Building ZST Packages
🚀 Arch Power-Up: Building ZST Packages Offline (or Away from the AUR)
The Magic of makepkg for the Arch Linux Traveler
Arch Linux users know that the Arch User Repository (AUR) is a treasure trove. But what happens when you’re on a fresh install, a minimal machine with limited internet access, or need a specific package that's temporarily unavailable on a remote server?
That’s where locally building and distributing .pkg.tar.zst files saves the day. These ZST files are the final, compressed, and ready-to-install packages that pacman loves.
The Problem: Connectivity and Consistency
- Internet connectivity to fetch source files and dependencies.
- Time to perform the entire build process on every machine.
By building your packages once on a powerful machine and saving the resulting ZST file, you create a portable installer that bypasses the need for the AUR, git, or even a fast connection during installation.
The Solution: A Single Command
If you have a PKGBUILD file and the source code ready in a directory, the command to generate the final, installable package—without actually installing it—is elegantly simple:
makepkg💡 Pro-Tip: Clean and Sync
While makepkg is the core command, it’s best practice to use it with flags that ensure a smooth build:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
makepkg |
Builds the .pkg.tar.zst file. |
makepkg -s |
Syncs dependencies (--syncdeps) needed for the build using pacman. |
makepkg -sc |
The recommended combination for a clean and dependency-ready build. |
After running the command, you will find the installation artifact (e.g., my-app-1.0.0-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst) in your current directory.
How to Install the Offline Package
Once the ZST file is created, you can move it to any Arch machine and install it instantly using pacman:
sudo pacman -U my-app-1.0.0-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst
No comments