webtorrent-desktop
webtorrent-desktop copied to clipboard
webtorrent
[New Dist Option] Create AppImage for linux
Not all of us have administrator privileges on the systems we use. AppImage is a way to use software without mucking with system services or requiring administrative rights.
Generated an example WebTorrent AppImage based on the deb on the GitHub Releases page: https://bintray.com/probono/AppImages/WebTorrent/_latestVersion#files
Download the AppImage file, make it executable, done.
Here is the yml file that generated the AppImage automatically on Travis CI: https://github.com/probonopd/AppImages/blob/master/recipes/meta/WebTorrent.yml
Thanks @probonopd. Works perfectly.
@feross, what's the chance this can be integrated into your build system?
How is this different from Snap packages? I'm not familiar with the pros-cons of each. There seems to be quite a bit of overlap in their goals. I'd prefer to pick just one of these "universal" formats to support.
The biggest difference is that AppImages run "out-of-the-box" on most common Linux desktop distributions, without the need for the user to install something beforehand.
Providing an AppImage would have, among others, these advantages:
- One app = one file = super simple for users: just download one AppImage file, make it executable, and run
- No unpacking or installation necessary
- No root needed
- No system libraries changed
- Just one format for all major distributions
- Works out of the box, no installation of runtimes needed
- Optional(!) desktop integration with
appimaged - Binary delta updates, e.g., for continuous builds (only download the binary diff) using AppImageUpdate
- Can GPG2-sign your AppImages (inside the file)
Snap packages, by contrast, cannot be transferred as easily, e.g., on an USB stick, and "just run". Also, I don't foresee e.g., Fedora or CentOS to come with a Snap infrastructure anytime soon.
Right; and snap (and flatpack, for that matter) still requires administrator privileges to install because it installs into the system portion of the filesystem. AppImages can be treated just like MacOS App-packages and thrown any old place the user wants and don't require administrative rights on the machine being installed to.
@ParaplegicRacehorse did you have a chance to try out the example WebTorrent AppImage yet?
@probonopd, yes. It works as expected, which is to say: it works very well (given my relatively slow internet connection) and I experienced no problems on my UbuntuGNOME 16.04 LTS system.
This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs.
![stale[bot] avatar](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/in/1724?v=4 "Published by a pub.dev verified publisher"){kind=small}
Commenting here so that @stale goes away; no one doing anything is never a good reason for closing valid issues. I'm here, happy to help.
It's a great alternative for people using any distro that is not based on Debian/Ubuntu
This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs.
Commenting here so that @Stale goes away; no one doing anything is never a good reason for closing valid issues. I'm here, happy to help.
Sure! I am here, happy to help, if one of the developers of this projects wants to make an AppImage.
Looks like you guys have solution in mind. I am not familiar with AppImage format.
The lack of admin rights is not conflicting with the WebTorrent requirements?
Would I be able to test this in om my Fedora Linux system?
Related to #1502 (Linux RPM package)
@Borewit I described the format briefly in https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent-desktop/issues/1102#issuecomment-274252209. More details are described at https://docs.appimage.org/introduction/index.html. Kindly let me know if you are interested in making an official AppImage, then I can give you a hand.
Sure you can test AppImages on your Fedora system. Just grab one, make it executable, and run.
Better Linux integration makes sense to me. I am not sure what the best way is.
As a fedora user I expect things to be installable with dnf, only if I have a very specific need I considering to install things outside dnf.
But I know Debian and Ubuntu are also very populair.
I have to admit that I don't have a lot of time. If I see inittiatives taken on this project I try to support it. If I feel confortable reviewing it in a reseanable amount of time I try to do so. There are way more good ideas posted then there are fingers to write them. That is why @feross enabled the stale bot. It doesn't make sense to keep piling up idea's. So if you want to have something to be done, you have to take the initiative yourself. In addition to that, there are good open PR's which did not get the attentation they deserve.
I have to admit that I don't have a lot of time.
Sounds familiar.
there are good open PR's which did not get the attentation they deserve.
Which is exactly why I am asking for the level of interest in an AppImage PR first before I start working on one.
I came here hoping there was an AppImage. Anyone who wants to try WebTorrent Desktop on GNU/Linux, but uses a distro that hasn't packaged it in their official repos. would potentially want to use an AppImage. If you do make one, it would be great to make it downloadable. Details on how to do that in this interview with the creator of AppImage: https://itsfoss.com/appimage-interview/
Is this still relevant? If so, what is blocking it? Is there anything you can do to help move it forward?
![github-actions[bot] avatar](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/in/15368?v=4 "Published by a pub.dev verified publisher"){kind=small}