AMPH is a terminal-based package explorer and maintenance assistant for Arch Linux. It reads pacman's local database directly, keeps scans in the background, and answers in JSON when a script asks.

View source

User install, no sudo · builds from source

TUI + CLI

Reads pacman's local DB

JSON & TOML ready

dmtf@archlinux - amphCatppuccin

AMPH / local scanhealthy

1,308 packages18.5 GiB footprint25 foreign

1–7 tabs · / filter · ? keys · q quitexample data

Package inventory

Why paths

Removal impact

Harmony radar

TOML blueprints

System checks

Pacman timeline

Health score

Safe cleanup

JSON automation

Package inventory

Why paths

Removal impact

Harmony radar

TOML blueprints

System checks

Pacman timeline

Health score

Safe cleanup

JSON automation

01Why AMPH

Package tools tell you what. AMPH helps you understand why.

It combines a responsive terminal interface with a scriptable command line, reads pacman's database directly, and resolves dependencies through package names and provided capabilities.

ratatuipacman DBJSONTOML

Understand first. Change later.

Local, not remote

01

AMPH reads pacman's local package database directly and resolves dependencies through package names and provided capabilities.

One tool, two shapes

02

A responsive ratatui interface when you want to explore; a scriptable command line and JSON output when you do not.

No surprises

03

Scans run in the background with visible progress. Cleanup plans are previews first, protected packages are checked again, and execution is explicit.

01

Package inventory

Browse installed packages with versions, sizes, install reasons, dependencies, providers, optional dependencies, and foreign status. Sort or fuzzy-filter without leaving the view.

Packages

fuzzy / 1,308

firefox145.0explicit

292.4 MiB

gtk33.24dep

82.6 MiB

pipewire1.4.9explicit

4.2 MiB

neovim0.11.4explicit

18.7 MiB

lib32-mesa25.0foreign

412.8 MiB

02

Dependency explanations

Use amph why <package> to see why something is present, its path from explicitly installed packages, and which packages depend on it. Provides are resolved, not guessed.

03

Removal impact

Simulate a removal before touching the system. Review dependents that would break, dependencies that would become removable, optional consumers, and space reclaimed.

04

Harmony redundancy radar

Find overlapping choices across browsers, terminals, kernels, audio stacks, AUR helpers, and more. Installed alternatives are highlighted, with useful companions suggested.

05

Blueprints

Export the explicitly installed set as portable TOML, compare it with the current system, and review a plan. Applying one is a dry run unless you pass the explicit flag.

06

System checks

Review .pacnew and .pacsave files, running-kernel module availability, package integrity, stale sync databases, foreign packages, dependency cycles, and old cache versions.

07

Pacman timeline

Browse transactions and package changes from current and rotated pacman logs. Filter the history, or show changes since a date or a relative window such as 7d.

08

Health & history

A transparent health score with weighted category explanations, plus compact scan summaries. See package and foreign counts, and trends over time - never a full snapshot.

structure 72dependencies 100clean 100

09

Safe cleanup

Select orphaned packages, inspect pacman's real -Rns --print preview, then confirm the exact request. Protected packages are excluded and checked again before execution.

gtk23.8 MiB

lib32-libpulse1.2 MiB

protected excludedbase · linux · pacman

0 changes applied312.4 MiB reclaimable

10

Automation

Use --json for machine-readable output. amph check runs non-interactive checks with stable exit codes, ready for scripts and cron jobs.

01Dashboard02Packages03Graph04Cleanup05Harmony06Checks07Timeline

amph / dashboardTUI view

ExpandPackage totals, health status, size distribution, and the items that may need attention - all on one screen.

Next view

04Palettes

Catppuccin by default. Yours if you want.

Four hand-tuned themes, one consistent interface. Change the palette in config, or keep it readable with NO_COLOR.

CatppuccinMocha01

Tokyo NightStorm02

GruvboxDark03

NordPolar04

Theme, protected packages, thresholds, and history retention live in ~/.config/amph/config.toml

The TUI adapts to small terminals and respects NO_COLOR.

Vim keys or arrows, mouse selection, fuzzy filtering, help, and quit - the same controls across every tab.

Example session

$ amph why firefox

firefox installed explicitly

path firefox ← explicit root

depends on gtk3 libpulse libxt […]

required by no installed dependents

▋

Follow a package back to the reason it is installed.

Copy command

Sample output for illustration; your system will differ. Add --json to get machine-readable output.

AMPH is an Arch Linux tool. Build the current release, then use the TUI when you want to look around and the CLI when you already know the question.

Clone the project source from GitHub. No prebuilt release is required.

The installer places amph in your Cargo bin. A user install does not need sudo.

Explore the dashboard, or ask one question from a script. Run hash -r if your shell still sees an older binary.

Open on GitHubSource-available license

installCopy all

clone

$ git clone https://github.com/DAMIOTF/Arch-Meta-Package-Harmonizer.git

$ cd Arch-Meta-Package-Harmonizer

build + install - user install, no sudo

$ ./install.sh

explore

$ amph

system-wide --systempreview --dry-runArch package makepkg -si

Alternative

Install with Cargo

Copy command

$ cargo install amph --version 0.2.0-beta --locked

✓Cleanup previews pacman's proposed removal set and requires confirmation. Protected packages are checked again before execution.

AMPH is source-available under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. It is not OSI-approved open source and does not grant commercial use.