Talk:AUR helpers

Add table column for AUR helpers#Pacman wrappers

We have a note right above the table, would it not be better to create a new column for the information it contains? --Erus Iluvatar (talk) 08:26, 20 March 2022 (UTC)

The article went back and forth on this, the main issue being to define "batch operations" in the first place. This term was originally introduced by pacaur^AUR and comes down to 1. guessing which packages need to be replaced beforehand 2. using pacman --ask (undocumented feature) to invert pacman --noconfirm prompts from N to Y during the build process.

Making this a column with Yes/No implies this is a desirable feature. I argue that depending on undocumented features with a bug-prone implementation (what if the wrong package is replaced on the user's system?) can not be classified as such. Furthermore, it gives the impression this somehow leads to less interaction on the user's behalf, which is false (in fact, the vast majority of pacman wrappers play a game of whack-a-mole with y/N prompts). A Note is more neutral, and leaves out whether a feature is wanted or not in the middle.

In any case, the other columns, Shell completion excepted, are better suited as basic requirements for a reliable AUR helper. And as far as basic requirements go, they are relatively simple to implement for AUR helper authors looking at this article - unlike a "batch operation" mechanism. -- Alad (talk) 15:47, 20 March 2022 (UTC)

Thank you ! I better understand now the reason why this is not already done. --Erus Iluvatar (talk) 16:26, 20 March 2022 (UTC)

Auxiliary files for File review

Auxiliary files in an AUR repository also lead to arbitrary code execution, namely .install files which are run by pacman as root. As such it makes sense for the file review column to include them. For a helper that only supports viewing the PKGBUILD, I suggest a Partial entry (after all, when noticing there is an .install file, the user can manually view it with some effort). -- Alad (talk) Alad (talk) 03:10, 8 October 2023 (UTC)

Sounds good to me :) Erus Iluvatar (talk) 15:37, 15 May 2024 (UTC)