Paru 2.2 Released with Pacman 7.1 Support and Better AUR Filtering

The Rust-based AUR helper gets compatibility updates for Pacman 7.1, release-age filtering, package exclusions, smarter search ordering, and fixes for package-building reliability.

What is Paru?

Paru is a Rust-based helper for the Arch User Repository (AUR) that wraps Pacman-style package operations and helps users find, build, and install community-maintained packages. Because AUR packages can include build scripts maintained outside the official repositories, users should review package information and build files before installing software.

What’s new in Paru 2.2?

Pacman 7.1 compatibility

The headline change is compatibility with Pacman 7.1, helping Paru work with the newer package manager in Arch Linux environments. For users who rely on Paru for both repository and AUR workflows, keeping the helper aligned with Pacman is important for a consistent package-management experience.

More control over AUR packages

Paru 2.2 adds a MinimumReleaseAge setting that can be used to filter AUR packages based on how recently they were released. The release also extends package exclusion support to AUR installations, upgrades, and searches. These controls can help users shape package selection, but they do not replace reviewing a package’s source, maintainer activity, and PKGBUILD.

Improved search and selection

The new --auto sorting option is enabled by default. Paru uses bottom-up ordering in interactive selection menus and top-down ordering in search results. The paru -Ss search command also displays clickable links in supported terminals, making it easier to open package information directly from the results.

# Search for a package in repository and AUR results
paru -Ss package-name

# Check the installed Paru version
paru --version

Replace package-name with the package or search term you want to find. Search output and clickable-link behavior depend on your terminal and environment.

Custom PKGBUILD repositories and chroot builds

Paru 2.2 expands support for the -G operation in custom PKGBUILD repository workflows, adds compatibility with the CleanAfter setting, and improves shell completion for package and repository names. The new --rootchrootpkgs option allows users to specify base packages to install when creating a root chroot environment.

# View Paru's built-in help for supported options
paru --help

# Get the PKGBUILD for a package (review before building)
paru -G package-name

Reliability fixes and behavior changes

The release fixes stack-overflow crashes during PKGBUILD dependency resolution and duplicate-package errors when building split packages with -B. Other fixes address missing AUR-package warnings during upgrades, conflict checking for packages built in chroot environments, and input/output redirection issues.

Package cleanup behavior also changes: dependency version requirements are now respected when removing unused packages with -c, and the separate -cc behavior for unused-package removal has been removed. Interactive prompts now exit correctly when they encounter end-of-file or read errors.

How to check or update Paru

On an Arch-based system, first check the version currently installed:

paru --version

Use your normal trusted update workflow and consult your distribution’s guidance if you use an Arch derivative. Paru is commonly installed from the AUR, so the exact update method depends on how it was originally installed and whether your distribution packages it. The project documents a source-build workflow; compiling Paru 2.2 requires Rust 1.88 or newer.

# Example source-build prerequisites and workflow from the project README
sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel
 git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru.git
cd paru
makepkg -si

This is an example of the project’s documented build workflow, not a recommendation to reinstall over an existing installation without checking your current setup. Review the official project instructions before proceeding.

Who should consider upgrading?

• Arch Linux users: especially those using Pacman 7.1 and Paru for AUR operations.
• Frequent AUR users: those who will benefit from age-based filtering and package exclusions.
• Maintainers and advanced users: people using custom PKGBUILD repositories or chroot build workflows.
• Users building from source: confirm Rust 1.88 or newer is available.

AUR safety best practices

• Review PKGBUILD files and source URLs before building packages.
• Prefer packages with clear maintenance history and trustworthy upstream sources.
• Use age filtering and exclusions as extra controls, not as a substitute for inspection.
• Keep system backups and understand how to recover from a failed package update.
• Consult the Paru changelog and documentation for exact configuration syntax and option behavior.

Frequently asked questions

What is Paru 2.2?

Paru 2.2 is a release of the Rust-based AUR helper for Arch Linux. It adds Pacman 7.1 compatibility, improved package filtering and search behavior, and several reliability fixes.

Does Paru 2.2 support Pacman 7.1?

Yes. Pacman 7.1 compatibility is one of the release’s main changes.

What does MinimumReleaseAge do?

It provides an age-based filter for AUR packages. Check the current paru.conf documentation or release changelog for the supported syntax and exact behavior before configuring it.

What Rust version is required?

Paru 2.2 requires Rust 1.88 or newer when compiling from source.

Is every AUR package safe to install?

No. The AUR is community maintained. Review package build scripts, source references, maintainer history, and upstream project information before installing.

References and further reading

• Linuxiac: Paru 2.2 AUR Helper Adds Pacman 7.1 Support, Better Package Filtering
• Paru official GitHub repository and installation notes
• Paru manual page