Slackware users probably know Checkinstall: When installing software from source archives, you call checkinstall instead of make install, which automatically creates a packgage and installs it, so that you can easily deinstall it later. pacinstall is the same thing for Arch Linux, you can install software from sources the quick way without needing to write a PKGFILE.
A binary package will be created and installed, no PKGFILE will be generated.
You need installwatch, which can be installed by the following command:
pacman -Sy installwatch
Changes in version 0.2: Fixed a bug that prevented correct handling of file names with spaces


Download

• pacinstall

This script can be used to remote-control console applications that don't support this by themselves:

• Start the script. The script forks into the background and gives you a free shell.
• Start an application in the new shell.
• echo -n "a" > ~/.inputfile
• The application now thinks that the "a" key was pressed.

Background: I had mp3blaster running on an old computer in the network and wanted to bind the functions "next song" and "previous song" to keys on my desktop computer. If I started the program using this script, I could easily send the required command over the network via ssh.

Download

• rpte.rb

The all-in-one solution suitable for every purpose concerning cd-burning and ripping.
All I found were two types of such programs: on the one hand there graphical recording frontents, on the other hand frontends for the console, that are so minimalistic that they are too uncomfortable. So I wrote it the way I like it: Fast, easy and automated access to the cd-recorder for the console. The program works mostly without menus, only if it's absolutely necessary, a menu is displayed. You give one parameter on the commandline, and the program knows what to do with it.
It's that easy.
Note: The script depends on some programs, see the README for details.
Features:

• Automatic detection of parameters (file (audio, data, playlist, cd images); directory (audiofiles (mp3, ogg, wav) for audio- or data-cds); or extended commands (blank cd-rw, grab cd)
• Important settings are configurable through config file
• Recording of audio and data cds (single files or directories)
• Recording of ISO and BIN/CUE images
• Copy audio and data cds directly
• Blank cd-rws fast or complete
• Grab data-cds as image or directory
• Grab audio-cds and encode directly into favorite format (mp3 or ogg),
  files are named directly via CDDB
• Record pls (xmms) and m3u (winamp) playlists directly as audio cd
• Automatic printing of cd inlays for audio cds by request

Download

• texburn-0.4.tar.gz

Here are several other useful (or not) scripts:

• demoplay.sh - Quake 3 Demo Player. Start the script without parameters to display a selection menu, or use a .dm_68 file as argument.
• createinlay.sh - Reads a directory containing mp3s and creates a postscript file with a 12x12cm frame and a listing of the files, which can be printed using lpr.
• leo.sh - Command line interface for the online translator Leo.
• bashanimation.sh - A "graphical demo" in bash. A product of boredom. You should run the script in the TTY if possible (no terminal emulator or framebuffer, because the cursor flickers a lot). Requires the "banner" program from the bsdgames package.
• consolelogo.sh - Rotates the output of the "banner" program from the bsdgames package by 90 degrees to create big text. You probably prefer Figlet.
• happy.sh - Another product of boredom... dancing figures.