AppImage

An AppImage can now be downloaded on any Linux distribution and simply “double click it” and it works. No need for any install. It is a “download and use” case.

Want to remove it? Just delete it!

The huge advantage is that the app will work. Almost 100% of the time, since all it needs is in that one file.

Why?

So, why are we interested in such packaging systems when we have hundreds of thousands of apps in TROMjaro’s library?

Because more and more of the newer apps ship in this new format.

We have tried to convert them to “our” format (the non-contained one) but this means a lot of work and maintenance. So we either put a lot of work in converting these new contained apps into the TROMjaro non-contained format, or accept the contained format. And we think is better for now to accept the contained format in the form of AppImages that TROMjaro already supports. Thus, from now on we will recommend AppImages too in our APPS section of the website. They won’t update automatically like the other apps, but we can work around this.

This is how such apps look in our APPS section:

Blue button

So the only difference is the button’s color (blue now) and the fact that we add the version of the AppImage to the button itself.

This helps users keep track of the version.

Underneath the button there’s a text reminding people that this is a different kind of packaging and a link to this article.

How about the updates?

It is great that in TROMjaro all updates are handled at once via the Add/Remove Software for the “normal” apps- But not for AppImages.

In order to make it easy for people to handle AppImage updates we will keep an eye on every AppImage that we post in the APPS section and update the download button to the new version.

If anyone wants to get an email every time an update is pushed to any AppImage from our APPS section, simply go to the comments section of the app and click “subscribe” + select “see follow-up comments”. Add your email and that’s it. You will get en email every time there is a new AppImage for that particular app.

Subscribe

Contained packaging system

AppImages will look and function the same way that any other apps do on TROMjaro. Adopting this contained packaging system allows us to recommend even more trade-free applications. But we would like to stop at this, since we do not want to create a monster out of TROMjaro.

We think that a centralized way of installing and updating apps is the best and easiest. AppImages are disturbing a bit the TROMjaro waters, but it is a “compromise” we can accept. Maybe in the future we will find a way to only rely on the core “software center” in TROMjaro for installing applications. In any case, only a tiny percentage of the recommended apps will be AppImages.

So, embrace AppImages!

They are great.

They work.

It is easy to install and remove them.

And we keep an eye on the “updates” part and notify you about that.

References

Introducing Appimages to TROMjaro

Linux apps that run anywhere

AppImageHub - Here are 977 apps that you can run on Linux without installation. And counting

https://www.appimagehub.com/ - This catalog has 653 AppImages and counting. AppImages are self-contained apps which can simply be downloaded & run on any Linux distribution. For easy integration, download AppImageLauncher.

NX Software Center - A portable Software Center for portable applications thanks to AppImage.

Pling-Store - Installer and Content Management App for OCS-compatible websites like pling.com, gnome-look.org, appimagehub.com, etc. It allows to download, install and apply desktop themes, icon themes, wallpapers, or mouse cursors directly under various desktop environments using the “Install”-button. 1)https://www.pling.com/p/1175480/