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this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2023
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Linux
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Definitely the correct answer.
It's a drag and drop appimage manager, like macOS DMGs. And it's a flatpak!
You can use AM or AppMan. It is a command line tool for managing AppImages. Including download , install, update and remove.
Have a look at
https://portable-linux-apps.github.io/
It is also open source.
I tried AM some time ago, and I was extremely confused about the documentation and how to use it. I even watched a YouTube video from DistroTube on how to use it, but I still couldn't figure it out. I don't exactly remember the issues, though, and I hope it's better now.
I am using AppMan as it does not require root and it does install the files into my home directory. It uses query parameter instead of search, but the install, update and remove are similar to the apt commands for example. I use AppImages when there is no package in the repository (or only older version) and it is not available as a Flatpak.
There is also AppImage Launcher which works nicely for me. It automatically integrates AppImages into the DE (e.g. search and start menu) and a few other nice things.
I symlink the AppImage. It's still a manual process in that you have to recreate the symlink but feels like less of a hassle than updating the desktop file.
Use a package management system that supports this use case.
Not to be that person but I'm curious what made you go with AppImage over Flatpak, given that you already mentioned using the Flatpak as an alternative ^^"
Don't. Use a proper package manager for permanent installation of things. There's a reason we have those.
Isn't that kind of AppImage's whole thing, to behave like Mac apps that you just double click on regardless of where they are, and not have a package manager?
I'd go for the Flatpak if you want it to be managed and updated.
We went from distro packages to Flatpak to bare files and circling back to reinventing the package manager...
What's wrong with gear lever?
The issue with gear lever is that not many people know that it exists. I only started using it a few months ago and I've been on Linux for the better part of the last decade.
As a Nix fanboy I would write a Nix expression that downloads the AppImage, and also writes the desktop file with the appropriate path written into it via string interpolation. That can be done either through a NixOS configuration, or in any Linux distro using Home Manager.
I am a big fan or repackaging Appimages as Flatpaks, with appstream metadata, sane package management (not the windows way or simply nothing at all), sandboxing and desktop entries.
There are some repos on Github that do that.
I just have a keybind to open file manager of the app images 🤷