Why Regular Maintenance

Arch Linux follows a rolling release model, receiving constant updates. Unlike Ubuntu or Fedora with scheduled releases, Arch requires regular maintenance to stay clean and performant. A weekly 15-minute routine prevents file accumulation and keeps your system stable.

Weekly Routine in 9 Steps

• Check Arch News

  Always visit archlinux.org/news before updating. Some updates require manual intervention. This step can save you hours of troubleshooting.

• Update System

  # With pacman
  sudo pacman -Syu
  
  # With yay (AUR helper)
  yay -Syu

  Important: Always reboot after kernel updates to use the latest version.

• Clean Package Cache

  # Keep last 3 versions of each package
  sudo paccache -r
  
  # Remove all versions of uninstalled packages
  sudo paccache -ruk0

  This typically frees between 500 MB to 2 GB of disk space on my system.

• Remove Orphan Packages

  # List orphan packages
  pacman -Qtdq
  
  # Remove orphan packages
  sudo pacman -Qtdq | sudo pacman -Rns -

  Orphan packages are dependencies no longer needed by any installed package.

• Manage Configuration Files

  # Find .pacnew and .pacsave files
  sudo find /etc -name "*.pacnew" -o -name "*.pacsave"
  
  # Merge interactively
  sudo DIFFPROG=vimdiff pacdiff
  
  # or with meld (graphical)
  sudo DIFFPROG=meld pacdiff

  When pacman updates a package you've modified, it creates these backup files that need merging.

• Clean Systemd Journals

  # Check current size
  journalctl --disk-usage
  
  # Keep only last 2 weeks
  sudo journalctl --vacuum-time=2weeks

• Check Failed Services

  # List failed services
  systemctl --failed
  
  # Investigate specific service
  journalctl -u service-name

• Clean User Cache

  # Check cache usage
  du -sh ~/.cache/*
  
  # Clean thumbnails
  rm -rf ~/.cache/thumbnails/*
  
  # Clean yay/paru cache
  yay -Sc

• Check Disk Space

  # Overview
  df -h
  
  # Detailed analysis (install ncdu if needed)
  ncdu /

Automation Script

#!/bin/bash

echo "═══════════════════════════════════════════"
echo "  Arch Linux Weekly Maintenance"
echo "═══════════════════════════════════════════"
echo ""

read -p "Have you checked archlinux.org/news? (y/n) " -n 1 -r
echo ""
if [[ ! $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
    echo "Please check news before continuing."
    exit 1
fi

echo "→ Updating system..."
yay -Syu

echo ""
echo "→ Cleaning package cache..."
sudo paccache -r
sudo paccache -ruk0

echo ""
echo "→ Searching for orphan packages..."
orphans=$(pacman -Qtdq)
if [ -n "$orphans" ]; then
    echo "$orphans"
    read -p "Remove these packages? (y/n) " -n 1 -r
    echo ""
    if [[ $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
        sudo pacman -Qtdq | sudo pacman -Rns -
    fi
else
    echo "✓ No orphan packages found"
fi

echo ""
echo "→ Searching for .pacnew/.pacsave files..."
pacnew_files=$(sudo find /etc -name "*.pacnew" -o -name "*.pacsave" 2>/dev/null)
if [ -n "$pacnew_files" ]; then
    echo "$pacnew_files"
    echo "Use 'sudo pacdiff' to merge them"
else
    echo "✓ No configuration files to merge"
fi

echo ""
echo "→ Cleaning systemd journals..."
echo "Current size: $(journalctl --disk-usage | grep -oP '\d+\.\d+[GM]')"
sudo journalctl --vacuum-time=2weeks

echo ""
echo "→ Checking services..."
failed=$(systemctl --failed --no-pager --no-legend)
if [ -n "$failed" ]; then
    echo "⚠ Failed services:"
    echo "$failed"
else
    echo "✓ All services running correctly"
fi

echo ""
echo "→ Disk space:"
df -h / /home | grep -v tmpfs

echo ""
echo "═══════════════════════════════════════════"
echo "  Maintenance Complete"
echo "═══════════════════════════════════════════"

# Create the file
nano ~/Scripts/arch-maintenance.sh

# Make executable
chmod +x ~/Scripts/arch-maintenance.sh

# Run it
~/Scripts/arch-maintenance.sh

Monthly Tasks

In addition to weekly maintenance, perform these tasks monthly:

Critical Rules

Quick Reference

# Complete update
sudo pacman -Syu

# System cleanup
sudo paccache -r && sudo paccache -ruk0
sudo pacman -Qtdq | sudo pacman -Rns -
sudo journalctl --vacuum-time=2weeks

# System checks
systemctl --failed
df -h
pacman -Qdt

Conclusion

This 15-minute weekly routine keeps my Arch Linux system stable and performant. Since adopting this discipline, I haven't had any major issues requiring reinstallation.

Arch's advantage is transparency and total control over your system. Regular maintenance investment pays off with long-term stability and performance.