Flathub for Linux apps has been given quite the makeover

i have really enjoyed flathub. i can find pretty much anything there

>>The new update brings with it a rotating featured banner

Ugh, I hate rotating banners. Nothing on the page should move unless I clicked on it. I hope they at least have the sense to make all the banners the same height, so the whole page doesn't jog up and down as they cycle.

So, I've never really used flatpaks, except maybe one or two that were actually in my distro's repository. So I'm wondering--If you install stuff from Flathub, how do you keep it up to date? Is there some mechanism or do you just have to sort of remember that you ought to, application by application? Do you update, or do you just reinstall a newer version?

So, I've never really used flatpaks, except maybe one or two that were actually in my distro's repository. So I'm wondering--If you install stuff from Flathub, how do you keep it up to date? Is there some mechanism or do you just have to sort of remember that you ought to, application by application? Do you update, or do you just reinstall a newer version?

On the cli, it comes with a package manager of sorts; otherwise it integrates with gui managers like KDE Discover, or GNOME Software via packagekit transparently. I use `flatpak update` on the cli, whenever I check for stuff on the regular package manager.

One thing that does require a bit of manual tinkering is the permissions; there's an app called Flatseal that makes it a lot easier: https://flathub.org/apps/com.github.tchx84.Flatseal; KDE system settings also has a tab nowadays towards the same end.

So, I've never really used flatpaks, except maybe one or two that were actually in my distro's repository. So I'm wondering--If you install stuff from Flathub, how do you keep it up to date? Is there some mechanism or do you just have to sort of remember that you ought to, application by application? Do you update, or do you just reinstall a newer version?

You just click the Update All button in GNOME Software or KDE Discover to update your system + Flatpak packages. They're all managed via PackageKit. It informs you if there have been any permission changes between versions. I assume the Linux Mint software GUI would have a similar screen. It updates like any other system package, replacing the older version.

You can also run:

flatpak update

in the terminal if you like.

Incidentally, rolling back to a previous version of a Flatpak requires the terminal and is a little obscure, but it's easily possible. For instance, let's say you want to downgrade GIMP. First we need to know the Parent commit:

flatpak remote-info flathub org.gimp.GIMP

Then update to the Parent commit:

flatpak update --commit=02da1cc51c2b5f9fe03487ff6024e95be68f22e1f10c73ca6a10f8de84e8d321 org.gimp.GIMP

To see all of the previous versions, run:

flatpak remote-info --log flathub org.gimp.GIMP


Last edited by pleasereadthemanual on 24 April 2024 at 3:35 pm UTC

>> I assume the Linux Mint software GUI would have a similar screen.

Yes, Mint has integrated Flatpak updates into its update manager.

On the cli, it comes with a package manager of sorts; otherwise it integrates with gui managers like KDE Discover, or GNOME Software via packagekit transparently. I use `flatpak update` on the cli, whenever I check for stuff on the regular package manager.

You just click the Update All button in GNOME Software or KDE Discover to update your system + Flatpak packages. They're all managed via PackageKit.

Yes, Mint has integrated Flatpak updates into its update manager.

Thanks everyone, that was very informative. And actually makes me much more likely to grab something from Flathub in future.


Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 24 April 2024 at 5:09 pm UTC

On the cli, it comes with a package manager of sorts; otherwise it integrates with gui managers like KDE Discover, or GNOME Software via packagekit transparently. I use `flatpak update` on the cli, whenever I check for stuff on the regular package manager.

You just click the Update All button in GNOME Software or KDE Discover to update your system + Flatpak packages. They're all managed via PackageKit.

Yes, Mint has integrated Flatpak updates into its update manager.

Thanks everyone, that was very informative. And actually makes me much more likely to grab something from Flathub in future.

Ditto.

Flathub is my favourite place to grab various apps for Linux and Steam Deck

Same although it is a shame that so many of those apps are only available through third party (community?) packaging.

So, I've never really used flatpaks, except maybe one or two that were actually in my distro's repository. So I'm wondering--If you install stuff from Flathub, how do you keep it up to date? Is there some mechanism or do you just have to sort of remember that you ought to, application by application? Do you update, or do you just reinstall a newer version?

I believe GNOME and KDE GUI software managers also manage Flatpaks so nothing specific there if you use those.

If you update from the terminal you can make a simple script to update Flatpaks along with the regular distro updates.

I have this in my ~/bin/pc-update.sh:
#!/usr/bin/env bash

# Colors
green="\e[;92m"
reset="\e[0m"


echo -e "\n${green}*** Firmware update ***${reset}\n"
sudo fwupdmgr refresh
sudo fwupdmgr update

echo -e "\n${green}*** Flatpak update (system)***${reset}\n"
sudo flatpak update -y

echo -e "\n${green}*** Flatpak remove unused (system)***${reset}\n"
sudo flatpak uninstall --unused

#echo -e "\n${green}*** Flatpak update (user)***${reset}\n"
#flatpak update -y
#
#echo -e "\n${green}*** Flatpak remove unused (user)***${reset}\n"
#flatpak uninstall --unused

echo -e "\n${green}*** System update ***${reset}\n"
sudo zypper dist-upgrade --auto-agree-with-licenses --no-recommends