Flatpak

2025-03-26T06:34:05Z

Ljanzen: /* Installing Flatpak */

Flatpak is a technology for building and distributing applications with the goal of having a universal package format for all Linux distributions, it is similar to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap_(software) Snap],

== Installation ==

=== Prerequisites ===

* {{Pkg|dbus}}
* {{Pkg|polkit}}
* {{Pkg|xdg-desktop-portal}}
* An implementation of <code>xdg-desktop-portal</code>, e.g. {{Pkg|xdg-desktop-portal-gtk}}
* [[Repositories#Managing_repositories|Enable]] community repository.

{{Note|If you are running a window manager from {{Path|.xinitrc}}, make sure you are running a <code>dbus</code> session explicitly, i.e.:

{{Cmd|# exec dbus-launch --exit-with-session your_favourite_wm}}}}

=== Installing Flatpak ===

Following instructions are from official guide:

To install Flatpak run: {{cmd|# apk add {{Pkg|flatpak}}}}

Next you need to add a repository, for this guide we will use the recommended repository, [https://flathub.org Flathub]. {{cmd|$ flatpak remote-add --user --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo}}

Flatpak is now ready to use immediately, however flatpak desktop entries will not appear until you restart your desktop session (i.e. by logging out and then logging back in)

== Usage ==

To get all of the available options to use with the '''flatpak''' command run: '''flatpak --help''' or '''flatpak -h'''

=== Search ===

To search for applications run '''flatpak --user search <appplicationname>'''

Example:

~'''$''' flatpak --user search chromium

Name Description Application ID Version Branch Remotes
Chromium Web Browser The web browser from Chromium project org.chromium.Chromium 96.0.4664.93 stable flathub
Chromium B.S.U. Fast paced, arcade-style, top-scrolling space shooter net.sourceforge.chromium-bsu 0.9.16.1 stable flathub
ungoogled-chromium A lightweight approach to removing Google web service dependency com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium 96.0.4664.45 stable flathub


=== Install ===

To install a package run '''flatpak --user install <applicationname>'''

~'''$''' flatpak --user install com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium

Looking for matches…

com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium permissions:
ipc network cups pulseaudio wayland x11
devices file access [1] dbus access [2] bus ownership [3] system dbus access [4]

[1] /run/.heim_org.h5l.kcm-socket, home, xdg-run/pipewire-0
[2] org.freedesktop.FileManager1, org.freedesktop.Notifications, org.freedesktop.secrets, org.gnome.SessionManager
[3] org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.chromium.*
[4] org.freedesktop.Avahi, org.freedesktop.UPower

ID Branch Op Remote Download
1. com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium.Codecs stable i flathub < 1.1 MB
2. com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium.Locale stable i flathub < 112.8 kB
3. com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium stable i flathub < 119.0 MB

Proceed with these changes to the system installation? [Y/n]:


or if you don't know or don't want to type the exact package name:

~'''$''' flatpak --user install chromium

Looking for matches…
Similar refs found for ‘chromium’ in remote ‘flathub’ (system):

1) app/net.sourceforge.chromium-bsu/x86_64/stable
2) runtime/com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium.Codecs/x86_64/stable
3) runtime/org.chromium.Chromium.Codecs/x86_64/stable
4) app/org.chromium.Chromium/x86_64/stable
5) app/com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium/x86_64/stable

Which do you want to use (0 to abort)? [0-5]:


=== Remove ===

To remove a package run: '''flatpak --user remove <applicationname>'''

~'''$''' flatpak --user remove com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium

ID Branch Op
1. com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium stable r
2. com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium.Codecs stable r
3. com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium.Locale stable r

Proceed with these changes to the system installation? [Y/n]:


or if you don't know or don't want to type the exact package name:

~'''$''' flatpak --user remove chromium

Similar installed refs found for ‘chromium’:

1) app/com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium/x86_64/stable (system)
2) runtime/com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium.Codecs/x86_64/stable (system)
3) All of the above

Which do you want to use (0 to abort)? [0-3]:


== Troubleshooting ==

{{Draft|More documentation and testing is needed, but everything currently here should be safe to follow.}}

=== Permission errors ===

If you receive errors about permissions then you may need to add your user to the '''flatpak''' group.

{{Note|You need to log out and log back in or reboot for the group change(s) to take effect}}

=== Application launch errors ===

If the application is not starting try running it with {{Cmd|<nowiki>flatpak run the.application.name</nowiki>}} on a terminal. If this yields an a dbus error starting with ''Failed to connect to session bus'' then you might solve this by adding

{{Cmd|<nowiki>export $(dbus-launch)</nowiki>}}

in {{Path|/etc/profile}}.

=== Fixing audio issues ===

Make sure that [[XDG_RUNTIME_DIR]] is properly configured and re-login if necessary.

When you launch a Flatpak you will need to start pulseaudio as well:

{{Cmd|$ pulseaudio --start && flatpak run com.example.Example}}

=== Unable to upload files ===

If you are unable to upload files from the host, this maybe due to [https://docs.flatpak.org/en/latest/sandbox-permissions.html Flatpak sandbox] and you may have to manually add the authorization.

This can be done with the following commands:

{{Cmd|<nowiki>$ flatpak override ApplicationID --filesystem=/home/user/Downloads</nowiki>}}

Where ''ApplicationID'' is given by:

{{Cmd|$ flatpak list}}

For example:

{{Cmd|<nowiki>$ flatpak override org.signal.Signal --filesystem=/home/user/Downloads</nowiki>}}

=== Error while opening repository ===

There is a current issue where sometimes flatpak will try to read the system-wide repository even if your install is with --user. This will result in failure to launch a flatpak application with the terminal reading ""error: While opening repository /var/lib/flatpak/repo: opening repo: opendir(/var/lib/flatpak/repo): No such file or directory". An alpine user has posted more information, as well as a workaround, at https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/issues/5488

== See also ==
* [https://flatpak.org/setup/Alpine/ Official setup Guide]
* [https://docs.flatpak.org/en/latest/available-runtimes.html Flatpak - available runtimes]
* [https://flatpak.org/ Flatpak]
* [https://flathub.org/ Flathub]
* [https://winepak.github.io/ Winepak]

[[Category:Package Manager]]
[[Category: Desktop]]

Alpine Linux - User contributions [en]

Flatpak