pacman-apt (A pacman-like CLI compatibility layer for linux systems)

Abstract

pacman-apt provides a small subset of Arch Linux pacman-style commands on linux system by translating them into native apt-get / apt-cache / dpkg-query invocations. The goal is consistent operator muscle-memory across distributions, not to replace the underlying package manager.

Motivation

Operators and developers frequently work across multiple Linux distributions. Command surface area differences (e.g. pacman -Syu vs apt update && apt upgrade) increase cognitive load and can lead to mistakes during routine maintenance.

This project reduces that friction by offering a minimal, explicit translation layer.

Scope

Goals

• Provide a pacman-like UX for common workflows on linux system:
  • -Syu, -S, -R, -Rns, -Ss, -Qi, -Q
• Prefer stable, script-friendly Debian tooling (apt-get, apt-cache, dpkg-query)
• Transparent execution: print commands before running them

Non-goals

• Not a package manager: no repository handling, no dependency resolution
• Not a full pacman implementation
• Not intended for Arch Linux (where pacman already exists)

Design Overview

pacman-apt parses a small flag subset and maps it to linux tooling:

For design rationale, see docs/design.md.

Security Model

• No shell=True; all subprocess calls use explicit argument arrays
• Conservative privilege handling (uses sudo when not root)
• Commands are echoed before execution for auditability

See docs/security.md for the threat model and assumptions.

Compatibility

• Debian: stable
• Ubuntu: LTS

(Exact versions may vary; see docs/compatibility.md.)

Installation

Install with pip

From a local checkout:

python -m pip install .

For development, use an editable install:

python -m pip install -e .

Both pip installs create these commands in the active Python environment:

• pacman
• pacman-apt

If your Python environment's script directory is not on PATH, run the module entrypoint directly instead:

python -m pacman_apt.cli --help

Manual (single-file)

sudo install -m 0755 pacman /usr/local/bin/pacman