Add Linux Snap package and/or flatpak

[5jacquescard0ne]

Please make an AppImage for Popcorn TIme. AppImages are single files that contain all the packages and the application for an app all in one file, this is a great solution since AppImages work on any Linux Distro, easy to install and run, and are also portable apps that allow users to put them on USB Sticks and take them anywhere and easily share the app with others.

I think this is a better approach than using tar.xz file to put the application together. Also with AppImages you can have it so when you launch it for the first time to ask the user to add a shortcut to the app into their application list.

From all the ways to package an linux app, I think AppImages is best for Popcorn Time!

[fernandofreamunde]

I managed to create an AppImage with 0.4.4 version...

I just do not know how you guys set up the releases, never used that... I am unsure how to procede from here, I could make a download link for my executable, but I think you would like to make sure that my AppImage was not tempered with :)

Let me know how I could procede to make this happen... If you want my help ofc :)

[Persei08]

hi, @fernandofreamunde

actually the app is build/packaged with yarn dist --platforms=<platform> as explained here: https://github.com/popcorn-official/popcorn-desktop#building-redistribuable-packagesinstallers .
It call some tasks in the gulpfile (https://github.com/popcorn-official/popcorn-desktop/blob/development/gulpfile.js) and package the app in different formats (deb, zip, exe, ...).

So, I think, the most acceptable way will be to add a task in the gulpfile which will do all the necessary steps to produce this AppImage. So everyone cloning the repo, will be able to produce the appimage.

[marzagheddon]

Also Flatpak and Snap would be appreciated, but I can't code

[faveoled]

Flathub doesn't want this app in their store:
flathub/flathub#701 (comment)

[faveoled]

Yeah, it doesn't make sense to do a Flatpak in this case

[faveoled]

Back to appimage it is?

Personally not interested in AppImages. No updates or security. May do snap

[eylenburg]

Wouldn't it be possible to host a separate Flatpak repo for this?

I would imagine the Snap Store will have a similar policy to Flathub.

[faveoled]

I would imagine the Snap Store will have a similar policy to Flathub.

Right, would probably violate chapter 5.1 or 5.9 (I am not a lawyer):
https://ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/snap-store-terms

[faveoled]

Wrote snap build files:
https://github.com/faveoled/popcorn-time-snap
Could probably be integrated with GitHub Actions.

[marzagheddon]

Isn't it possible to create a flatpak without putting it on flathub? Like some third party repository? AFAIK snaps can be distributed only via snap store, but flatpak are more free

[faveoled]

Possible, just not too convenient to the end user

[Victor239]

Pretty simple to do, here's an example one that's not on Flathub:

Add the launcher repository

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists --user launcher.moe https://gol.launcher.moe/gol.launcher.moe.flatpakrepo

Lastly, you can install the launcher by running the following:

flatpak install launcher.moe moe.launcher.an-anime-game-launcher

[Victor239]

Thumbs up for Flatpak

[ivan1986]

I’m for all three, let them be, but only if there are no special problems with raising your repository because they probably won’t let us into the official ones

[ivan1986]

hm, appImage done - make manual
need write script to build
put on mega in /test

[ivan1986]

hm
build by appimagetool works fine - ls -s Popcorn-Time AppRun
build with appimage-build segfault on start of AppRun
and also on build we may just copy libatomic.so.1 to lib dor and not need install to system

[drequivalent]

Pls do add Flatpak. Doesn't need to be on flathub, if they don't want it.