What is a PACNEW file? A PACNEW file is a package configuration file created by the Arch Linux Package Manager (pacman). In certain cases, when pacman upgrades a package that includes a new configuration file, it saves the new configuration as a PACNEW file, instead of replacing the user's current configuration file.

More Information Typically, if pacman upgrades a package, and the upgraded version of the package contains a new configuration file, pacman will check whether the user modified the existing version of the package's configuration file. If a user's modified configuration file and the upgraded package's configuration file differ, pacman will not replace the user's modified configuration file. Instead, it will save the new configuration file as a PACNEW file. Pacman notifies users when it creates a PACNEW file. (This notification includes the location at which the PACNEW file was saved.) If pacman creates a PACNEW file during a package upgrade process, you must manually resolve the differences between your current configuration file and the PACNEW file.