Bangkah / ATHA

Plan first, execute safely, and review everything after.

ATHA gives Arch Linux users clearer package decisions with plan mode, safer execution previews with dry-run, and reliable post-action history.

It does not replace pacman. ATHA adds a workflow guardrail layer on top of your existing package operations.

Install ATHA in under 60 seconds Install script View source Read docs

Safety

Dry-run and confirmation

Transparency

Plan mode with decision context

Auditability

Timeline and summary history

$ atha doctor
$ atha install --plan vim
$ atha install --dry-run vim
$ atha history --timeline --limit 20

Why ATHA exists

Safer package workflows with explicit decisions.

Daily package operations are often opaque in routine usage. ATHA makes workflows explicit before execution, traceable after execution, and consistent across install, remove, and update commands.

Problem: opaque package operations

Default package flows can hide source decisions, dependency impact, and command execution details.

Solution: explicit workflow layers

ATHA introduces plan analysis, dry-run simulation, and local history so each package action is explainable and reviewable.

Use cases

Who gets the most value from ATHA?

Daily Arch user

Preview package impact before upgrading your workstation and avoid accidental breakage.

Safer daily updates with clear intent.

Dotfiles maintainer

Standardize package decisions across machines with plan mode and explicit command flows.

Consistent setup process across environments.

Ops and infra hobbyist

Use dry-run and history to understand each package action and debug unexpected behavior faster.

Traceable operational changes.

Why switch

Why move from plain pacman or helper-only workflow?

From implicit to explicit

Without ATHA: Traditional flows jump straight to execution.

With ATHA: ATHA surfaces decision context first through plan mode.

From risky to testable

Without ATHA: Many workflows rely on manual caution only.

With ATHA: ATHA supports dry-run simulation before touching packages.

From one-shot to reviewable

Without ATHA: After execution, context is easy to lose.

With ATHA: ATHA keeps history views for timeline and summary analysis.

Before vs after

Three-step workflow shift with ATHA

Step 1

Before:Run install/update directly and hope assumptions are correct.

After:Run plan mode first to inspect source and intended package actions.

Step 2

Before:Execute without a simulation layer.

After:Run dry-run to preview execution effects before system changes.

Step 3

Before:Lose context after command finishes.

After:Review history timeline to audit and explain what happened.

FAQ

Pertanyaan yang paling sering ditanyain sebelum install

ATHA ini ganti pacman, atau jalan bareng?

ATHA jalan bareng pacman. Tujuannya bukan mengganti, tapi menambah guardrail workflow: plan sebelum eksekusi, dry-run untuk simulasi, dan history untuk review.

Kapan saya pakai plan dan kapan pakai dry-run?

Pakai plan saat kamu mau lihat keputusan paket dan sumbernya. Pakai dry-run saat kamu sudah siap uji simulasi eksekusi tanpa mengubah sistem.

Cocok buat pemakaian harian atau cuma buat advanced user?

Cocok untuk harian, terutama kalau kamu ingin update dan install yang lebih jelas alurnya. Advanced user tetap dapat benefit karena semua langkah lebih mudah diaudit.

Quick wow moment

Try one command, instantly see ATHA value.

Run this

atha install --plan neovim

Expected idea of output

[PLAN]
Source: official repo
Dependencies: ...
Action: install neovim

Core pillars

The design goals behind ATHA.

Safety

See impact before changing packages.

Execution simulation and confirmations reduce accidental package changes.

Transparency

Explain what will happen and why.

Plan mode surfaces source selection and transaction intent in plain output.

Auditability

Track operations through local history.

Timeline and summary views make recent install, remove, and update actions reviewable.

Feature comparison

Workflow-focused capabilities in ATHA.

Capability	pacman	yay	ATHA
Workflow-level dry-run	No	Limited	Yes
Decision plan mode	No	Limited	Yes
Plan explanation layer	No	No	Yes
Local operation timeline	No	No	Yes
Built-in environment doctor	No	No	Yes

Quick start

Recommended commands from the official docs.

Get ATHA

yay -S atha

Run checks

atha doctor
atha install --plan vim

Why I built ATHA

A short maintainer story

ATHA started from a practical need: package operations felt too implicit for routine work. The goal was never to replace pacman, but to make decisions and execution more visible, safer, and easier to review later.

If you care about operational clarity before pressing Enter, ATHA is designed for that exact workflow.

Brand guide

Keep ATHA communication consistent

One-line pitch

ATHA makes Arch Linux package operations safer, clearer, and reviewable.

Tone principles

Direct

Use clear language, short commands, and avoid vague claims.

Practical

Explain behavior with real workflows: plan, dry-run, execute, review.

Trustworthy

Prefer verifiable statements tied to visible product behavior.

Logo usage

Use ATHA wordmark for primary product references.
Use mark icon for compact surfaces like nav and favicon.
Keep clear spacing around logo; do not stretch or recolor assets.

Brand assets

Official brand references

Installation

Requirements and methods.

Requirements

Arch Linux
bash, pacman, sudo
tar
one of git, curl, or wget
makepkg for AUR fallback builds

Methods

AUR: yay -S atha
Installer (curl): curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Bangkah/Atha/main/install.sh | bash
Installer (wget): wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Bangkah/Atha/main/install.sh | bash
Update: yay -Syu atha
Uninstall: sudo pacman -Rns atha

Command reference

Key ATHA commands and behavior.

install

Installs from official repositories first, then falls back to AUR when needed.

atha install [--dry-run|--plan] [--yes] <pkg>

remove

Removes installed packages and skips missing targets.

atha remove [--dry-run|--plan] [--yes] <pkg>

update

Runs full system upgrade with optional previews.

atha update [--dry-run|--plan]

history

Shows local history with timeline, summary, and filters.

atha history [--limit N] [--full|--timeline|--summary] [--action NAME] [--status NAME]

Mode definitions: plan for decision analysis, dry-run for execution simulation, and yes to skip prompts when supported.

Operational notes

Behavior details from upstream docs.

Install skips packages that are already installed.
Install falls back to AUR when package is unavailable in official repositories.
Remove skips packages that are not installed.
Update with plan and dry-run is non-destructive.
Doctor exits non-zero if required dependencies are missing.

Logs and history paths

Default locations used by ATHA.

Logs

/tmp/atha.log
$XDG_CACHE_HOME/atha/atha.log
~/.cache/atha/atha.log

History

$XDG_STATE_HOME/atha/history.log
~/.local/state/atha/history.log

Troubleshooting

Common issues from the wiki.

pacman: command not found

ATHA targets Arch Linux systems where pacman is available.

Permission denied while writing logs

Ensure fallback cache/state paths are writable by your current user.

plan and dry-run look similar

Plan gives decision analysis, dry-run shows execution preview.

update exits with error

Run atha doctor, sudo -v, pacman -V, then inspect atha logs.

Permission denied (publickey) while pushing to AUR

Add your SSH key to AUR account settings, then test with ssh -T aur@aur.archlinux.org.

Color code shows as raw text

Ensure ATHA runs with bash and check terminal profile/TERM settings.

AUR installs an older version

AUR indexing may lag. Check with pacman -Qi atha and retry yay -Syu atha after a few minutes.

Resources