Link an appImage official package for releases

[efa]

Problem

I saw on web site, the official last version for Linux is supplied as Flatpack.
This is enormous package, how is big?

Solution

Please add an official AppImage package.

Alternatives

I saw there are unofficials updated package available like this good:
https://appimage.github.io/Minetest/
but official package is better

[HybridDog]

At the Minetest gitlab mirror, AppImages are generated by the CI, see for example https://gitlab.com/minetest/minetest/-/jobs/3699400271/artifacts/browse.
I don't know if they are official.

[efa]

good, I think they are official, but seems to me are generated by commit, so are for git master only.
Do you know if are there available AppImage for release 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, and so on?

[HybridDog]

After selecting a tag at gitlab it is possible to download an AppImage for an older Minetest release from the build artifacts. The AppImages on gitlab are the only official ones which I'm aware of.

[efa]

Did you know how to find the tags on gitlab related to stable release?

[efa]

found: https://gitlab.com/minetest/minetest/-/tags
there are links to tags # and commit #, but how to discover the job # and artifacts as in your links?

[efa]

found:

1. from tag # there is a link to
2. pipeline #, then click to
3. AppImage job #, then click
4. on the right on Browse button,
5. there the AppImage can be downloaded
   not so easy, but thanks

[efa]

at this point, I'm curious why on the official web site is not linked the AppImage already built for releases?
Instead, other than not updated native distro packages, is linked only the hated giant Flatpak

[rubenwardy]

I'm curious why on the official web site is not linked the AppImage already built for releases?

Because it's not recommended, Flatpak is currently our only recommended cross-distro format. Snap used to be recommended as well but it became unmaintained.

In order to recommend the appimage, we'd need to move away from GitLab (as it's unreliable for builds) and add support for updating

This is enormous package, how is big?

It's 26.7 MB

[efa]

happy to see 27 MB, I just try the suggested install command, it show:

$ flatpak install flathub net.minetest.Minetest
Looking for matches…
Required runtime for net.minetest.Minetest/x86_64/stable (runtime/org.freedesktop.Platform/x86_64/22.08) found in remote flathub
Do you want to install it? [Y/n]: y

net.minetest.Minetest permissions:
    network     pulseaudio     x11    devices

        ID                                            Branch      Op Remote  Download
 1.     net.minetest.Minetest.Locale                  stable      i  flathub   < 1,6 MB (partial)
 2.     org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.default           22.08       i  flathub < 137,7 MB
 3.     org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.default           22.08-extra i  flathub < 137,7 MB
 4.     org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.nvidia-470-161-03 1.4         i  flathub < 273,2 MB
 5.     org.freedesktop.Platform.Locale               22.08       i  flathub < 333,2 MB (partial)
 6.     org.freedesktop.Platform.VAAPI.Intel          22.08       i  flathub  < 13,6 MB
 7.     org.freedesktop.Platform.openh264             2.2.0       i  flathub < 944,3 kB
 8.     org.freedesktop.Platform                      22.08       i  flathub < 214,7 MB
 9.     net.minetest.Minetest                         stable      i  flathub  < 12,7 MB

Proceed with these changes to the system installation? [Y/n]: 

this is 1.1 GB of install, mostly are already installed as native distro packages

[Calinou]

this is 1.1 GB of install, mostly are already installed as native distro packages

The runtime and other dependencies are shared across most Flatpak packages you install in the future. Therefore, installing additional Flatpaks after the Minetest Flatpak will not result in a 1+ GB download (unless the package is using an older runtime).

[efa]

take care that as comparison, the AppImage is 60 MB, and work quite the same

[Calinou]

take care that as comparison, the AppImage is 60 MB, and work quite the same

If you install dozens of AppImages, the combined size will eventually be larger than Flatpaks for the same applications as libraries have to be duplicated a lot more often.

[efa]

OK, but I think users prefer native distro package to avoid all that drawbacks. AppImage or Flatpak are to have a few updated package, not dozens

[HybridDog]

If you install dozens of AppImages, the combined size will eventually be larger than Flatpaks for the same applications as libraries have to be duplicated a lot more often.

I think for games this size overhead is negligible because often there are large files which are not shared with other programs, e.g. the game's music, images and other media files.

Furthermore, if the AppImage is published with a .zsync file, updating a previously downloaded AppImage file usually requires much less download time than updating a package installed with, for example, apt-get or pacman.

The runtime and other dependencies are shared across most Flatpak packages you install in the future.

It looks like the list of packages shown above includes a nvidia driver and VAAPI. Can this cause compatibility problems?

[Calinou]

It looks like the list of packages shown above includes a nvidia driver and VAAPI. Can this cause compatibility problems?

No, as driver Flatpaks are only installed if needed on your system.