[](https://github.com/kem-a/AppManager/releases/latest)
[](https://github.com/kem-a/AppManager/releases/latest)
[](https://github.com/kem-a/AppManager/blob/main/LICENSE)
[](https://pkgforge-dev.github.io/Anylinux-AppImages/)
[](https://github.com/kem-a/AppManager/stargazers)
# 
AppManager
**AppManager** is a GTK/Libadwaita developed desktop utility in **Vala** that makes installing and uninstalling AppImages on Linux desktop painless. It supports both SquashFS and DwarFS AppImage formats, features a seamless background **auto-update** process, and leverages **zsync** delta updates for efficient bandwidth usage. Double-click any `.AppImage` to open a macOS-style drag-and-drop window, just drag to install and AppManager will move the app, wire up desktop entries, and copy icons.
> **This AppImage bundles everything and it should work on any Linux distro, including old and musl-based ones.**
AppManager doesn't require FUSE to run, thanks to the [uruntime](https://github.com/VHSgunzo/uruntime)
## Preview
## Features
- **Drag-and-drop installer**: Mimics the familiar macOS Applications install flow.
- **Portable or extracted**: Apps are installed portable (the AppImage is moved to `~/Applications`). From the app's details you can extract it to `~/Applications/.installed//` instead.
- **True isolated portable mode**: Optionally creates `.home` and `.config` folders next to the AppImage so the app stores all its data alongside itself - fully self-contained and portable.
- **Side-by-side installs**: Install multiple copies or versions of the same app; extra copies get a numbered suffix (e.g. `Bitwarden` and `Bitwarden 2`) with their own desktop entries and icons.
- **Desktop integration**: Extracts the bundled `.desktop` file via `unsquashfs` or `dwarfsextract`, rewrites `Exec` and `Icon`, and stores it in `~/.local/share/applications`.
- **Simple uninstall**: Right click in app drawer and choose `Move to Trash`, can uninstall in AppManager or simply delete from `~/Applications` folder.
- **One-click installs from the web**: Registers the `x-scheme-handler/appimg` handler, so an `appimg://install?url=…&sha256=…` link downloads the AppImage over HTTPS and verifies the supplied SHA-256 and size. Downloads matching [AppHub](https://xlc-dev.github.io/apphub/)'s catalog receive the app's sandbox template; other downloads use your normal installation defaults.
- **App library**: The main window lists installed apps with search, sorting and list or grid views. Changing the install folder in Preferences moves the installed apps along.
- **Update sources**: zsync delta updates from the AppImage's embedded update info, GitHub and GitLab releases (optionally including pre-releases), or a plain download link checked for changes.
- **Update progress**: Apps update in parallel, each with its own progress ring that follows the download, delta downloads included. A running check or update can be cancelled.
- **Background app updates**: Optional automatic update checks with configurable interval (daily, weekly, monthly), notifications when updates are found, and optional automatic installs. Each run is written to an update log.
- **Per-app customization**: Rename an app, change its icon, keywords or `StartupWMClass`, add launch arguments and environment variables, hide it from the app drawer, or add it to `$PATH`. These settings survive updates.
- **GitHub authentication**: Optionally store a GitHub personal access token to raise the API rate limit from 60 to 5,000 requests per hour. The token is kept in the system keyring (GNOME Keyring, KWallet, KeePassXC) when a Secret Service is available, and otherwise in an AES-256-GCM blob bound to the machine and user account, so a synced or copied config file is useless elsewhere.
- **Per-app sandboxing**: Give each app a private home and control its access to personal files, network, sound, devices and desktop services. Choose a preset, customize permissions, or use an AppHub template. See the [sandboxing guide](sandboxing/README.md).
## Sandboxing
Run portable AppImages with a private home and configurable access to your files,
network, devices and desktop services. Choose **Standard** or **Strict** in an
app's **Privacy & Security** settings, or use its AppHub template.
See the [sandboxing guide](sandboxing/README.md) for setup, profiles, requirements
and known limitations.
## Requirements
- `valac`, `meson` (>= 0.64), `ninja`, `gettext`, `glib-compile-schemas`
- Libraries: `libadwaita-1` (>= 1.6), `gtk4`, `glib-2.0` (>= 2.74), `gio-2.0`, `gio-unix-2.0`, `gmodule-2.0`, `json-glib-1.0`, `gee-0.8`, `libsoup-3.0`, `libsecret-1`, `gnutls` (>= 3.6.13)
- Optional, for sandbox hardening: `libseccomp` (syscall filtering), `wayland-client` plus `wayland-scanner` (compositor-side isolation). Both are found automatically and can be turned off with `-Dseccomp=disabled` and `-Dwayland_security_context=disabled`.
- Runtime tools: `unsquashfs`, `dwarfsextract`; optionally `zsync-rs` (0.2.2 or newer, for its `--json` progress) for delta updates
- Runtime tools for sandboxing: `bwrap`, `xdg-dbus-proxy`, `fusermount3`, `squashfuse`, `dwarfs`
## Install
Simply [download](https://github.com/kem-a/AppManager/releases) latest app version, enable execute and double click to install it.
## Nix / NixOS
### Run without installation
```bash
nix run "github:kem-a/AppManager"
```
### Install permanently
```bash
nix profile install "github:kem-a/AppManager"
```
### NixOS / Home Manager
```nix
inputs.app-manager.url = "github:kem-a/AppManager";
# then add to packages:
inputs.app-manager.packages.x86_64-linux.default
```
## Build
Install development dependencies
(click to open)
Install the development packages required to build AppManager on each distribution:
- **Debian / Ubuntu:**
```bash
sudo apt install valac meson ninja-build pkg-config gettext libadwaita-1-dev libgtk-4-dev libglib2.0-dev libjson-glib-dev libgee-0.8-dev libsoup-3.0-dev libsecret-1-dev libgnutls28-dev libseccomp-dev libwayland-dev curl zlib1g-dev liblzma-dev libzstd-dev
```
- **Fedora:**
```bash
sudo dnf install vala meson ninja-build gettext gtk4-devel libadwaita-devel glib2-devel json-glib-devel libgee-devel libsoup3-devel libsecret-devel gnutls-devel libseccomp-devel wayland-devel curl zlib-devel xz-devel libzstd-devel
```
- **Arch Linux / Manjaro:**
```bash
sudo pacman -S vala meson ninja gettext gtk4 libadwaita glib2 json-glib libgee libsoup3 libsecret gnutls libseccomp wayland curl zlib xz zstd
```
`curl` and the zlib/xz/zstd headers are only needed for the bundled tools described below.
Default setup
```bash
meson setup build --prefix=$HOME/.local
```
Build and install
```bash
meson compile -C build
meson install -C build
```
By default the build bundles its helper tools: it downloads `dwarfsextract` and the `dwarfs` FUSE driver and `squashfuse`, compiles `unsquashfs` from source, and builds `zsync-rs` from crates.io with `cargo`. This needs network access. To use the host's tools instead, pass any of `-Dbundle_dwarfs=false`, `-Dbundle_zsync=false`, `-Dbundle_squashfuse=false`, `-Dbundle_unsquashfs=false`.
## CLI helpers
- Open the installer window for a file: `app-manager /path/to/app.AppImage`
- Install an AppImage: `app-manager install /path/to/app.AppImage`
- Install side by side, keeping the existing app: `app-manager install --keep-both /path/to/app.AppImage`
- Uninstall by path: `app-manager uninstall /path/to/app.AppImage`
- Update a single installed AppImage: `app-manager update /path/to/app.AppImage`
- Update all installed AppImages: `app-manager --update-all`
- List available updates (no install): `app-manager --update-check`
- Check if installed: `app-manager --is-installed /path/to/app.AppImage`
- Run the background update service (started by its autostart entry): `app-manager --background-update`
- Show version or help: `app-manager --version` / `app-manager --help`
- Open a web install link: `app-manager 'appimg://install?url=https://host/App.AppImage&sha256='`
## Translations
AppManager supports multiple languages. Want to help translate to your language? See the [translation guide](po/README.md) for instructions.
Currently supported: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese.
## Reviews
*App of the Week*