Where Is the Pacman Mirrorlist on Arch Linux?
Pacman reads mirrors from /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist, a file best refreshed with reflector or rankmirrors, not by hand.
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Every pacman download starts at the mirrorlist: an ordered file of server URLs where the first reachable entry wins. A stale or distant list is the usual cause of mysteriously slow updates.
The file lives under /etc/pacman.d and pairs with a custom hook file beside it. Editing servers by hand works, but generated rankings by speed beat guesswork. Back the file up before regenerating so a bad run is one copy away from undo.
Where Arch Linux stores this, by platform
/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
Ordered server list, top entry preferred. Refresh with reflector or rankmirrors writing here, and keep personal overrides in /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.pacnew comparisons after pacman updates. Requires root to edit.
Frequently asked questions
how do i speed up pacman downloads
Regenerate the mirrorlist ranked by speed with reflector, filtered to your country. Pacman then tries the fastest reachable mirror first instead of a stale default.
what is mirrorlist.pacnew
Pacman's way of delivering a fresh default without overwriting your edits. Diff it against your mirrorlist after updates and merge anything relevant, then remove it.
why is pacman ignoring my fastest mirror
Entries are tried top down and commented lines starting with # skip entirely. Move your preferred Server line to the top and uncomment it, then run a small install to confirm.
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