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So I'm new to Arch Linux and I'm trying to install a package from the AUR using yay. I get a prompt saying Remove make dependencies after install? [y/N].

Can anyone tell me what this means?

Anthony Geoghegan
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YiuWatt
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  • I would like to add that the reason why the default is to keep those is that you will most likely need them again when you have to update those packages. Therefore you may have to download them again in case you remove them. If the package seems unlikely to be updated anytime soon you may want to remove those, otherwise you don't. – cherry-noize Jul 24 '23 at 16:04

1 Answers1

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When you install packages from AUR, your system has to compile them. To do so, it needs to use some other packages, called dependencies.

See this as assembling some furniture. You need some tools, let's say a hammer and a screwdriver, but only for the assembling part : they are not useful to you anymore after the furniture is ready.

Some dependencies are still needed after the main package is installed, others are not, so the system is asking you whether you want to keep them in case you need them again later, or just to remove them.

The Coding Penguin
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