# Arch Knowledge Patch > Arch Linux - Skill: `nevaberry/arch-knowledge-patch` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 6 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add nevaberry/arch-knowledge-patch` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/nevaberry/arch-knowledge-patch/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - License: MIT - Author: nevaberry (https://skillmd.com/u/nevaberry) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/nevaberry/arch-knowledge-patch --- # Arch Linux Knowledge Patch ## Reference index | Reference | Topics | |---|---| | [Package management](references/package-management.md) | pacman 7.0.0 and 7.1.0 sandboxing and signatures, makepkg and PKGBUILD changes, repositories, repo-add, firmware packaging, package-source licensing | | [Service migrations](references/service-migrations.md) | OpenSSH and rsync interventions, Redis to Valkey, Zabbix accounts, Dovecot 2.4, nft-backed iptables, Kea ownership, Vinyl Cache | | [Runtime and desktop transitions](references/runtime-and-desktop-transitions.md) | glibc and Discord, Wine WoW64, Plasma X11, Waydroid, .NET 10, NVIDIA 590 | | [Operations and security](references/operations-and-security.md) | Arch service outage fallbacks, AUR package auditing | ## Use this patch 1. Read the package-management reference before changing `pacman.conf`, maintaining PKGBUILDs, running private repositories, or automating pacman 7.0.0 or 7.1.0. 2. Check the intervention tables before a full system upgrade, especially on remote hosts, servers, and graphical workstations. 3. Read the relevant migration reference before accepting renamed packages, accounts, directories, units, or configuration formats. 4. Review `.pacnew` and `.pacsave` files instead of assuming package upgrades preserve local configuration. 5. Perform Arch upgrades as full upgrades; do not turn an intervention into a partial-upgrade workflow. ## Breaking changes and required interventions ### Restart OpenSSH after the 9.8p1 upgrade Restart the daemon immediately after upgrading `openssh` to 9.8p1 because the old daemon cannot accept new connections: ```sh systemctl try-restart sshd ``` On a remote host, preserve an existing session until the restarted daemon accepts a new connection. ### Upgrade rsync everywhere Upgrade every rsync daemon and client to Arch package `3.4.0-1` or newer, then reboot. Treat public mirrors as urgent: vulnerable anonymous servers can permit remote code execution, and hostile servers can attack connecting clients and sensitive files. ### Remove retired pacman repositories Remove `[community]`, `[community-testing]`, `[testing]`, `[testing-debug]`, `[staging]`, and `[staging-debug]` from `/etc/pacman.conf`. Merge the `.pacnew` from `pacman>=6.0.2-7`; stale entries cause database synchronization to fail. ### Resolve the split linux-firmware upgrade For upgrades from `linux-firmware` `20250508.788aadc8-2` or earlier to `20250613.12fe085f-5` or newer, remove the old package without dependency checks and reinstall it during the full upgrade: ```sh pacman -Rdd linux-firmware pacman -Syu linux-firmware ``` Expect `linux-firmware` to become an empty dependency package backed by hardware-specific firmware packages. ### Prepare Plasma X11 before Plasma 6.4 Install `plasma-x11-session` before upgrading an X11 workstation. Plasma 6.4 installs only the Wayland session by default after `kwin` splits into `kwin-wayland` and `kwin-x11`. ### Rebuild 32-bit Wine prefixes Recreate existing 32-bit prefixes and reinstall their applications after `wine` and `wine-staging` move to pure WoW64. Do not expect `[multilib]` to remain a dependency; anticipate slower direct OpenGL from some 32-bit applications. ### Migrate Dovecot or pin the maintained 2.3 branch Do not start Dovecot 2.4 with a 2.3-or-earlier configuration. Migrate it first, or install `dovecot23` and the matching `pigeonhole23` or `dovecot23-fts-*` packages when replication or delayed migration is required. ### Handle transition-specific package conflicts - Overwrite stale Waydroid `.pyc` files below `/usr/lib/waydroid/tools/` when upgrading from before `1.5.4-3`. - Install the required `-9.0` .NET package during the .NET 10 full upgrade, then remove its unversioned counterpart if version 9 must remain. - Move Pascal, Maxwell, and older NVIDIA GPUs to AUR package `nvidia-580xx-dkms` before NVIDIA 590 replaces the closed modules with open kernel-module packages. - Let Turing and newer GPUs transition automatically; do not apply the legacy-driver intervention to them. ### Switch iptables backends deliberately Treat `iptables` as the nft-backed package. Use `iptables-legacy` only for legacy-only behavior, inspect both rules `.pacsave` files when switching packages, restore rules as needed, and test uncommon xtables extensions. ### Re-own Kea runtime state After upgrading to `kea>=1:3.0.3-6`, assign existing state to the dedicated `kea` account and restart the services: ```sh chown kea: /var/lib/kea/* /var/log/kea/* /run/lock/kea/logger_lockfile systemctl try-restart kea-ctrl-agent.service kea-dhcp{4,6,-ddns}.service ``` Add interactive or service accounts to the `kea` group only when they require access to Kea leases, logs, or configuration. ### Rename Varnish installations to Vinyl Cache Migrate directories, accounts, commands, and systemd units from `varnish` names to `vinyl` names. Disable `varnish.service` and `varnishncsa.service`; enable `vinyl-cache.service` and `vinylncsa.service` after correcting state ownership. ## Deprecations and platform migrations ### Replace Redis with Valkey Plan to move Arch-managed deployments from `redis` to Valkey. The Redis package was deprecated after its brief April 2025 transition in `[extra]`, moved to the AUR, and stopped receiving Arch updates. ### Move custom Zabbix files to the shared account Change ownership and embedded account names in custom PSK files, scripts, sudoers rules, and configuration to the shared `zabbix` account introduced by `zabbix-common`. Complete this before deleting the old component-specific accounts. ### Audit AUR changes before every update During the ongoing malicious-package incident, inspect every change to each AUR package's `PKGBUILD` and install scripts before updating. Report suspicious commits for packages in use through the `aur-general` mailing list. ## Pacman 7.0.0 and 7.1.0 defaults and sandboxing ### Apply privilege-separated downloads Merge pacman's `.pacnew` so Arch's `DownloadUser` default can take effect. Make each local repository traversable by the `alpm` group: ```sh chown :alpm -R /path/to/local/repo find /path/to/local/repo -type d -exec chmod g+x {} + ``` On Linux, expect the downloader to be unable to write outside its download directory. Prefer the fine-grained pacman 7.1.0 sandbox controls when one restriction is incompatible; use `DisableSandbox` or `--disable-sandbox` only when wholesale disablement is necessary. ### Require signatures explicitly Expect pacman 7.1.0's default `SigLevel` to be `Required` for packages and databases. Configure an intentional exception for unsigned local content; do not rely on the previous permissive default. ## makepkg and PKGBUILD quick reference ### Remove obsolete overrides - Remove `GITFLAGS`; makepkg no longer supports it. - Do not override `BUILDENV` or `OPTIONS` from a PKGBUILD. - Do not use `options=(!buildenv)` to suppress `MAKEFLAGS` or `CHOST`. - Expect Git operations to use `/etc/makepkg.d/gitconfig` while ignoring system Git configuration. ### Use new packaging controls - Set makepkg's own parallel-operation limit with `NPROC`; keep build-system parallelism separate. - Store generic tracked data in `xdata`. - Set per-architecture options with `options_$arch`. - Use architecture-specific split packages where appropriate. - Update Git-source checksums once when the stable, configuration-independent checksum logic changes an existing value, including for repositories using `.gitattributes`. ### Serialize repository maintenance Use `repo-add --wait-for-lock` when multiple writers may update a repository. Use `repo-add --remove` when the update should also delete old package files. ## Detailed guidance Load only the reference that matches the task: - Read [Package management](references/package-management.md) for complete pacman, makepkg, repository, licensing, and firmware details. - Read [Service migrations](references/service-migrations.md) for service-specific impact, package alternatives, account changes, directories, and unit names. - Read [Runtime and desktop transitions](references/runtime-and-desktop-transitions.md) before upgrading affected graphical applications or language runtimes. - Read [Operations and security](references/operations-and-security.md) during Arch infrastructure outages or before any AUR update.