Aur Vcs Packages

Skill: aur-vcs-packages

Purpose

Comprehensive guide for creating and maintaining Version Control System (VCS) packages in the AUR. Covers git, svn, hg, bzr, and darcs packages, pkgver updates, and VCS package best practices.

When to Use This Skill

This skill should be used when:

• Creating a -git, -svn, -hg, -bzr, or -darcs package
• Updating VCS packages
• Converting a package to track upstream development
• Setting up pkgver for automatic updates

When NOT to Use This Skill

• For stable release packages (use regular aur-pkgbuild instead)
• For packages tracking specific tagged releases (not development)
• For non-VCS sources

Overview

VCS packages track development versions of software using version control systems. They use suffixes like -git, -svn, -hg to indicate the VCS type.

Common Suffixes

• -git - Git repositories
• -svn - Subversion repositories
• -hg - Mercurial repositories
• -bzr - Bazaar repositories
• -darcs - Darcs repositories

PKGBUILD Structure

Basic VCS PKGBUILD

pkgname=package-name-git
pkgver=1.2.3.r123.gabcdef
pkgrel=1
pkgdesc="Description of the package"
arch=('x86_64')
url="https://github.com/user/repo"
license=('MIT')
depends=('some-dependency')
makedepends=('git' 'some-dev-package')
provides=("package-name=${pkgver}")
conflicts=('package-name')
source=("${pkgname}::git+https://github.com/user/repo.git")
sha256sums=('SKIP')

pkgver() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  # Extract version with r delimiter for monotonicity
  printf "%s.r%s.g%s" \
    "$(git tag --sort=-version:refname | head -1 | sed 's/^v//')" \
    "$(git rev-list --count HEAD)" \
    "$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"
}

build() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  ./configure --prefix=/usr
  make
}

package() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  make DESTDIR="$pkgdir" install
}

pkgver Function

The pkgver function updates the version string automatically. Use the r delimiter to ensure version monotonicity.

Git Examples

# Tag-based versioning with r delimiter (recommended standard)
pkgver() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  printf "%s.r%s.g%s" \
    "$(git describe --tags | sed 's/^v//')" \
    "$(git rev-list --count HEAD)" \
    "$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"
}

# Alternative: Tag-based with version:refname sorting
pkgver() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  printf "%s.r%s.g%s" \
    "$(git tag --sort=-version:refname | head -1 | sed 's/^v//')" \
    "$(git rev-list --count HEAD)" \
    "$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"
}

# Simpler tag-based
pkgver() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  git describe --tags | sed 's/^v//'
}

# Date-based versioning
pkgver() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  date +%Y%m%d
}

Subversion Examples

pkgver() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  printf "r%s" "$(svn info | grep Revision | awk '{print $2}')"
}

Mercurial Examples

pkgver() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  printf "r%s" "$(hg identify -n)"
}

Source Array

Git Sources

# Clone specific branch (use fragment, not query)
source=("${pkgname}::git+https://github.com/user/repo.git#branch=main")

# Clone specific tag (use fragment)
source=("${pkgname}::git+https://github.com/user/repo.git#tag=v1.0.0")

# Clone at specific commit (use fragment)
source=("${pkgname}::git+https://github.com/user/repo.git#commit=abc123")

# PGP-signed revision
source=("${pkgname}::git+https://github.com/user/repo.git?signed#branch=main")

# With submodules (use prepare())
source=("${pkgname}::git+https://github.com/user/repo.git")
options=('!emptydirs')

Subversion Sources

source=("svn+svn://svn.example.com/repo/trunk")

Mercurial Sources

source=("hg+https://bitbucket.org/user/repo")

Note: Use fragments (#) for branches/tags/commits, not query strings (?). Query (?) is reserved for signed revisions.

.SRCINFO for VCS

pkgbase = package-name-git
	pkgdesc = Description
	url = https://github.com/user/repo
	makedepends = git
	provides = package-name=1.2.3.r123.gabcdef
	conflicts = package-name
	arch = x86_64
	license = MIT

pkgname = package-name-git
	pkgver = 1.2.3.r123.gabcdef
	pkgrel = 1
	depends = some-dep

Important: Keep .SRCINFO in sync with PKGBUILD. If using versioned provides in PKGBUILD (provides=("package-name=${pkgver}")), the .SRCINFO must also include the version to avoid metadata mismatches on the AUR web interface.

Updating VCS Packages

Manual Update

# Clone the repository
git clone ssh://aur@aur.archlinux.org/package-name-git.git
cd package-name-git

# Pull latest changes
git pull

# Run pkgver to test
makepkg -o

# Update checksums (if needed)
updpkgsums

# Build and test
makepkg -s

# Regenerate .SRCINFO
makepkg --printsrcinfo > .SRCINFO

# Only commit if there are structural PKGBUILD changes:
# - New dependencies
# - Build system changes
# - Not just pkgver bumps!

git add PKGBUILD .SRCINFO
git commit -m "Add new dependency or fix build"
git push

Important: Do not commit mere pkgver bumps. VCS packages are not considered "out of date" simply because upstream has new commits.

Automatic pkgver

The pkgver function runs automatically during build:

makepkg -s
# pkgver() is called automatically

Common Patterns

Git with autogen/autoconf

build() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  [[ -f configure ]] || autoreconf -fi
  ./configure --prefix=/usr
  make
}

Git with meson/ninja

build() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  meson setup build --prefix=/usr
  ninja -C build
}

package() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  DESTDIR="$pkgdir" ninja -C build install
}

Git with CMake

build() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  cmake -B build -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr
  cmake --build build
}

package() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  DESTDIR="$pkgdir" cmake --install build
}

Branch vs Tag Packages

Branch Package (-git)

Tracks the latest commit on a branch:

pkgname=package-name-git
source=("${pkgname}::git+https://github.com/user/repo.git#branch=main")

Tag Package

Tracks specific releases:

pkgname=package-name
source=("${pkgname}::git+https://github.com/user/repo.git#tag=v1.0.0")

Best Practices

Naming

• Use -git, -svn, -hg suffix for VCS packages
• Use versioned provides: provides=("package-name=${pkgver}")
• Provide stable release package without suffix
• Check for existing packages before creating

pkgver

• Always use r delimiter (e.g., 1.2.3.r123) for version monotonicity
• Include commit count and hash for git
• Use meaningful version format
• Don't bump pkgrel for VCS updates (just pkgver)
• Do NOT commit mere pkgver bumps - VCS packages are not "out of date" just because upstream has new commits. Only commit when there are structural changes to the PKGBUILD (new deps, build changes, etc.)

Sources

• Use HTTPS when possible
• Specify branch or tag when known (use fragment syntax: #branch=main)
• Use unique source names with :: syntax to avoid SRCDEST conflicts
• Use SKIP for checksums (git provides integrity)
• Never use shallow clones - not supported by Arch

Maintenance

• Test builds regularly
• Set up aur-keep or similar for automatic updates
• Consider using maintainer scripts
• Regenerate .SRCINFO whenever metadata changes

Common Issues

Large Repository

# Note: Shallow clones (#depth=1) are NOT supported by Arch
# Build will fail if upstream rebases history

# Use git-fetch-submodules for large repos
source=("${pkgname}::git+https://github.com/user/repo.git")
options=('!emptydirs')

Submodules

# Add submodule URLs directly to source array (recommended)
source=("${pkgname}::git+https://github.com/user/repo.git"
        "git+https://github.com/user/submodule1.git"
        "git+https://github.com/user/submodule2.git")
sha256sums=('SKIP' 'SKIP' 'SKIP')

prepare() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  git submodule update --init --recursive
}

Detached HEAD

prepare() {
  cd "$srcdir/${pkgname}"
  git checkout master  # or main
}

Verification Commands

# Check VCS sources are valid
makepkg --verifysource

# Build package
makepkg -s

# Update version
makepkg -o
pkgver

# Generate .SRCINFO
makepkg --printsrcinfo > .SRCINFO

Related Skills

• aur-guides - Main dispatcher
• aur-pkgbuild - PKGBUILD creation
• aur-submission - AUR submission
• aur-makepkg - Building
• aur-audit - Validation

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: Pahheb
• Source: Pahheb/pahheb-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.