Where Does Pacman Cache Downloaded Packages?
Pacman caches every downloaded package under /var/cache/pacman/pkg, the first place to look when root fills up.
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Arch based systems never delete downloads by default. Every installed or updated package keeps its archive in the pacman cache, growing release after release until someone intervenes.
The cache doubles as a downgrade library, which is why blind cleaning backfires after bad updates. Paccache trims by version count rather than age, keeping rescue copies while recovering space. Check this directory first whenever /var mysteriously fills on Arch, Manjaro, or EndeavourOS.
Where Linux stores this, by platform
/var/cache/pacman/pkg
Downloaded .pkg.tar.zst archives accumulate here forever by default. Trim with paccache -r, never by hand deleting selectively.
Frequently asked questions
How do I clean the cache safely?
Run paccache -r to keep the last three versions of each package, or pacman -Sc for the same effect built in. Full -Scc empties everything including installable caches. Dropped packages cannot reinstall offline afterward.
Can old cached versions rescue a bad update?
Downgrading means installing the older cached file with pacman -U directly. The cache keeps previous versions exactly for this rescue. Clean too aggressively and the rescue files are gone with the space.
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