Search Packages
Soar provides powerful search capabilities to help you find the packages you need. This guide covers all search operations and features.
Basic Search
To search for packages, use the soar search command:
soar search <query>
Alternative aliases:
# Using shorter alias
soar s <query>
# Using find alias
soar find <query>
Example: Search for packages containing “bat”
soar search bat
Search Options
The search checks for the partial match in pkg_id, pkg_name, pkg and target from provides.
Case-Sensitive Search
For exact case matching:
soar search <query> --case-sensitive
Example: Search with exact case
soar search Bat --case-sensitive
Exact Match Search
For exact matching (no partial matches):
soar search <query> --exact
Example: Find exact package name
soar search bat --exact
Result Limit
Limit the number of search results returned:
soar search <query> --limit <number>
Example: Return only top 10 results
soar search editor --limit 10
Cross-Repository Search
By default, Soar searches across all configured repositories. Search results display which repository each package comes from:
soar search bat
Results may include packages from multiple repositories:
bat#official:bincache
bat#official:official
To search in a specific repository, use the repository syntax:
soar search bat:official
Search Results Display
Search results use status icons:
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
[+] | Package is installed |
[-] | Package is not installed |
[?] | Installation status unknown |
Example output:
[+] bat#official:official (0.24.0)
[-] bat#official:bincache (0.23.0)
[?] code#official:flathub (latest)
Query Command
The query command provides detailed package information:
soar query <package>
# Using shorter aliases
soar Q <package>
Example: Get detailed information about a package
soar query bat
Query Syntax
The query command supports detailed syntax for specific lookups:
soar query <name>#<pkg_id>@<version>:<repo>
Format breakdown:
<name>- Package name (required)#<pkg_id>- Package ID (optional, for disambiguation)@<version>- Version constraint (optional):<repo>- Repository name (optional)
Query Output Format
The query command returns information in this format:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Package name |
| Version | Current/latest version |
| Repository | Source repository |
| pkg_id | Package ID/family |
| Status | [installed], [not-installed], or [broken] |
| 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 Query Output
soar query bat
Output:
Name: bat
Version: 0.24.0
Repository: official
pkg_id: catlike.tools.bat.official
Status: [installed]
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 integration
Search Patterns
Partial Matching
Matches any package containing the query string:
# Matches any package containing "fire"
soar search fire
# Matches any package containing "code"
soar search code
Example results for soar search fire:
[-] firefox#mozilla:official (122.0)
[-] firewall#system:official (latest)
[+] firefoxpwa#third-party:flathub (1.0)
pkg_id Searching
Search by package ID family:
# Search in pkg_id
soar search git.busybox.net
Provides Searching
Search by alternative binary names:
# Find packages that provide alternative names
soar search batcat
This finds bat because it provides batcat as an alternative name.
Tips for Effective Searching
-
Start Simple: Begin with simple queries before adding filters
soar search editor -
Use Case Sensitivity: For disambiguation between similar names
soar search Bat --case-sensitive -
Combine with Query: Use
queryfor detailed information after searchingsoar search bat soar query bat -
Limit Results: For popular terms, limit results for clarity
soar search tool --limit 10 -
Check Alternative Names: Search for known aliases (provides)
soar search batcat -
Repository Specific: If you know the repository
soar search bat:official
Configuration
Search behavior can be configured in Soar’s configuration file. See Configuration for details on:
- Default search repositories
- Search result ordering
- Case sensitivity defaults
- Result limit defaults