“It’s a portable app in Windows”. This was my first impression when I heard about AppImage.
To try out AppImage, I downloaded LocalSend’s AppImage version. I double-clicked it to run and nothing happened…
Maybe my click didn’t register? I double-clicked it again. Still, nothing happened.
Executable Permission#
After googling, I found out that I needed to set the permission:
- Select and right-click the AppImage.
- Click Properties and Permissions tab
- Check the Allow executing file as program box.
Then I double-clicked it again and it started to run.
AppImage Desktop Integration#
Now, I had another question. Why don’t I see my app in the menu?
I googled again and found out that I needed to write a .desktop file to integrate it.
For convenient, someone already made AppImageLauncher to simplify the process and add useful functions.
I did it manually, referring to the Example Desktop Entry File from freedesktop.org, and wrote a simple .desktop.
[Desktop Entry]
Name=LocalSend
Comment=An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop
Version=1.17.0
Type=Application
Categories=Utility;Network;FileTransfer
Exec=/home/juan/Apps/LocalSend/LocalSend-1.17.0-linux-x86-64.AppImage
Icon=/home/juan/Apps/LocalSend/logo-512.pngSave the file in /home/\<user\>/.local/share/applications.
Then, it should appear in the menu.
For more info, please visit Freedesktop.org Specifications
