In our previous tutorial, we learned about Pacnew files and its importance. In this tutorial, we are going to learn what Pacsave files are in Arch Linux, why pacman creates them, and how to restore your old configurations safely after removing a package.
Please note that the .pacsave files are closely related to .pacnew, but they appear in the opposite situation.
Table of Contents
What is a .pacsave File?
The .pacsave files appear when you remove a package in Arch Linux and pacman decides to back up your modified configuration files instead of deleting them. These backups let you restore your previous settings if you reinstall the package later.
When you uninstall a package, pacman checks whether its configuration files were changed after installation. If they were, pacman won't delete them outright. It simply renames them by appending .pacsave to the filename.
For example:
/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf.pacsave
That file contains your old configuration, saved before the package was removed.
If the file hadn't been modified, pacman would have deleted it instead, since it was identical to the one in the original package.
Why Arch Linux Creates .pacsave Files
Pacman's job is to keep your system consistent but also protect your work. Configuration files often contain personal or system-specific changes.
So during package removal, pacman asks, "Was this config file ever changed?".
- If no, delete it.
- If yes, rename it to
.pacsaveand keep it.
That logic prevents you from losing valuable settings when you remove software temporarily.
When You Might See .pacsave Files
You'll encounter .pacsave files in a few situations:
1. When removing a package with configs you edited
sudo pacman -R apache
If /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf was modified, pacman creates /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf.pacsave.
2. When removing with the -Rns flags
Even when removing unneeded dependencies, pacman still saves your edited files as .pacsave for safety.
3. When a hook or script preserves configs
Some Arch packages use post-remove hooks that trigger the same behavior.
How to Restore a .pacsave File
If you reinstall a package later and want to restore your old settings, you can simply rename the .pacsave file back to its original name.
Example:
sudo mv /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf.pacsave /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
Then restart or reload the related service:
sudo systemctl restart httpd
Now your previous configuration is active again.
How to Find All .pacsave Files on Your Arch Linux System
You can search for all .pacsave files using the find command:
sudo find /etc -type f -name "*.pacsave"
If you have pacman-contrib installed, pacdiff can also list them along with .pacnew files:
sudo pacman -S pacman-contrib sudo pacdiff
pacdiff helps review and clean up leftover config backups in one place.
When to Remove .pacsave Files
It's safe to remove .pacsave files only if:
- You no longer plan to reinstall the package.
- You have reviewed the file and confirmed it contains nothing important.
To remove a .pacsave file:
sudo rm /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf.pacsave
To be cautious, you can back it up elsewhere before deleting:
sudo mv /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf.pacsave ~/backup/
Best Practice: Review After Package Removal
Each time you uninstall software, check whether any .pacsave files were created. This helps avoid confusion later if you reinstall the same package and wonder why your old settings are missing.
To quickly check the pacsave files, run:
sudo find /etc -name "*.pacsave"
Regularly reviewing .pacsave files keeps your /etc directory tidy and ensures you don't lose valuable configuration data.
Summary: What to Remember About .pacsave Files
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
Find .pacsave files | sudo find /etc -name "*.pacsave" |
| Restore old settings | sudo mv file.pacsave file |
| Review after removal | sudo pacdiff |
| Remove safely | sudo rm file.pacsave |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About .pacsave Files
.pacnew and .pacsave?A: .pacnew appears after an upgrade to protect your modified files from being overwritten, while .pacsave appears after a removal to preserve your edited configurations.
.pacsave files right away?A: You can, but it's safer to read them first. They might contain valuable custom settings you'll want if you reinstall the package later.
.pacsave files?A: No. Pacman creates them only when a package includes configuration files that have been locally changed.
.pacsave and .pacnew files together?A: Install pacman-contrib and use pacdiff. It automatically detects both types and helps you manage them in one go.
Conclusion
The .pacsave files are one of pacman's smartest features. They act as safety nets for your configuration files, ensuring you never lose custom settings when uninstalling software.
By checking for .pacsave files after every removal and reviewing them before deletion, you can keep your Arch Linux system clean, organized, and secure, without losing your old config files.
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