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Hosam Hasan
Hosam Hasan

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Package Flutter Linux App Into AppImage Part 2

#flutter #appimage #linux #opensource

Now, We are ready to build our first Flutter AppImage app 🚀

Firstly , we will change our working directory to the project directory.

$ cd flutter_appimage
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Then follow these steps:

1- Create folder AppDir

$ mkdir AppDir
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2- Generate the YAML recipe file required to build the AppImage

$ appimage-builder --generate
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this command will prompt some questions. Here is the final output :

INFO:Generator:Searching AppDir
? ID [Eg: com.example.app]: com.example.flutter_appimage
? Application Name: Flutter AppImage
? Icon: flutter_appimage_icon
? Executable path relative to AppDir [usr/bin/app]: flutter_appimage
? Arguments [Default: $@]: $@
? Version [Eg: 1.0.0]: latest
? Update Information [Default: guess]: guess
? Architecture: x86_64
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Now, you will notice a new file AppImageBuilder.yml added to the root directory of our project.

Wait a second, What the hack this flutter_appimage_icon comes from 🙄🤔

Stop rubbing your head. Here is why :

  • copy your favorite icon to the root directory and make sure its extension is SVG

  • rename you icon to flutter_appimage_icon.svg

Now, let's open AppImageBuilder.yml and edit some stuff:

  • add starting script that will delete old AppDir: 
  script:
   - rm -rf AppDir | true
   - mkdir AppDir
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  • add after bundling scripts to add the Flutter App to the bandle 
  AppDir:
    after_bundle:
    - cp build/linux/x64/release/bundle/flutter_appimage AppDir
    - cp -r build/linux/x64/release/bundle/lib/. AppDir/lib
    - cp -r build/linux/x64/release/bundle/data AppDir
    - cp flutter_appimage_icon.svg AppDir/usr/share/icons/
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  • Add gtk3 required for flutter app also define the repositories where dependencies comes from 
    pacman:
      Architecture: x86_64
      repositories:
        core:
          - https://mirror.rackspace.com/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch
        extra:
          - https://mirror.rackspace.com/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch
      include:
        - gtk3
        - python # I don't know why we need but build fails without it  
        - perl # I don't know why we need but build fails without it
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Alright, Here is the moment we have been waiting for: 

$ appimage-builder --skip-test
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🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁.....................Voila 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

New file added to the root directory Flutter AppImage-latest-x86_64.AppImage

Flutter Counter App packaged in AppImage.

But wait a second ...... not again 😫.

The bundled AppImage file is about 225 MB , your kidding me 😠.

I know the bundle size needs some optmization , I wil pospone this to part 3.

References :

GitHub :

Top comments (1)

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atulchaudhary profile image
Atul Chaudhary •

The final appimage generated through "appimage-builder --skip-test" doesnt have any icon associated with it. tried with svg and png both. icon is present in the root dir of project and also correct name is present in yml file.

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