If you have to choose between using an App Image, from the developpers official site or an AUR package (or apt e.g), what do you choose?
If you have to choose between using an App Image, from the developpers official site or an AUR package (or apt e.g), what do you choose?
My personal order:
Repositories > AUR > Making an own AUR package > Making an own package not in AUR > Flatpak > Using an alternative to that application > consider if I really need it > AppImage
Why do you consider AppImages as last resort?
I can understand that in a distro the main repo need to be prioritized to avoid bloat of repetitive dependencies that could happen with a lot of AppImages.
I can’t understand why so many people are opposed to it as an supportive role from a practical and complementary perspective.
Mainly because you cannot manage them properly.
Installing from the repos I have pacman, from the AUR I can use one of the various AUR helpers (most of them can forward repo package updates to pacman, so I really have just one command to update the system and all AUR packages).
When making my own packages I usually also put them in the AUR (plus, it is super easy to do make an own package and put in in the AUR) – and from there an aUR helper takes care about updates. Flatpaks can also be updated very easy by just running one command.
So: All of those have a specific location where they install and allow me to start them easily because they put a script/link somewhere in
$PATH. All of those can be easily maintained and updated.Last time I checked, AppImages had none of those. Neither could I easily update all of them on my system, nor is there a dedicated location to place them, nor is there an “unified” (i.e. something in
$PATH) way of starting them. I have to manually check for updates, re-download the whole thing, replace the current AppImage file in an arbitrary location.This is just how I do not want to maintain my programs.