kalu 3.0.0 released

A new version of pacman (4.2) has been released, introducing some API changes to ALPM. To go along with it, version 3.0.0 of kalu has been released, with the usual few fixes as well as some new features.

If you've been using branch pacman-next you're already familiar with said changes, mainly the fact, using kalu's updater, it can now keep track of any .pacnew and .pacorig file created during a sysupgrade, and will made such information available as variable $PACFILES in the post-sysupgrade

This can be used to e.g. perform 3-way merge of .pacnew files. See man page for more, as well as this post for an example of use.

Other changes include:

  • simulation: Add button to download packages only

  • kalu-updater: Add ability to abort a transaction (e.g. downloading packages)

  • Keep temporary databases around to speed things up/save bandwidth

    Instead of removing the tmp dbs after the checks/simulation, they're now kept around. That way, for the next checks/simulation they can be re-used and might already be up-to-date (even though the system's ones aren't).

    If the DB path changed or the folder is gone they're just re-created, and of course it is cleaned up when exiting kalu.

  • Add KDE's StatusNotifierItem support

    With Plasma Next KDE doesn't support the good old xembed systray, and so GtkStatusIcon are "useless."

    Adding a new configure option --enable-status-notifier to enable support of KDE's interface via our small library, statusnotifier.

  • Use $XDG_CONFIG_HOME instead of $HOME/.config

    Likely to not change what's actually used, since it'll default to the same value should $XDG_CONFIG_HOME not be set, but it's better/proper/allows user customization.

  • Add config tweaks to define colors used in updater. Useful in case (default) colors do not work well with the theme.

  • Add repo name in a column on kalu updater, as well as available via $REPO in package template for updates & watched packages.

  • simulation: Show ALPM log messages (e.g. warnings, etc)

  • Preferences: Unchecking a template field wasn't always remembered

    When unchecking a template field (to have it use its fallback value) it wouldn't be remembered when said field has a hard-coded default value in kalu, which would then be restored. (E.g. the Title field for packages not found in the AUR)

    Now such fields are saved to the .conf file without a value (e.g. "Title=") to preserve their disabled/falling-back state.

  • Force icon size on notifications

    Since GTK+3.14 the icon size might not be the requested one, so force it if necessary.

  • Add a 16x16 logo for use in menus/buttons

    Because GTK+3.14 won't resize the 48x48 one anymore, and gives us extra large icons on menus/buttons instead.

  • Some other fixes (see git log for details)

Downloads and whatnot

Thanks to all those who reported bugs or suggested features; With contributions from EmanueL Czirai, and Kolibry for the updated French translation.

See kalu for longer descriptions & all the links you should need.

Note that on Arch Linux, pacman-4.2 is only in testing for now, as such the PKGBUILD in the AUR hasn't yet been updated. (You can find an up-to-date one here.)

And of course, as always, new bug reports, suggestions or any other form of constructive criticism is very much welcome.

∞ Posted 20 December 2014

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