pactree

visualizes package dependencies in a tree format

TLDR

Print dependency tree of a package

$ pactree [package]

Print reverse dependencies (what depends on package)

$ pactree -r [package]

List dependencies one per line, skip duplicates

$ pactree -u [package]

Include optional dependencies with color

$ pactree -co [package]

Limit tree depth

$ pactree -d [depth] [package]

Display help

$ pactree

SYNOPSIS

pactree [-c|--color] [-d depth] [-o|--optional] [-r|--reverse] [-u|--unique] package

pactree visualizes package dependencies in a tree format. It queries pacman's database to show what packages a given package depends on, or with the reverse option, what packages depend on it.The tool is useful for understanding package relationships, identifying orphaned packages, and planning package removal to avoid breaking dependencies.

PARAMETERS

-c, --color

Colorize output for better readability

-d, --depth _num_

Limit recursion depth

-o, --optional

Include optional dependencies in tree

-r, --reverse

Show reverse dependencies (packages depending on target)

-s, --sync

Query sync databases instead of local

-u, --unique

List each dependency only once, one per line

--config _file_

Use alternate pacman configuration

CAVEATS

Only shows dependencies for installed packages by default. Use -s flag for sync database queries. Large dependency trees can produce extensive output. Optional dependencies are hidden unless -o is specified.

HISTORY

pactree was originally a standalone script that became part of the official pacman-contrib package. It provides visual dependency information that pacman's standard query options don't offer in an easy-to-read format.