openSUSE Conference 2017: Your desktop application as a cross-distribution AppImage

Let's bundle your desktop application as a cross-distribution "one app = one file" AppImage. In this workshop, you will learn from AppImage lead developer Simon Peter and Open Build Service lead developer Adrian Schröter how to build your application in a reproducible, secure way, and how to distribute it in the AppImage format, including digital signatures and binary delta updates.

What to bring: Your desktop application, ideally already building on Travis CI or Open Build Service. A notebook. An open mind, persistence, and willingness to experiment.

Transcript

1. WORKSHOP
   openSUSE Conference
   May 27, 2017
   Simon Peter
   AppImage
   Adrian Schröter
   Open Build Service
   Your desktop application as a cross-distribution
   AppImage
   

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2. TO RECAP
   

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3. "As a developer, I want to reach
   users with minimal effort"
   

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4. .exe .dmg .AppImage
   

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5. EXECUTABLE
   EXECUTABLE
   SQUASHFS IMAGE
   SQUASHFS IMAGE
   AppImage
   • One file per app
   and version
   

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6. EXECUTABLE
   EXECUTABLE
   SQUASHFS IMAGE
   SQUASHFS IMAGE
   AppImage
   • Binary
   • Mounts the image
   with FUSE when
   executed
   

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7. EXECUTABLE
   EXECUTABLE
   SQUASHFS IMAGE
   SQUASHFS IMAGE
   AppImage • Bundle app and
   everything that is not
   part of all target
   systems: icons, i18n,
   Qt 5, KF5,…
   • Built on host that as
   old as the oldest target
   systems
   

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8. APPIMAGE SPEC
   https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageSpec
   

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9. MAKING
   APPIMAGES
   

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10. APPIMAGETOOL
    Turns an AppDir into an AppImage
    Get it from
    https://github.com/probonopd/AppImageKit/releases
    Usage in a nutshell, assuming that you already have an
    AppDir in place:
    chmod a+x appimagetool­x86_64.AppImage
    ./appimagetool­x86_64.AppImage some.AppDir
    

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11. mkdir ­p leafpad/leafpad.AppDir && cd leafpad
    # Get existing binary
    wget ­c „http://.../leafpad_0.8.17­2_amd64.deb“
    # Turn into an AppDir
    cd leafpad.AppDir
    dpkg ­x ../leafpad_*.deb .
    cp ./usr/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/leafpad.svg .
    cp ./usr/share/applications/leafpad.desktop .
    wget ­c https://.../AppRun
    chmod a+x AppRun
    cd ..
    # Package as an AppImage
    wget ­c https://.../appimagetool.AppImage
    chmod a+x appimagetool.AppImage
    ./appimagetool.AppImageleafpad.AppDir/
    HELLO WORLD,…
    

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12. …MORE LIKE THIS
    # Build on an „old enough“ build system
    (for which recent compilers and build tools exist, e.g., CentOS 6.x)
    # Make sure it is relocatable (no hardcoded „/usr“); otherwise patch it
    # Turn into an AppDir
    ...
    chmod a+x AppRun
    # Bundle any libraries that might not be there in a recent enough version
    # on each target system
    # Package the AppDir as an AppImage
    ...
    ./appimagetool.AppImage leafpad.AppDir ./Leafpad­x86_64.AppImage
    # Test on each target system ­ really! (I use Live ISOs)
    

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13. live demo:
    Download and extract
    AppImage, re-generate
    AppImage
    

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14. LINUXDEPLOYQT
    Turns a usr/ filesystem tree into an AppDir, and the AppDir
    in into an AppImage (using appimagetool)
    Originally focused on Qt desktop applications but can also
    be used for non-Qt applications
    Get it from
    github.com/probonopd/linuxdeployqt/releases/
    Recommended to run on Travis CI or OBS
    

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15. Making appdir/usr/… tree
    Using qmake:
    qmake PREFIX=/usr
    make ­j4
    make INSTALL_ROOT=appdir install ; find appdir/
    Using CMake:
    cmake . ­DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr
    make ­j4
    make DESTDIR=appdir install ; find appdir/
    Using autotools:
    ./configure ­­prefix=/usr
    make ­j4
    make install DESTDIR=$(readlink ­f appdir)
    find appdir/
    

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16. LINUXDEPLOYQT
    wget ­c
    "https://github.com/probonopd/linuxdeployqt/releases/download/continuous/
    linuxdeployqt­continuous­x86_64.AppImage"
    chmod a+x linuxdeployqt*.AppImage
    unset QTDIR; unset QT_PLUGIN_PATH ; unset LD_LIBRARY_PATH
    ./linuxdeployqt*.AppImage ./appdir/usr/share/applications/*.desktop
    ­bundle­non­qt­libs
    ./linuxdeployqt*.AppImage ./appdir/usr/share/applications/*.desktop
    ­appimage
    

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17. CONTINUOUS APPIMAGE WORKFLOW
    2
    Push
    commit to
    GitHub
    1
    Prepare
    build sys-
    tem, e.g.,
    CentOS 6
    with Qt5,…
    3
    Build and
    package
    as an
    AppImage
    4
    Upload to,
    e.g., Bintray,
    GitHub
    Releases
    5
    Post
    download
    link on
    Project
    homepage
    

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18. LIVE DEMO
    

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19. OBS AppImage
    

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20. OBS: trusted, reliable, auditable build system
    that tracks security updates of dependencies,
    ensures licensing compliance, and hosts build
    products
    An ideal match!
    OBS APPIMAGE
    

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21. Let‘s walk through
    https://github.com/probonopd/AppImageKit/
    wiki/Using-Open-Build-Service
    OBS APPIMAGE
    

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22. live demo of the
    QtQuickApp on OBS „hello
    world“
    

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23. Your turn now…
    Can we get it to work with your app?
    https://github.com/probonopd/AppImageKit/
    wiki/Using-Open-Build-Service
    OBS APPIMAGE
    

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24. appimage.org
    #AppImage
    build.opensuse.org
    #opensuse-buildservice
    

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25. BACKUP
    

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26. Works for all common Linux distributions
    Run the latest applications on mature (e.g.,
    enterprise) OSes
    One app = one file
    Super simple for users: just download one
    AppImage file, make it executable, and run
    No unpacking or installation necessary
    SOLVES...
    

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27. No root needed
    No system libraries changed
    Works out of the box, no installation of runtimes
    needed
    Works on Live ISOs, university lab computers,...
    Can use the same AppImages when dual-booting
    multiple distributions
    SOLVES...
    

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28. „This is just very cool.“
    https://plus.google.com/+LinusTorvalds/posts/WyrATKUnmrS
    

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29. Krita
    OFFICIAL APPIMAGES
    Microsoft
    PowerShell
    KDevelop
    Scribus
    OpenShot
    digiKam
    JetBrains
    Toolbox
    MuseScore
    Kdenlive
    Subsurface
    ImagePlay
    Drawpile
    ...hundreds more
    Avidemux
    

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30. BUT...
    FOSDEM 2017
    

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32. MORE
    • Binary delta updates
    using AppImageUpdate – only download what has
    changed
    • Sandboxing
    using, e.g., Firejail
    • Optional appimaged daemon
    for desktop integration (menus, icons, MIME types,
    updates,...)
    

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33. "As a tester, I want to run
    multiple builds without
    messing up my system.“
    

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34. "As a user, I want to
    download an application
    from the original author
    and run it, now!“
    

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