Where Does CachyOS Store Snapshots and Package Cache?
CachyOS keeps downloaded packages in the pacman cache at /var/cache/pacman/pkg, and Snapper snapshots under /.snapshots when Btrfs snapshots are enabled.
Last updated
CachyOS is Arch underneath, so package files land where Arch puts them. Every install or update downloads to /var/cache/pacman/pkg first. That folder grows quietly and surprises people when the root partition fills up.
Snapshots are the second location worth knowing. If you chose Btrfs with Snapper support during install, each snapshot sits under /.snapshots. The CachyOS Hello app and Btrfs Assistant give you a button driven way to manage them instead of memorizing snapper commands.
Where CachyOS stores this, by platform
/var/cache/pacman/pkg
Check its size with du -sh first. Run sudo pacman -Sc to remove cached packages for software you no longer have installed, or install paccache and run paccache -rk2 to keep two recent versions of each package.
/.snapshots
Only present when Snapper was enabled at install time on a Btrfs root. Browse with sudo snapper list or Btrfs Assistant. Each numbered subfolder is one snapshot and rolls back through the GRUB boot menu.
Frequently asked questions
How do I free disk space used by the pacman cache on CachyOS?
Run du -sh /var/cache/pacman/pkg to see how much space the cache uses, then sudo pacman -Sc to drop uninstalled packages or paccache -rk2 to keep the last two versions of each. Never delete the whole folder by hand since pacman expects it to exist.
How do I see my Snapper snapshots?
List them with sudo snapper list, or open Btrfs Assistant if you installed it. Snapshots live under /.snapshots and you need root to browse them. Booting a previous snapshot from the GRUB menu is the recovery route when an update breaks booting.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.