacman + AUR + Flatpak + npm
CLI	Yes (`shelly`/`shelly-cli`)	neoarch-cli
Flatpak	Optional separate backend	Built-in
AUR support	Yes	Yes (incl. live search)
Plugin system	No	Yes (50+ built-in, Python hooks)
Bundle system	No	Yes (portable bundles)
Docker manager	No	Yes
Git manager	No	Yes
Snapshots	No	Yes (Timeshift)
System backup	No	Yes (Btrfs)
System hygiene	No	Yes (orphans, `.pacnew`, news)
Cloud sync	No	Yes (Supabase)
Scheduled updates	No	Yes
Local package install	AppImage only	`.pkg.tar.zst`, `.pacman`, `.AppImage`, `.flatpakref`

Shelly is a fast native GTK4/libalpm frontend with a strong CLI and a clean codebase. NeoArch covers more package sources and a wider feature set, while keeping a permissive MIT license.

Installation

From AUR (Recommended)

yay -S neoarch-git    # or paru -S neoarch-git

Prerequisites

OS: Arch Linux (or Arch-based distro)
Python: 3.8+
PyQt6
Administrative privileges (sudo) for package operations

Install Dependencies

Option A — Arch packages (recommended)

sudo pacman -S --needed python python-pyqt6 python-requests qt6-svg git flatpak nodejs npm

Option B — Python virtual environment

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements_pyqt.txt

Note: On Arch, using system pip often triggers the “externally-managed-environment” error. Prefer Option A (pacman) or use a virtual environment (Option B). You can also use pipx (sudo pacman -S python-pipx) which manages a dedicated venv for each app.

Run NeoArch

python Neoarch.py

Or make it executable:

chmod +x Neoarch.py && ./Neoarch.py

Usage

Action	Description
Discover Packages	Search and browse available packages from pacman, AUR, Flatpak, and npm
Install Packages	Select and install packages with a single click
Manage Updates	View and install available system updates across all sources
Plugins	Enable, disable, and create Python hook plugins; browse community plugins
Bundles	Create, export, import, and install package bundles
Docker	Pull, run, stop, and clean Docker containers with port mappings and volumes
Git	Clone, build, update, and clean Git projects with auto-detected build methods
Snapshots	Create and restore Timeshift snapshots before risky operations
System Backup	Create/restore system backups with Btrfs snapshot support
Hygiene	Remove orphaned packages, manage `.pacnew` files, read Arch news
Local Files	Install `.pkg.tar.zst`, `.pacman`, `.AppImage`, `.flatpakref` files directly
Cloud Sync	Sign in with Supabase to sync favorites across devices
CLI	Scriptable `neoarch-cli` with `--json` output for search/install/backup/etc.

Development

git clone https://github.com/Sanjaya-Danushka/Neoarch.git
cd Neoarch
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements_pyqt.txt
python Neoarch.py

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please follow our guidelines:

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
Open a Pull Request

Standards

Security First — All code must undergo security review
Code Quality — Follow PEP 8, add tests, maintain clean readable code
User Experience — Prioritize intuitive UI/UX and responsive performance
Documentation — All features must be properly documented

Security

If you discover any security vulnerabilities, report them immediately to dsanjaya712@gmail.com.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License — see the LICENSE file for details.

Built with ❤️ by Sanjaya Danushka

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