AppImage, first attempts - a small tutorial

[munix9]

AppImages are back on OBS.

eg.

$ mkdir ~/AppImage
$ cd ~/AppImage

1.7.x

$ wget -O celestia-1.7.x-x86_64.AppImage https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/munix9:/celestia:/1.7/AppImage/celestia-latest-x86_64.AppImage
$ chmod 755 *.AppImage

create a portable, main version-dependent $HOME directory in the same folder as the AppImage file

$ mkdir celestia-1.7.home

start Celestia / get help (filename may change after updates)

$ ./celestia-1.7.x-x86_64.AppImage
$ ./celestia-1.7.x-x86_64.AppImage -h

1.6.x

$ wget -O celestia-1.6.x-x86_64.AppImage https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/munix9:/celestia:/1.6/AppImage/celestia-latest-x86_64.AppImage
$ chmod 755 *.AppImage

create a portable, main version-dependent $HOME directory in the same folder as the AppImage file

$ mkdir celestia-1.6.home

start Celestia / get help (filename may change after updates)

$ ./celestia-1.6.x-x86_64.AppImage
$ ./celestia-1.6.x-x86_64.AppImage -h

Optional: Updates via AppImageUpdate

$ wget https://github.com/AppImageCommunity/AppImageUpdate/releases/download/continuous/AppImageUpdate-x86_64.AppImage
$ chmod 755 *.AppImage

optionally create a portable $HOME directory in the same folder as the AppImage file

$ mkdir AppImageUpdate-x86_64.AppImage.home

Optional: Import gpg public key (gpg2 must be installed)

$ wget -O obs-munix9.pub https://build.opensuse.org/projects/home:munix9/public_key

global (without a portable $HOME for AppImageUpdate)

$ gpg2 --import obs-munix9.pub

for AppImageUpdate only (portable $HOME, see above)

$ HOME=~/AppImage/AppImageUpdate-x86_64.AppImage.home gpg2 --import obs-munix9.pub

---

old stuff

Build system:

• openSUSE Leap 42.3 x86_64

Test systems:

• Ubuntu 18.04.2 amd64 (VM)
• Xubuntu 18.04
• openSUSE Tumbleweed

Version: celestia-qt, git master (with additional hacks/patches and spice enabled)

The AppImage test environment has now moved from OBS to github/travis-ci
https://github.com/munix9/Celestia (branch appimage_build)

Updates should now be possible via https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageUpdate

Howto

create a working directory (is arbitrary, can be moved or renamed later)

$ mkdir ~/celestia-app
$ cd ~/celestia-app

download the AppImage file from https://github.com/munix9/Celestia/releases (Continuous build)

$ wget https://github.com/munix9/Celestia/releases/download/continuous/celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage

and make it executable

$ chmod 755 celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage

create a portable home folder to use as $HOME

$ ./celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-portable-home

Hint: There is now an alternative for a portable $HOME directory. If a writable directory named celestia-qt.home exists in the same folder as the AppImage, this directory is defined as portable $HOME.
This should make it easier to handle the different AppImage names after updates.

---

venture a first start

$ ./celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage

Troubleshooting, general

"Error Saving Bookmarks" "Read-only file system" on exit - solved (#335)

$ mkdir -m 700 ~/celestia-app/celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage.home/.config

Troubleshooting, Ubuntu 18.04.2

(celestia-qt:...): Gtk-WARNING **: ...: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "murrine", - solved, should not occur again

first install gtk2-engines-murrine

$ sudo apt-get install gtk2-engines-murrine

solution by prepending the GTK_PATH64 env var when the AppImage is started

$ GTK_PATH64=$GTK_PATH64:/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gtk-2.0/2.10.0/ ./celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage

or by creating a symbolic link

$ mkdir -p ~/celestia-app/celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage.home/.gtk-2.0/engines
$ ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gtk-2.0/2.10.0/engines/libmurrine.so ~/celestia-app/celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage.home/.gtk-2.0/engines/

Using an individual celestia-data folder

the Celestia way

$ ./celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage --celestia-extract-data
done: celestia data extracted to '/home/test/celestia-app/celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage.data'
start celestia e.g. with
CELESTIA_DATA_DIR=/home/test/celestia-app/celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage.data/ /home/test/celestia-app/celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage

the AppImage way

$ ./celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-extract
$ mv squashfs-root/usr/share/celestia/ my-data
$ rm -r squashfs-root

and now celestia can be started with the alternative data path

$ CELESTIA_DATA_DIR=~/celestia-app/my-data/ ./celestia-qt-continuous-x86_64.AppImage

Updates

The procedure to carry out updates is still under review. Until clarification the AppImage can be updated with AppImageUpdate.
Hints:

• https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageUpdate
• https://github.com/antony-jr/AppImageUpdaterBridge
• https://github.com/antony-jr/updatedeployqt
• ...

That's it for now.

[probonopd]

Sounds like a case for a custom AppRun script?

[375gnu]

Sounds like a case for a custom AppRun script?

I'm sorry, i don't get. Could you explain a little bit?

[375gnu]

With #335 merged, this:

create a portable home folder to use as $HOME

$ ./celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-portable-home

create a portable config folder to use as $XDG_CONFIG_HOME

$ ./celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-portable-config

and this:

"Error Saving Bookmarks" "Read-only file system" on exit

$ mkdir -m 700 ~/celestia-app/celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage.home/.config

is not required any more (crossing my fingers :) )

[probonopd]

I'm sorry, i don't get. Could you explain a little bit?

From what you wrote it seems like the user has to export certain environment variables in order to make this work. What I wanted to point to is AppRun, a file inside the AppImage which you can use to write your own script, that would export the needed environment variables.

Let me know if you are stuck and need concrete help.

[munix9]

With #335 merged, this:

create a portable home folder to use as $HOME
$ ./celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-portable-home
create a portable config folder to use as $XDG_CONFIG_HOME
$ ./celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-portable-config

and this:

"Error Saving Bookmarks" "Read-only file system" on exit
$ mkdir -m 700 ~/celestia-app/celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage.home/.config

is not required any more (crossing my fingers :) )

Please note:

$ ./celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-portable-home
$ ./celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-portable-config

have nothing to do with problems or errors, on the contrary, they offer the possibility to store configurations and the like not under $HOME/, $HOME/.config, $HOME/.local, but under the above mentioned portable directories.

[probonopd]

Sorry, then I was misunderstanding. In fact it's really as simple as those 3 steps:

Tutorial how to run the AppImage

wget -c https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/munix9:/unstable/AppImage/celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage # Download
chmod +x celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage # Make executable
./celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage # Run

Here it is running on Xubuntu 18.04:

Awesome! 👍

[munix9]

I'm sorry, i don't get. Could you explain a little bit?

From what you wrote it seems like the user has to export certain environment variables in order to make this work. What I wanted to point to is AppRun, a file inside the AppImage which you can use to write your own script, that would export the needed environment variables.

Let me know if you are stuck and need concrete help.

It would certainly be an advantage to clean up https://build.opensuse.org/project/show/OBS:AppImage, install new versions and fix the existing unresolvable/failed/broken builds.
But there are others in charge, I'll probably make a bug entry.
I've also noticed that AppImageUpdate doesn't work correctly with the AppImages generated by OBS - but I need to take a closer look at that.

The thing with libmurrine.so is annoying, yes, but we should wait for further tests of the users on as many platforms as possible.

[375gnu]

have nothing to do with problems or errors, on the contrary, they offer the possibility to store configurations and the like not under $HOME/, $HOME/.config, $HOME/.local, but under the above mentioned portable directories.

Seems that you are correct, because as I see if you don't explicitly create those dirs appimage use default $HOME etc.

But frankly speaking --appimage-portable-config required only for those who has nondefault $XDG_CONFIG_HOME. And appimage doesn't have means to redefine $XDG_DATA_HOME.

[probonopd]

I tried with two different updater tools and neither was able to update it correctly:

https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageUpdate

https://github.com/antony-jr/AppImageUpdater

This message is actually very helpful @antony-jr. We can see:

me@host:~$ strings Downloads/celestia-qt-0-Build160.1.glibc2.14-x86_64.AppImage | strings | grep zsync
zsync|https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/munix9:/unstable/AppImage/celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage.zsync
(...)

me@host:~$ wget https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/munix9:/unstable/AppImage/celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage.zsync

--2019-08-04 20:57:11--  https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/munix9:/unstable/AppImage/celestia-qt-latest-x86_64.AppImage.zsync
(...)
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 302 Found
Location: http://downloadcontent.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/munix9:/unstable/AppImage/celestia-qt-0-Build160.1.glibc2.14-x86_64.AppImage.zsync [following]

So it seems like there is a bug in https://download.opensuse.org that makes it redirect to http rather than to https. This used to work; so I suspect it to be a bug that was recently introduced.

cc @adrianschroeter

[probonopd]

appimage doesn't have means to redefine $XDG_DATA_HOME

Do you think we should add it?

[munix9]

I tried with two different updater tools and neither was able to update it correctly:

https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageUpdate

#333 (comment)

yep, I was thinking something like that, thanks for testing.

For celestia AppImageUpdate would be very advantageous, so you don't have to download the whole package with every build.

[probonopd]

For celestia AppImageUpdate would be very advantageous, so you don't have to download the whole package with every build.

Indeed! 👍