Welcome to the most complete database of all AppImage packages and portable applications for GNU/Linux.

PORTABLE LINUX APPS

the first AUR-inspired AppImage Software Center!


This site lists 2466 unique apps (2087 Appimage packages and 379 standalone/portable programs), plus 79 items.

From here you can download them, install them, update them (for real), get more information about the sources and their developers... and if you want, you can contribute yourself by adding the missing information, because this site is open source!


Go to the applications list Install "AM", the package manager

Categories

AppImages - android - audio - comic - command-line - communication - disk - education - file-manager - finance - game - gnome - graphic - internet - kde - office - password - steam - system-monitor - video - web-app - web-browser - wine



Main Index



What are the portable linux apps?

Portable Linux Apps are standalone applications for GNU/Linux that can (theoretically) run everywhere, also on a USB stick. These applications can be AppImage packages (see appimage.org) or standalone archives (for example Firefox, Blender, Thunderbird...).


How is this site different from other sites that list AppImage packages?

This catalog aims to survey and list all the AppImages and autonomous programs, and aims to provide a centralized point where you can document yourself on individual apps and where you can easily reach the URLs to the sources, both through the pages dedicated to each app and by reading the "installation scripts".

Yeah, each app has its own installation script, PKGBUILD style, but with an alternative package manager named "AM", which works like the more classic APT, PacMan/YAY, DNF... and which can therefore place them in specific paths of the filesystem , like any program, and allows updates via a system of scripts called "AM-updater". If an app can't update itself, the dedicated "AM-updater" script will use an application-specific method to always update your favorite apps to the latest version. FOR REAL!

This catalog is open source. You can edit its pages, update them and see the sources clearly, as a "wiki".

About other catalogs

While I recognize the role they have had so far in supporting the diffusion of AppImage as a packaging format, through the years, as a former user, I would like to underline what led me to open an alternative catalogue:

Furthermore, none of them track updates consistently.

From the aforementioned defects I understood what a catalog of portable applications should NOT do to be reliable.


How can I improve the pages on this site?

All pages are simple Markdown files. If you have a Github profile, just click on "Improve this page" at the bottom of the page you are interested in:

For any suggestions, open an issue or a pull request to the repository of this site.


Is there a centralized repository for AppImage packages?

Depends on what you mean by "centralized package repository", if you mean a repository that stores them all like Debian-based distributions do with DEB packages, no, there are thousands of packages, and they are usually distributed to remote sites and difficult to find.

If instead you mean an AUR-style repo with scripts that easily find all AppImages, you're in the right place!

This catalog and its CLI, "AM", make it easy for you to find, install, integrate and update all AppImage packages!

This catalog is just the frontend for an ever growing database that aims to extend not only to x86_64 architecture apps listed here, but also to all others, from the modern ARM64/aarch64 to oldest i686, as an universal solution for all AppImages and portable programs for GNU/Linux!

All the installation scripts are stored in the repository of the "AM" package manager.

https://github.com/ivan-hc/AM

sandbox AppImages list available apps info about the apps
install applications query lists using keywords show the installed apps
create and restore snapshots update everything get rid of libfuse2

The code of this Command Line Interface is available at this link.

The database of "AM" does not stores packages but installation scripts, as the Arch User Repository (AUR) does with PKGBUILDs.

Each script points directly to a program ready to be downloaded, more often as AppImage packages, but also portable apps stored in TAR, ZIP and DEB archives, scripts, standalone binares... and in some cases a script can build on-the-fly AppImage packages in a way similar to an AUR helper using pkg2appimage and/or appimagetool.


Differences between "AM" and "AppMan"

"AM" and "AppMan" differ in how they are installed, placed and renamed in the system and how/where they install apps:

Both can be updated using "Topgrade".


Ownership


About "sudo" usage

All options cannot be executed with "sudo"/"doas".


How apps are installed


/opt/$PROGRAM/
/opt/$PROGRAM/$PROGRAM
/opt/$PROGRAM/AM-updater
/opt/$PROGRAM/remove
/opt/$PROGRAM/icons/$ICON-NAME
/usr/local/bin/$PROGRAM
/usr/local/share/applications/$PROGRAM-AM.desktop

~/Applicazioni/$PROGRAM/
~/Applicazioni/$PROGRAM/$PROGRAM
~/Applicazioni/$PROGRAM/AM-updater
~/Applicazioni/$PROGRAM/remove
~/Applicazioni/$PROGRAM/icons/$ICON-NAME
~/.local/bin/$PROGRAM
~/.local/share/applications/$PROGRAM-AM.desktop

The configuration file for AppMan is in ~/.config/appman and contains the path you indicated at first startup. Changing its contents will result in changing the paths for each subsequent operation carried out with "AppMan", the apps and modules stored in the old path will not be manageable.

At first startup you can indicate any directory or subdirectory you want, as long as it is in your $HOME.


How to use "AM" in non-privileged mode, like "AppMan"

As already mentioned above, at "Ownership" the user who installed "AM" is the sole owner, having write permissions for both /opt/am and for all installed apps.

However, every user of the same system is allowed to use the option --user or appman, to use "AM" as "AppMan" and to install apps locally and withour root privileges:

am --user

To switch "AM" back to "AM" from "AppMan Mode", use the always suggested option --system:

am --system

To perform a test and see if you are in "AppMan Mode" or not, run for example the command am -f to see the list of the installed apps.

In this video I'll install LXtask locally:

https://github.com/ivan-hc/AM/assets/88724353/65b27cf6-edc5-4a4c-b2f9-42e8623dc76f

NOTE: non-privileged users can update their own local applications and modules, but cannot update /opt/am/APP-MANAGER.

It is therefore suggested to use pure "AppMan" instead of the "AppMan Mode" of "AM".


Install "AM"/"AppMan" Back to "Main Index"

What programs can be installed

"AM"/"AppMan" installs, removes, updates and manages only standalone programs, ie those programs that can be run from a single directory in which they are contained. The database aims to be a reference point where you can download all the AppImage packages scattered around the web, otherwise unobtainable, as you would expect from any package manager, through specific installation scripts for each application, as happens with the AUR PKGBUILDs, on Arch Linux. You can see all of them here, divided by architecture.

NOTE that currently my work focuses on applications for x86_64 architecture, but it is possible to extend "AM" to all other available architectures. If you are interested, you can deliberately join this project to improve the available lists.

  1. PROGRAMS, they are taken:
  1. APPIMAGES, they are taken:
  1. FIREFOX PROFILES to run as webapps, the ones with suffix "ffwa-" in the apps list.

  2. THIRD-PARTY LIBRARIES, needed if they are not provided in your distribution's repositories. These are to be installed in truly exceptional cases.

You can consult basic information, links to sites and sources used through the related command am -a $PROGRAM or appman -a $PROGRAM, that uses the same pages of this site.


Back to "Main Index"

How to update all programs, for real

One of the reasons why many users hate Appimages is because they cannot be updated. Or at least not all.

This project was born to dispel this myth and to solve the problem. And the solution is much more trivial than you expect.

There are several methods to update apps, here are the most common ones, in order of priority:

How to update all installed apps

Option -u or update updates all the installed apps and keeps "AM"/"AppMan" in sync with the latest version and all latest bug fixes.

https://github.com/ivan-hc/AM/assets/88724353/f93ca782-2fc6-45a0-a3f2-1fba297a92bf

  1. To update only the programs, use am -u --apps / appman -u --apps
  2. To update just one program, use am -u $PROGRAM / appman -u $PROGRAM
  3. To update all the programs and "AM"/"AppMan" itself, just run the commandam -u / appman -u
  4. To update only "AM"/"AppMan" and the modules use the option -s instead, am -s / appman -s

NOTE, non-privileged users using "AM" in "AppMan Mode" cannot update /opt/am/APP-MANAGER (points 3 and 4). See "How to use AM in non-privileged mode, like AppMan".

How to update everything using "Topgrade"

Keeping your system up to date usually involves invoking multiple package managers. This results in big, non-portable shell one-liners saved in your shell. To remedy this, Topgrade detects which tools you use and runs the appropriate commands to update them.

Install the "topgrade" package using the command

am -i topgrade

or

appman -i topgrade

Visit github.com/topgrade-rs/topgrade to learn more.

NOTE, "AppMan" users must install appman in ~/.local/bin to allow updates via Topgrade. See "How to install AppMan".


Back to "Main Index"

Installation

This section explains how to install "AM" or "AppMan".

If you don't know the difference, please read "Differences between "AM" and "AppMan"" first.

You can choose to continue reading and see the installation methods in detail (jump to "Core dependences"), or you can choose to use the common installer for "AM" and "AppMan", named "AM-INSTALLER", by downloading the script and making it executable, like this:

wget -q https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ivan-hc/AM/main/AM-INSTALLER
chmod a+x ./AM-INSTALLER
./AM-INSTALLER

Type "1" to install "AM" (requires "sudo"/"doas" password), "2" to install "AppMan". Any other key will abort the installation.

AM-INSTALLER

This "AM-INSTALLER" script acts as a "launcher" to speed up the processes available in the guides "How to install "AM"" and "How to install "AppMan"".


Core dependences

Below are the essential system dependencies that you must install before proceeding:

Dependency only for "AM"

The following are optional dependencies that some programs may require:

Proceede

How to install "AM"

"AM" is ment to be installed at system level to manage apps.

The script "INSTALL" is the one that take care of this.

Using "Wget"

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ivan-hc/AM/main/INSTALL
chmod a+x ./INSTALL
sudo ./INSTALL

or directly

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ivan-hc/AM/main/INSTALL && chmod a+x ./INSTALL && sudo ./INSTALL

Using "GIT"

git clone https://github.com/ivan-hc/AM.git
cd AM
chmod a+x INSTALL
sudo ./INSTALL

Structure of the "AM" installation

In both cases, the "INSTALL" script will create:

NOTE, if you don't feel comfortable having to always use root permissions, the installation method for "AppMan" is totally different. If you are interested, go to the next paragraph, else Back to "Main Index" or see "[all the available options" at github.com/ivan-hc/AM#usage.


How to install "AppMan"

"AppMan" can be used in different places, being it portable.

However, to be easily used its recommended to place it in your local "$PATH", in ~/.local/bin.

Use "AppMan" in "$PATH"

To do so, you must first enable that "$PATH":

To do all this quickly, simply copy/paste the following command:

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin && echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc && wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ivan-hc/AM/main/APP-MANAGER -O ~/.local/bin/appman && chmod a+x ~/.local/bin/appman

Use "AppMan" in "Portable Mode"

"AppMan" can run in any directory you download it, copy/paste the following command to download "APP-MANAGER", rename it to appman and make it executable:

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ivan-hc/AM/main/APP-MANAGER -O appman && chmod a+x ./appman

Structure of the "AppMan" installation

Unlike "AM" which needs to be placed in specific locations, "AppMan" is portable. The modules and directories will be placed in the directory you chose:


Back to "Main Index"

Uninstall

Note, before you remove your CLI, use the option -R to remove the apps installed using the following syntax:

am -R {PROGRAM1} {PROGRAM2} {PROGRAM3}...

or

appman -R {PROGRAM1} {PROGRAM2} {PROGRAM3}...

to have a list of the installed programs use the option -f or files (syntax am -f or appman -f).

See also "How to update or remove apps manually", at github.com/ivan-hc/AM#how-to-update-or-remove-apps-manually.



All the guides listed here are available at github.com/ivan-hc/AM

Usage (all the available options)

Guides and tutorials

Instructions for Linux Distro Maintainers

Troubleshooting


Back to "Main Index"

Related projects

External tools and forks used in this project

My other projects


You can support me and my work on ko-fi.com and PayPal.me. Thank you!

© 2020-present Ivan Alessandro Sala aka 'Ivan-HC' - I'm here just for fun!


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