Flatpak-builder is a command-line tool that helps developers build and package applications as a Flatpak, which is a type of containerized software package for Linux. It allows developers to create self-contained, portable applications that can run on a wide variety of Linux distributions and versions. Flatpak-builder simplifies the process of building and packaging applications by automating the creation of the necessary dependencies and configuration files. It takes a json file, known as “manifest file”, which describes the application and its dependencies, and uses it to build the Flatpak package.
One of the key features of flatpak-builder is its ability to build and package applications and their dependencies in a single step. This means that developers don’t have to worry about building and packaging each dependency separately. Flatpak-builder takes care of that automatically. The manifest file also allows to specify the build environment, including the version of the runtime and the SDK that the application uses, the build-time dependencies and the permissions that the application needs. This allows to ensure that the application runs correctly on different Linux distributions and versions. Flatpak-builder also supports building from source and from git repositories, which allows developers to easily build and package the latest version of an application.
flatpak-builder Command Examples
1. Build a Flatpak and export it to a new repository:
# flatpak-builder path/to/build_directory path/to/manifest
2. Build a Flatpak and export it to the specified repository:
# flatpak-builder --repo=repository_name path/to/build_directory path/to/manifest
3. Build a Flatpak and install it locally:
# flatpak-builder --install path/to/build_directory path/to/manifest
4. Build and sign a Flatpak and export it to the specified repository:
# flatpak-builder --gpg-sign=key_id --repo=repository_name path/to/manifest
5. Run a shell inside of an application sandbox without installing it:
# flatpak-builder --run path/to/build_directory path/to/manifest sh