Search Packages
Soar helps you find packages across all of your configured repositories and inspect any of them in detail. This guide covers the search command, its filters, and the query command for detailed package information.
Basic Search
Search for packages with the soar search command:
soar search <query>The search command is also available through shorter aliases:
# Short alias
soar s <query>
# Find alias
soar find <query>For example, search for packages containing bat:
soar search batA search checks for a partial match in pkg_id, pkg_name, pkg, and the target from provides.
Search Filters
Case-Sensitive Search
Match the query with exact case:
soar search <query> --case-sensitiveFor example:
soar search Bat --case-sensitiveExact Match Search
Match the full name only, with no partial matches:
soar search <query> --exactFor example:
soar search bat --exactResult Limit
Limit the number of results returned:
soar search <query> --limit <number>For example, return only the top 10 results:
soar search editor --limit 10Cross-Repository Search
By default, Soar searches across all configured repositories, and results show which repository each package comes from:
soar search batResults may include packages from multiple repositories:
bat#official:soarpkgs
bat#official:officialTo search within a specific repository, use the repository syntax:
soar search bat:officialReading Search Results
Each result is prefixed with a status indicator. The Unicode form is used when display.icons is enabled, and the ASCII form otherwise.
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
[✓] or [+] | Package is installed |
[○] or [-] | Package is not installed |
Example output:
[✓] bat#official:official (0.24.0)
[○] bat#official:soarpkgs (0.23.0)
[○] code#official:flathub (latest)Search Patterns
Partial Matching
A query matches any package that contains the query string:
# Matches any package containing "fire"
soar search fire
# Matches any package containing "code"
soar search codeExample results for soar search fire:
[-] firefox#mozilla:official (122.0)
[-] firewall#system:official (latest)
[+] firefoxpwa#third-party:flathub (1.0)Searching by pkg_id
Search by package ID family:
soar search git.busybox.netSearching by Provides
Search by alternative binary names:
soar search batcatThis finds bat because it provides batcat as an alternative name.
Query Command
The query command provides detailed information about a package:
soar query <package>
# Short alias
soar Q <package>For example:
soar query batQuery Syntax
The query command supports a detailed syntax for specific lookups:
soar query <name>#<pkg_id>@<version>:<repo>The components are:
<name>is the package name (required)#<pkg_id>is the package ID, used for disambiguation (optional)@<version>is a version constraint (optional):<repo>is the repository name (optional)
Query Output
The query command returns the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Package name |
| Version | Current or latest version |
| Repository | Source repository |
| pkg_id | Package ID or family |
| Size | Package size on disk |
| Install Date | When the package was installed |
| Last Updated | Last update timestamp |
| Provides | Alternative binary names |
| Description | Package description |
Example output:
soar query bat
Output:
Name: bat
Version: 0.24.0
Repository: official
pkg_id: catlike.tools.bat.official
Size: 2.3 MiB
Install Date: 2025-01-15
Last Updated: 2025-01-20
Provides: batcat
Description: A cat clone with syntax highlighting and Git integrationTips for Effective Searching
Begin with simple queries before adding filters:
soar search editorUse case sensitivity to disambiguate between similar names:
soar search Bat --case-sensitiveFollow a search with query for detailed information:
soar search bat
soar query batLimit results for popular terms to keep output readable:
soar search tool --limit 10Search for known aliases that a package provides:
soar search batcatScope the search to a repository when you know it:
soar search bat:officialConfiguration
Search behavior can be configured in Soar's configuration file. See Configuration for details on default search repositories, search result ordering, case sensitivity defaults, and result limit defaults.