AppImage package support for Linux

[ayr-ton]

Check for existing issues

• [X] Completed

Describe the feature

Following the road to Linux (https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/issues/7015), I would ask you to investigate AppImage.

What is AppImage

AppImage format is ideal for upstream packaging, which means that you get the software directly from the original author(s) without any intermediaries, exactly in the way the author(s) intended. And quickly.

The experience is similar to Mac OS .dmg packages, so it's learning curve is smaller for Mac OS app developers. There's also apps like https://github.com/TheAssassin/AppImageLauncher that create seamless integration with all Linux distributions.

My favorite examples are: https://appimage.github.io/Todoist/ and https://k8slens.dev/

Competitors by learning curve

• AUR (for Arch Linux based) - easier, fast to get running and available to everyone: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/zed-preview-bin
• Flatpak - Safer, some learning curve. Default for most distributions including Steamdeck and read-only OSes.
• Snap - Similar to flatpak, but with bigger learning curve for non cli like apps. By default is not in all linux distributions expect Ubuntu although has broad compatibility with all distros.
• Official packages (one per distro: .deb, .rpm, etc) - more complex, an extra learning curve for each package type

Getting started

• https://docs.appimage.org/introduction/index.html
• https://docs.appimage.org/packaging-guide/index.html
• https://docs.appimage.org/packaging-guide/optional/updates.html

[awedpotato767]

Issue #6687 comments on AppImages when mentioning flatpak alternatives. While I agree that the experience for AppImages may be familiar with macOS and some windows developers, most app centers on linux now have support for flatpaks (GNOME software and discover on KDE) out of the box. AppImage is also getting quite dated technology-wise and the lack of automatic updates out of the box may cause headaches from users reporting bugs in out-of-date versions of the software.

[ayr-ton]

About the out-of-date versions issue: https://docs.appimage.org/packaging-guide/optional/updates.html TODOist and k8slens are also examples of self-updated functionality

[probonopd]

The AppImage format is about one app = one file simplicity. I'd say it is timeless, not "dated". It allows you to keep multiple versions in parallel, and easily copy/move applications around between disks and computers. There is a mechanism for built-in updates. It is something entirely different that "installed" applications. More like PortableApps for Windows.

[BelKai]

I've been using official AppImages for Blender and Neovim ... , in combination with gearlever. The experience has been amazing. I'm really hoping the team will consider adding support for AppImage.