Understand how Arch Linux creates .pacnew files during updates and how to manage configuration changes without breaking your setup.

If you use Arch Linux, you’ve probably noticed that after a while, and especially after system updates, files with the .pacnew extension start showing up on your system. And since you’re reading this, that’s likely what brought you here: to figure out what these files are, why they appear, and what you’re supposed to do with them.

Well, you’ve come to the right place. In the lines below, I’ll try to explain everything clearly and straightforwardly. So, let’s start with the main question.