# update-notify

Desktop notifications for pending updates on Arch Linux.

update-notify runs on a systemd user timer and checks:

- **Repo updates**, using `checkupdates` from pacman-contrib.
- **AUR updates** for packages in a local aurutils repository (`aur repo -u`).
- **Custom kernel rebuilds**: when a stock kernel (e.g. `linux-lts`) has a newer version than your custom build of it (e.g. `linux-lts-custom`).
- **Maintenance**: `.pacnew`/`.pacsave` files to merge (`pacdiff -o`), and a reboot after the running kernel was upgraded.

It sends one notification, and only when its content changes since the last one:

- Update counts are shown once the total number of updates reaches a threshold (default 30). Reminders for `git-monitor` and pending firmware updates (`fwupdmgr`) are added when those tools are installed.
- Kernel rebuild reminders are always shown, even below the threshold.
- Maintenance reminders are added to every notification. On their own, they notify only when something new appears (a new file to merge, a new kernel to reboot into), so a `.pacnew` you keep isn't repeated.

## Requirements

- `pacman-contrib`
- `libnotify` and a running notification daemon

Optional:

- `aurutils`: check AUR packages in the local repository
- `fwupd`: check for firmware updates
- `git-monitor`: remind to check git packages

## Installation

Build and install the package with the included PKGBUILD, which builds the signed release tag set in `pkgver`:

```
makepkg -si
```

Or, with aurutils, build it into a local repository with `aur build` and install it with pacman.

Then enable the timer:

```
systemctl --user enable --now update-notify.timer
```

The timer runs 5 minutes after boot, then every 6 hours.

### Refresh after building packages

To run `update-notify --quiet` whenever a repository changes, add the repository files to watch to `update-notify.path`:

```
systemctl --user edit update-notify.path
```

```
[Path]
PathChanged=/home/aur-local/aur-local.db.tar.gz.sig
PathChanged=/home/custom-pkgs/custom-pkgs.db.tar.gz.sig
```

Watch the `.db.tar.gz.sig` file for signed repositories, or `.db.tar.gz` for unsigned ones (`.db` is a symlink). Then enable it:

```
systemctl --user enable --now update-notify.path
```

## Usage

```
update-notify [-q|--quiet] [threshold]
```

`threshold` is the minimum number of updates (repo + AUR) before update counts are shown. It overrides the `THRESHOLD` setting below for that run's notification only; the pending file keeps the configured value.

`--quiet` updates the pending file without notifying. Changes to a notification already shown are recorded, so the next timer run doesn't repeat them; a new notification is left for the timer. `update-notify.path` uses it (through `update-notify-quiet.service`), so building many packages doesn't notify after each one.

## Configuration

Settings are read from `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/update-notify/config` (default `~/.config/update-notify/config`), a bash file that is sourced by the script. All settings are optional:

- `THRESHOLD`: minimum number of updates before update counts are shown (default 30).
- `AUR_REPO`: name of the local aurutils repository (default `aur-local`).
- `KERNELS`: maps each stock kernel package to its custom build (default: `linux`, `linux-lts` and `linux-zen` to `<name>-custom`). Kernels where either package isn't installed are skipped. Set `KERNELS=()` to disable the kernel check.
- `PACNEW_CHECK`: set to `0` to disable the `.pacnew`/`.pacsave` reminder (default `1`).
- `REBOOT_CHECK`: set to `0` to disable the reboot reminder (default `1`). A reboot is needed when the running kernel's `/usr/lib/modules/<version>/vmlinuz` is gone.

A commented sample config is installed with the package. To start from it:

```
mkdir -p ~/.config/update-notify
cp /usr/share/doc/update-notify/config.example ~/.config/update-notify/config
```

Kernel versions are compared without `pkgrel`, so a stock packaging-only update doesn't trigger a rebuild reminder. A custom build already in the local repository but not installed yet counts as up to date.

The content of the last notification is stored in `$XDG_STATE_HOME/update-notify` (default `~/.local/state/update-notify`). Delete it to get the current notification again.

## Status bars

Each run also writes the pending updates to `$XDG_STATE_HOME/update-notify/pending`, whether or not the threshold is reached, for status bars such as xmobar to read:

```
threshold <THRESHOLD from the config, not the argument>
repo <pkg> <newver>
aur <pkg> <newver>
kernel <custom-pkg> <stock-ver>
pacnew <path>
reboot <running kernel version>
```

The file reflects the last timer or `update-notify.path` run. To keep a bar current in between, e.g. right after an upgrade, drop entries whose installed version (`pacman -Q`) is no longer older than `newver`; for `kernel` lines, whose custom build has caught up with `stock-ver` (ignoring `pkgrel`); for `pacnew` lines, whose file is gone; for `reboot` lines, whose version is no longer `uname -r`. This only reads local data, so it's cheap to run often.

## License

GPL-3.0-or-later. See [LICENSE](LICENSE).