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Update README file.
Several pieces of information were outdated for the 3.2 release. Add a section for the API changes between 3.1 and 3.2. Signed-off-by: Xavier Chantry <shiningxc@gmail.com> [Dan: small updates/grammar corrections] Signed-off-by: Dan McGee <dan@archlinux.org>
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README
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README
@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ ALPM library overview & internals
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=================================
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Here is a list of the main objects and files from the ALPM (i.e. Arch Linux
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Package Management) library. This document, whilst not exhaustive, also
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Package Management) library. This document, while not exhaustive, also
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indicates some limitations (on purpose, or sometimes due to its poor design) of
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the library at the present time.
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@ -13,9 +13,8 @@ the frontend. Lots of structures are of an opaque type and their fields are
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only accessible in read-only mode, through some clearly defined functions.
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In addition to "alpm.h", the interfaces of "alpm_list.h" have also been made
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available to the frontend. It is not a requirement for the frontend to use
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these list functions; however, it prevents frontends from having to reimplement
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a list data structure.
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available to the frontend, for allowing it to manipulate the lists returned by
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the backend.
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Several structures and functions have been renamed compared to pacman 2.9 code.
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This was done at first for the sake of naming scheme consistency, and then
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@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ same name declared in both spaces. To avoid such conflicts, internal function
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names have been prepended with "_alpm_".
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In a general manner, public library functions are named "alpm_<type>_<action>"
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(examples: alpm_trans_commit(), alpm_release(), alpm_pkg_getinfo(), ...).
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(examples: alpm_trans_commit(), alpm_release(), alpm_pkg_get_name(), ...).
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Internal (and thus private) functions should be named "_alpm_XXX" for instance
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(examples: _alpm_needbackup(), _alpm_runscriplet(), ...). Functions defined and
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used inside a single file should be defined as "static".
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@ -33,59 +32,63 @@ used inside a single file should be defined as "static".
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[Initialization]
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alpm_init() is used to initialize library internals and to create
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alpm_initialize() is used to initialize library internals and to create
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a transparent handle object. Before its call, the library can't be used.
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alpm_lib_release() just does the opposite (memory used by the library, and the
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handle is freed). After its call, the library is no longer available.
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alpm_release() just does the opposite (memory used by the library, and the
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handle is freed). After its call, the library is no longer available.
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[Options]
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In the future, the library will not use any configuration file. It will be up
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to the front end to The handle holds a
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number of configuration options instead (IGNOREPKG, SYSLOG usage,
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log file name, registered databases, ...).
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The library does not use any configuration file. It is up to the front end to
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configure the library as needed; the handle holds a number of configuration
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options instead.
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All of the following options have a alpm_option_get_* and alpm_option_set_*
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function for getting and setting the value. The cannot be set before the
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function for getting and setting the value. They cannot be set before the
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library is initialized.
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* logcb: The callback function for "log" operations.
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* dlcb: The callback function for download progress.
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* logmask: The logging mask for which level of output is sent to the logcb.
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* root: The root directory on which pacman operates (Default: /)
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* dbpath: The base path to pacman's databases (Default: var/lib/pacman)
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* cachedir: The base path to pacman's download cache (Default: var/cache/pacman)
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* logfile: The base path to pacman's log file (Default: var/log/pacman.log)
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* dlcb: The callback function for download progress of each package.
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* totaldlcb: The callback function for overall download progress.
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* root: The root directory for pacman to install to (Default: /)
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* dbpath: The toplevel database directory (Default: /var/lib/pacman)
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* logfile: The base path to pacman's log file (Default: /var/log/pacman.log)
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* usesyslog: Log to syslog instead of `logfile` for file-base logging.
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* xfercommand: The command to use for downloading instead of pacman's internal
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downloading functionality.
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downloading functionality.
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* nopassiveftp: Do not use passive FTP commands for ftp connections.
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* chomp: No way, easter eggs are secret!
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* usecolor: Unimplemented, but for the future. You can assume what it means.
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The following options also have a `alpm_option_add_*` function, as the values
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are list structures (NOTE: The add functions are NOT plural, as they're in
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english: alpm_option_get_noupgrades -> alpm_option_add_noupgrade).
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The following options also have `alpm_option_{add,remove}_*` functions, as the
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values are list structures.
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NOTE: The add and remove functions are NOT plural, as they are in English:
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alpm_option_{get,set}_noupgrades -> alpm_option_{add,remove}_noupgrade.
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* cachedirs: Paths to pacman's download caches (Default: /var/cache/pacman/pkg)
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* noupgrades: Files which will never be touched by pacman (extracted as .pacnew)
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* noextracts: Files which will never be extracted at all (no .pacnew file)
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* ignorepkgs: Packages to ignore when upgrading.
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* holdpkgs: Packages which must be upgraded before continuing.
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* ignoregrps: Groups to ignore when upgrading.
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* holdpkgs: Important packages which need a confirmation before being removed.
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The following options are read-only, having ONLY alpm_option_get_* functions:
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* lockfile: The file used for locking the database
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(Default: <dbpath>/db.lck)
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* localdb: A pmdb_t structure for the local (installed) database
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* syncdbs: A list of pmdb_t structures to which pacman can sync from.
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The following options are write-only, having ONLY alpm_option_set_* functions:
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* usedelta: Download delta files instead of complete packages if possible.
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[Transactions]
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The transaction sturcture permits easy manipulations of several packages
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The transaction structure permits easy manipulations of several packages
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at a time (i.e. adding, upgrade and removal operations).
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A transaction can be initiated with a type (ADD, UPGRADE or REMOVE),
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A transaction can be initiated with a type (SYNC, UPGRADE or REMOVE),
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and some flags (NODEPS, FORCE, CASCADE, ...).
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Note: there can only be one type at a time: a transaction is either
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@ -105,7 +108,7 @@ These targets represent the list of packages to be handled.
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Then, a transaction needs to be prepared (alpm_trans_prepare()). It
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means that the various targets added, will be inspected and challenged
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against the set of already installed packages (dependency checkings,
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against the set of already installed packages (dependency checking, etc...)
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Last, a callback is associated with each transaction. During the
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transaction resolution, each time a new step is started or done (i.e
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@ -116,27 +119,27 @@ the resolution. Can be useful to implement a progress bar.
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[Package Cache]
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libalpm maintains two caches for each DB. One is a general package cache, the
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other is a group cache (for package groups). These caches are loaded on demand,
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and freed when the libary is.
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It is important to note tha, as a general rule, package structures should NOT be
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freed manually, as they SHOULD be part of the cache.
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The cache of a database is always updated by the library after
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an operation changing the database content (adding and/or removal of
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packages). Beware frontends ;)
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libalpm maintains two caches for each DB. One is a general package cache, the
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other is a group cache (for package groups). These caches are loaded on demand,
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and freed when the library is.
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It is important to note that, as a general rule, package structures should NOT
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be freed manually, as they SHOULD be part of the cache. The cache of a
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database is always updated by the library after an operation changing the
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database content (adding and/or removal of packages). Beware frontends ;)
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[Package]
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The package structure maintains all information for a package. In general,
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packages should never be freed from front-ends, as they should always be part of
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the package cache.
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The package structure maintains all information for a package. In general,
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packages should never be freed from front-ends, as they should always be part
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of the package cache.
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The 'origin' data member indicates whether the package is from a file
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(i.e. -U operations) or from the package cache. In the case of a file, all data
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members available are present in the structure. Packages indicated as being
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from the cache have data members filled on demand. For this reason, the
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alpm_pkg_get_* functions will load the data from the DB as needed.
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The 'origin' data member indicates whether the package is from a file (i.e. -U
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operations) or from the package cache. In the case of a file, all data members
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available are present in the structure. Packages indicated as being from the
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cache have data members filled on demand. For this reason, the alpm_pkg_get_*
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functions will load the data from the DB as needed.
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[Errors]
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@ -149,13 +152,15 @@ indicating success, -1 indicating a failure.
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If -1 is returned, the variable pm_errno is set to a meaningful value
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Wise frontends should always care for these returned values.
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Note: the helper function alpm_strerror() can also be used to translate
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the error code into a more friendly sentence.
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Note: the helper function alpm_strerror() can also be used to translate one
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specified error code into a more friendly sentence, and alpm_strerrorlast()
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does the same for the last error encountered (represented by pm_errno).
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[List - alpm_list_t]
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The alpm_list_t structure is a doubly-linked list for use with the libalpm
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routines. This type is provided publicly so that frontends are free to use it
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routines. This type is provided publicly so that frontends are free to use it
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if they have no native list type (C++, glib, python, etc all have list types).
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See the proper man pages for alpm_list_t references.
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@ -179,41 +184,65 @@ perform a special action.
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[MAIN] (see pacman.c)
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Calls for alpm_lib_init(), and alpm_lib_release().
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Calls for alpm_initialize(), and alpm_release().
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Read the configuration file, and parse command line arguments.
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Based on the action requested, it initiates the appropriate transactions
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(see pacman_add(), pacman_remove(), pacman_sync() in files add.c,
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(see pacman_upgrade(), pacman_remove(), pacman_sync() in files upgrade.c,
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remove.c and sync.c).
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[CONFIGURATION] (see conf.c)
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[CONFIGURATION] (see conf.h)
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The frontend is using a configuration file, usually "/etc/pacman.conf".
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Part of these options are only useful for the frontend only (mainly,
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the download stuffs, and some options like HOLDPKG).
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The rest is used to configure the library.
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The frontend is using a configuration file, usually "/etc/pacman.conf". Some
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of these options are only useful for the frontend only (mainly the ones used to
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control the output like showsize or totaldownload, or the behavior with
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cleanmethod and syncfirst). The rest is used to configure the library.
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[ADD/UPGRADE/REMOVE/SYNC]
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Nothing new here, excepted some reorganization.
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[UPGRADE/REMOVE/SYNC]
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The file pacman.c has been divided into several smaller files, namely
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add.c, remove.c, sync.c and query.c, to hold the big parts: pacman_add,
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upgrade.c, remove.c, sync.c and query.c, to hold the big parts: pacman_upgrade,
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pacman_remove, pacman_sync.
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These 3 functions have been split to ease the code reading.
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LIMITATIONS/BEHAVIOR CHANGES COMPARED TO PACMAN 2.9
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===================================================
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Excepted missing features still needing to be implemented, one can
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notice the following limitations:
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API CHANGES BETWEEN 3.1 AND 3.2
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===============================
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- If pacman is out of date, the frontend displays a warning and recommends
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to give up the on-going transanction. The frontend does not allow to
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upgrade pacman itself on-the-fly, and thus it should be restarted with
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only "pacman" as a target.
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[REMOVED]
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- alpm_db_whatprovides()
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- alpm_splitdep (no longer public)
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- trans->targets was removed, so alpm_trans_get_targets() as well
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- error codes:
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PM_ERR_OPT_*, PM_ERR_PKG_INSTALLED, PM_ERR_DLT_CORRUPTED,
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PM_ERR_LIBARCHIVE_ERROR
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- event: PM_TRANS_EVT_EXTRACT_DONE
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- PM_TRANS_TYPE_ADD pmtranstype_t (add transaction)
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- PM_TRANS_FLAG_DEPENDSONLY pmtransflag_t
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- ...
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[CHANGED]
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- alpm_grp_get_pkgs returns with pmpkg_t list, not package-name list
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- Swap parameters on PM_TRANS_CONV_INSTALL_IGNOREPKG callback function
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- download callback API changed: alpm_cb_download, alpm_cb_totaldl split
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(+ new alpm_option_get_totaldlcb(), alpm_option_set_totaldlcb() functions)
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- unsigned long->off_t changes where size is used
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- pmsyncpkg_t struct changes:
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- pmsynctype_t and alpm_sync_get_type() were removed
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- alpm_sync_get_data() was removed
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- alpm_sync_get_removes() was added
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[ADDED]
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- alpm_delta_get_from_md5sum(), alpm_delta_get_to_md5sum()
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- alpm_miss_get_causingpkg() (new causingpkg field in pmdepmissing_t)
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- alpm_checkdbconflicts()
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- alpm_sync_newversion()
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- alpm_deptest()
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- error codes :
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PM_ERR_DLT_INVALID, PM_ERR_LIBARCHIVE, PM_ERR_LIBDOWNLOAD and
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PM_ERR_EXTERNAL_DOWNLOAD
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- flags:
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PM_TRANS_FLAG_ALLEXPLICIT, PM_TRANS_FLAG_UNNEEDED and
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PM_TRANS_FLAG_RECURSEALL
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