I just found out about AppImageLauncher, a package handler for AppImages. It organizes them, creates desktop files for you and handles updates and removal.

Integrate AppImages to your application launcher with one click, and manage, update and remove them from there. Double-click AppImages to open them, without having to make them executable first.

Much better than having to create all the desktop files myself, and having to figure out what to put in them for it to work correctly (I’m looking at you, qBittorrent and magnet links).

    • beta_tester@lemmy.ml
      35·
      1 year ago

      Some apps are only available as appimages.

      Neverthrless you should ask the maintainer and work towards flatpaks.

      • unsigned@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        131·
        1 year ago

        As someone who tried to maintain a large application flatpak I would say it’s pain in the ass to work with and things break often. The way it’s configured and how permissions are set needs to be simplified.

      • M500@lemmy.ml
        English
        11·
        1 year ago

        Looking at you Bitwarden.

        Appimage and snap. Why no flatpak?

        There is a flatpak, but I’m pretty sure it’s a community version.

      • ___@lemm.ee
        151·
        1 year ago

        It’s not. These are opinions. Snap on the other hand… THAT is bad.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
        8·
        1 year ago

        From the “universal package formats” that’s the one I’ve had issues with when using it on a distro not specifically mentioned to work, it was supposed to be universal! Though not sure if that’s an issue with whoever packaged the app or anything specific with AppImage. Poor experience anyway.

        Also no repo model. I like package manager to deal with shit. We have sorta solutions for that but not quite like snaps and flatpaks.

        Also the dependencies stuff is weird. They advice you to think of the oldest (LTS?) distro you think the app will be used on and use deps compatible with that one. Which just seems, I dunno, icky, for lack of better word.

        But for a random one-off app, I think it’s fine. I prefer flatpak but it’s fine, I wouldn’t avoid it or anything.