[GUI APP] logkonsult - view pacman logs (Qt6)

pacman Log Viewer is qt5 and no activity in the repo, ok …
I’m writing a new (python) tool :
new:

  • parse warnings (read old format and new with pacman 6)
  • display warnings
  • possibility of displaying in calendar mode


  • transactions sorted in reverse: most recent first (entries not sorted in transaction)
  • one color by transaction
  • only filters (no search)
  • for warnings: add “FIXED” if chmod has been done or if pacnew no longer exists


  • double-click in calendar, filter day in list
  • double-click in list, opens log in our editor (optional: kate, gedit, gnome-text-editor, mousepad, pluma) Note: sometime, file is too big for editor !
  • double-clic on warm pacnew can open a tool for view diff
  • transform date into our system’s format (also works with desktops other than kde?)

By default, it only loads the last 90 days, but we can specify more days in the command line or config file.
In calendar mode, we only see unfixed warnings. (all in list view)


For the moment, this application has no version and is not present in aur. To test it, you’ll need to create a local package.

install one package only for build (uninstall after)

yay -S python-setuptools-git-versioning --asdeps

Download PKGBUILD.git in a folder, and run

makepkg -fsi -Cc -p PKGBUILD.git

configuration

We can use a file ~/.config/logkonsult.conf

editor = "zeditor"  # log editor
diff = "code"       # diff conf/pacnews
days = 60           # load last x days

If we want edit/save config file/pacnew, install meld with gvfs for admin:// protocol

pacman -S meld gvfs --asdeps

if logkonsult.conf not exists, logconsult use first tool find in system.

in command line

logkonsult-gui -h
#read config file /home/patrick/.config/logkonsult.conf
usage: logkonsult-gui [-h] [-d DAYS] [-f LOGFILE] [-e EDITOR] [-diff EDITOR] [--prune KEEPDAYS]

options:
  -h, --help        show this help message and exit
  -d DAYS           since (30) days
  -f LOGFILE        pacman log (/var/log/pacman.log)
  -e EDITOR         /usr/bin/kate for view log
  -diff EDITOR      /usr/bin/meld for view differences
  --prune KEEPDAYS  delete old entries, except X days and remove `SCRIPTLET` lines

--prune is only a test, not rewrite pacman.log, only create /var/log/pacman.log.clean (action will never be present in gui)

7 Likes

Looks good! :+1: I submitted a couple pull requests. :grin:

One should also use -r to remove the build dependencies after. :wink:

Not sure why Arch is still using Qt5. My pacmanlogviewer-git AUR package has been using Qt6 for well over a year.

1 Like

Last version before AUR?

Look:

  • Different icons for fixed and unfixed alerts
  • More icons used in the toolbar (for XFCE, Mate, ?)

pacnew alerts :

Now, a double-click can open a tool to visualize the differences between these files.

Configuration :

With the command logconsult-gui -h, we can see the two tools used by default (if installed).

usage: logkonsult-gui [-h] [-d DAYS] [-f LOGFILE] [-e EDITOR] [-diff EDITOR] [--prune KEEPDAYS]
  -e EDITOR         /usr/bin/code for view log
  -diff EDITOR      /usr/bin/kate for view differences

It is possible to force a tool with the file ~/.config/logkonsult.conf. See optional dependencies for the choices.

editor = "zeditor"    # display pacman.log
diff = "kate"         # or read only as code, kompare, ...
days = 30             # default = last 120

If we want to edit pacnew files: only meld with gvfs truly allows it. Other tools will only offer a preview without the possibility of editing (diffuse, kompare, tkdiff, and vscode). Meld without gvfs is also possible for visualization only.

Note for KDE: it is possible to use Kate for editing pacnew files (right-click on the inactive file tab and choose: compare with active document). This feature is sufficient in most cases.

kate_143255

An alert with meld/gvfs? an issue is open


Is the application ready for AUR?

1 Like

I just tested the r63 version : ok on Xfce, with or without config file. :grinning:

As already seen with @papajoke, there is a little bug in meld that displays a strange message File None is being compared to itself on top of each file.


That does not seem to prevent correct functioning.

One point more, in pacnew-chaser we can :

  • save “configuration” before managing pacnew files
  • delete the pacnew file once it has been managed
    with LogKonsult, we will have to manage that manually.
    (or is it planed for next version ? :innocent: )

My ~/.config/logkonsult.conf , on Xfce :

editor = "mousepad"
diff = "meld"
days = 120

I just read another topic and came to think of your little project.

I have not looked at the source of your project - I don’t know if it is feasible - but what if - this little project had an option so one could add a personal comment to the log?

Hi! First of all, I’m enjoying your development of this tool. Thanks!

Second, I use diffuse and it allows you to edit the content of both files by double clicking, and then esc will exit edit mode back to diff mode. I really like this diff tool.

1 Like

I think this i ready for aur? It will make installing and testing from more users easier. @papajoke