Possible solution for Linux distribution problems

[Danny]

Since it's a lot of work to support all the different types of distros, have you considered using something like http://flatpak.org ? It allows you to package your software as a single file app that includes all its dependencies, so it's (largely) independent from the distro. So if it works on your PC, and you've included all the required stuff, it should run anywhere that Flatpak is supported.

Apps can be installed from GNOME Software, which is part of Fedora, Ubuntu, Arch, Mageia (Debian, openSUSE coming soon). I know Ubuntu has Snap, but since your .deb files usually work already while the RPMs are often broken, I'd suggest Flatpak. You're not loosing anything AFAIK.

Just a heads up. I'm currently running the Windows version through WINE, because neither the RPM version nor the TGZ one works for me on Fedora.

[xnview]

Just a heads up. I'm currently running the Windows version through WINE, because neither the RPM version nor the TGZ one works for me on Fedora.

Fedora there is problem of glibc, do you have tried the fedora package?

[Danny]

Just a heads up. I'm currently running the Windows version through WINE, because neither the RPM version nor the TGZ one works for me on Fedora.

Fedora there is problem of glibc, do you have tried the fedora package?

Code: Select all

error while loading shared libraries: libQt5MultimediaWidgets.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Probably because I don't have Qt installed. But I'm not interested in XnViewMP anyway, only XnConvert.

[Danny]

Bump. Any plans towards Flatpak (or something like it)? It's simple, really: http://flatpak.org/hello-world

[thecursedfly]

Bump. Any plans towards Flatpak (or something like it)? It's simple, really: http://flatpak.org/hello-world

I love this application and just switched to Fedora 27 from Windows, and for me both the rpm and the tgz don't work, so I also support the flatpak packaging

Just for the record, the rpm gives me the following error:
$ sudo dnf install XnConvert-linux.x86_64.rpm
Failed to synchronize cache for repo 'Dropbox', disabling.
Last metadata expiration check: 0:33:17 ago on Sun 12 Nov 2017 17:55:29 GMT.
Error:
Problem: conflicting requests
- nothing provides libQt5EglDeviceIntegration.so.5()(64bit) needed by xnconvert-1.75-2.x86_64

With the tgz the application launches but no characters can be seen.

Anyway, the flatpak option is likely the most (linux) universal and easiest to use!

[junker]

Same problem for me... it's really sad not to be able to use XnConvert on Fedora.

[xnview]

what is better? Flatpak, Appimage or Snapcraft?

[kewl]

I recommend Appimage

• You don't need any prerequisites for AppImage itself while for Flatpak you need to first install it.
• It has been around for 14 years it will probably be still there 10 years from now, not sure about the 2 others.
• Appimage is probably simpler and more limited than the competitors (no sandboxing with Appimage) but should be fine if you want to keep it simple.

Etcher is a popular USB writer using Appimage packaging, Krita as well.

[Danny]

what is better? Flatpak, Appimage or Snapcraft?

Both Flatpak and Appimage are fine IMO. Problem with Snap is that the only (offical?) way to distribute them is the Ubuntu Snap Store unless you host your own. And again, the .deb release already works fine, but the .rpm one doesn't and the reason why I posted this in the 1st place was to get it to install easily across the board.

P.S.: Apparently there's already an XnViewMP AppImage recipe: https://github.com/AppImage/AppImages/b ... ViewMP.yml

[Patrice.]

I have already some AppImage on my PC (Ubuntu-MATE 16.04 LTS) no need to download something special, no need to use the terminal.

IMO it's the most user friendly of those 3 type of pakaging system. (though never tried Snap)
Many softwares already use this packaging,
even Linus Torvalds found it "very cool" => https://plus.google.com/+LinusTorvalds/ ... yrATKUnmrS (maybe more as a programer )

AppImage Download the software from anywhere, then just open the directory, right click on the executable file, then check the box "allow executing file as a program" => done,
double click and the software works straight out of the box, no special installation needed, it's all graphical (the right click to check the box)
want to remove the software? just throw the directory in the trash => Done, software removed
And you put the software where you want !!

I cannot speak much about the 2 others packging systems, but:

Flatpack, The first time i went to their website i downloaded a game, but it was not a game it was a file that pluma open with some code inside...
In the end i fugured out that you need to download flatpack itself (the thing which will make your apps working), then you download a file like com.the-software-I-wish.flatpakref which will download the software ... this is where i gave up, too much download thing to download that.

Snap ??? I saw few demo of Snap and even if it's simple they have used the terminal for their demo... and i never cross a snap application while surfing internet, so not a lot of snap online (it seems)

In the end it seems that snap and flatpack use a store alike, on the other hand with AppImage, any one who build his own AppImage just put it on his website and let people download a real software (I have 7 AppImage all working well and straight out of the box).

So yes IMHO i would recommend AppImage for its graphical simplicity (you JUST download and use the software) it is also portable, put on usb and open it on an other PC / or laptop

More (roughtly and old): https://www.fossmint.com/flatpak-appima ... hey-stack/
AppImage: https://appimage.org/ or https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit for developper
Flatpack: https://flatpak.org
Snap: https://snapcraft.io/

[Danny]

Well, the TGZ archive works very similarly (unpack, run xnview.sh) and you have to update the program yourself with Appimage, just like in Windows. There's no obvious choice IMO. Depends on what you want.

[Patrice.]

Well, the TGZ archive works very similarly (unpack, run xnview.sh) and you have to update the program yourself with Appimage, just like in Windows.

AppImage project does have some kind of update mechanism. See this:
https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit ... ate.AppDir

"AppImageUpdate lets you update AppImages in a decentral way using information embedded in the AppImage itself. No central repository is involved. This enables upstream application projects to release AppImages that can be updated easily. Since AppImageKit uses delta updates, the downloads are very small and efficient."

OK I didn't even try yet, and no idea how it works, though..

There's no obvious choice IMO. Depends on what you want.

i agree with you, Sadly AppImage, Snap, Flatpack, instead of working together "to unify" things, they found a way to be different, like always..
BTW they are more "all distro" packaging on the way...

[Patrice.]

Ok I finally installed few snaps...
It's IMHO the worst of all those "unified" app, and i do prefer to download a .DEB and let synaptic install it for me.

With snap, ALL is CLI (use of terminal)!

when you want to save your work they all show you an antic UI from the 90s and the directories showed to save your work is by default home/user/snap/softwareName/xnumber?(like 2)/Desktop/ which confused me in the begining thinking it was on my real Desktop/ (i needed to use a search tool to find out where my file was saved)...


To remove the snapApp same as installing it all by CLI which means you need to know the original name which is often not the one in the menu for example the mountain-tapir snap... where in the menu it was written "Mountain Tapir Collage Maker", i needed to find back the original snap name when i installed it to be able to type the remove command...

Over all very disappointed with snap! (never again for me)

Plus i was "lucky" because my distro is an Ubuntu Flavor but for all other distro you need to install snapd where Ubuntu give a bunch of command for the major one only...
=> https://docs.snapcraft.io/core/install

snap is also based on a repository system, so you need your app store, and the download was a lot slower than usual here => https://snapcraft.io/search?q=photo

Below the very old UI to save your work, the 3 snaps i have installed have exactly the same look when it come to save or to open, and for sure no thumbnails are shown, only file type

[Danny]

There's https://flathub.org/ now, where you can publish your software, if you want. The configs are all hosted on Github, so all you have to do is fork the Flathub project, add your config and add a pull request. More details here: https://github.com/flathub/flathub/wiki/App-Submission

It's an easy and free way to make your software available on a wide range of Linux distros.

[scx]

what is better? Flatpak, Appimage or Snapcraft?

I have created flatpak packages for XnView MP and XnConvert.
https://github.com/scx/xnviewmp-flatpak
https://github.com/scx/xnconvert-flatpak

xnviewmp-flatpak.png

xnconvert-flatpak.png

I am in the process of submitting them to the Flathub repo.
https://github.com/scx/flathub/tree/com.xnview.XnViewMP
https://github.com/scx/flathub/tree/com ... .XnConvert

If you are ok with this, please leave a comment here:
https://github.com/flathub/flathub/pull/882
and here:
https://github.com/flathub/flathub/pull/883

It would be nice if you, as the author, decided to participate in the further development of these flatpak packages.
Ideally, the AppData files should be upstreamed:
https://github.com/scx/xnviewmp-flatpak ... ppdata.xml
https://github.com/scx/xnconvert-flatpa ... ppdata.xml

See also:
https://github.com/flathub/flathub/wiki ... Guidelines
https://www.freedesktop.org/software/ap ... adata.html

The main advantage of flatpak packages is that you don't have to worry about the glibc/libstdc++ version on the host, as well as any additional dependencies, like ghostscript, libgstapp, libicui18n, or libbz2. Everything is bundled or already included in the runtime (Freedesktop).
In the other words, this will allow to run XnView MP and XnConvert on many distributions (such as RHEL >= 7, CentOS >= 7, Scientific Linux >= 7, Oracle Linux >= 7, Fedora >= 27, openSUSE >= 42.1, Mageia >= 6, Debian >= 9, Ubuntu >= 16.06 LTS, Linux Mint >= 18.3, Pop! OS, elementary OS, Endless OS >= 3, Clear Linux, Void Linux, Alpine, NixOS, Solus, Gentoo, Arch) out of the box.

I have already sent you an email about this a few days ago.