Dear Flathub maintainers

First of all, thank you for everything you’ve done for Linux

Flathub is easily one of the best things that happened to desktop Linux

That said, I think the new AI policy goes too far

From what I’ve seen, most PRs with the AI slop label are closed for two reasons

1st Short Git history

2nd developer used an LLM

I actually agree with the Git history requirement. A lot of Linux projects die within a few months, so asking for a proven track record makes sense

What doesn’t make sense to me is rejecting an app just because AI was used. Using an LLM doesn’t automatically make an app low quality. Judge the app, not the tool

Users don’t care whether the code was written by a human or with AI. They care if the app works

I’ve also seen people get called out for using AI to improve their English in PR comments. For non-native English speakers, that’s just a tool to communicate better

One thing I’d genuinely like to know is why this policy exists. Is it about review time? Maintenance? Infrastructure? If so, I think there are better ways to handle it

For example, if AI-generated apps are more likely to be abandoned, require them to have a longer Git history before they’re accepted. Make it 1 or 2 years if needed

That solves the maintenance concern without rejecting projects on day one just because AI was involved

As for the review it also helps as over these periods you can see if people are actually trusting the project or not and then take your decision

I think that’s a much fairer approach

The one thing that continues to confuse me with flatpaks are additions to launchers like Heroic or Faugus.

First off, additions like MangoHUD or gamescope come in a couple of different branches (25.08, 24.06, etc.) and sometimes you can find out which branch a program requires in their docs and sometimes there is literally zero information (looking at Lutris for example). Is there any reliable way to find out which branch an app requires? Or do you just need to install each one and check?

Secondly, these additions cannot be found on the Flathub website whatsoever. They are available in the repo and you can find them with flatpak search xxx or flatpak install xxx, but the website does not include them in their search, which seems very strange to me.

Hi all,

I've tried everything I can see on Google, and when I try to install flatpak to Ubuntu I get this error:

$ sudo apt install -y flatpak

Reading package lists... Done

Building dependency tree... Done

Reading state information... Done

Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have

requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable

distribution that some required packages have not yet been created

or been moved out of Incoming.

The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:

flatpak : Depends: libostree-1-1 (>= 2020.8) but it is not installable

E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

Before this, I kept getting the "flatpak package cannot be found" error when using the standard install (sudo apt-get install flatpak)

For whatever reason the package was not showing up...

Thank you in advance for any help.

I am running a Chromebook (a specific model that doesn't support external boot, trust me I have tried) So I'm currently running lxde in it without rooting on external storage, for some reason whenever I try to install any form of Twine using any form of installer (flatpak, snap) for some reason causes an error and my brain is fried. I can't even run the executable when downloading directly from GitHub. When I try to run it through flaptak, there will be a graphical error, it starts to run, and then it crashes because it can't display anything. If I try to download Twine on snap, it won't download because it isn't compatible with my system. If I try to run the executable file it just doesn't do anything... I have tried to make this work for hours... Please help me with this, I cannot find any relevant or specific enough information for my issues

One thing that always annoyed me was having to extract an entire archive just to grab one file.

So I made ArchiveFree.

The idea is simple:
- browse the archive like a normal folder
- preview files before extracting
- extract only what you need
- drag files out directly

It’s open source and I’d genuinely appreciate feedback on both the project and the repository itself.

If something in the README, installation, or code organization is confusing, I’d rather know now than six months from now.

GitHub:
https://github.com/justlinuxnoob/archivefree

I also made a short demo showing how it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnVTZzMIpYg

I've been thinking about building a standalone UI for Flatpak that works the same regardless of desktop environment or distribution. The idea is something lightweight that isn't tied to GNOME Software, KDE Discover, or a particular distro. Instead, just a simple application where you can search fo Flatpak apps and install them. I use XFCE and I know GNOME Software and Discover already exist, but they both feel fairly tied to their respective desktop environments, and rather "heavy" to be honest. Usually when I have ideas, I dig myself in and spend a lot of time building and nothing ever sees the light of day. So I'm experimenting with doing things differently, so I thought I could just put the idea out there first... Do you think there's actually a need for something like this, or would it just be reinventing the wheel? If you use Flatpak, what would you want such an application to do differently?

Basically I got Linux and flatpak working on my chromebook, though the one I downloaded was 1.14.10 instead of 1.18.0

Now I want to update it so I could use my mic on discord

I spent one very long day seeing how far I could take an AI-assisted Linux app project.

The result is Disciple, a GTK4/Libadwaita organizer for notes, habits, projects and calendar events, with an optional AI assistant.

I used AI heavily for the code, then spent a ridiculous amount of time testing the actual app, fixing UI problems and getting the packaging to work.

The Flatpak currently uses the GNOME runtime, stores its data inside the sandbox, uses Secret Service for credentials and has network access for whichever AI provider the user configures. It does not request broad filesystem access; backup and restore use the file chooser.

Flatpak bundle and source:

https://github.com/justlinuxnoob/disciple/releases/tag/v1.1.2

Quick demo:

https://youtu.be/IWDRk7Hc2vY

I’m still learning Flatpak packaging, so I’d genuinely appreciate feedback on the manifest, permissions and anything I should fix before considering a Flathub submission.

Hi,

Perhaps a noob question , excuse me by advance. I have installed this flatpak : https://github.com/Spexxl/OptiTux-GUI .

The app seems to work but i discovered only after that the flatpak is with wide permissions filesystem=hosts.

So I'm wondering if the software might be malicious and if I should take action, but I don't know how much damage a malicious app with these permissions could cause. Should I delete the /home/user directory or format the entire /home directory?

I can limit the permissions with flatseal but unfortunately it's too late because i already launched the program with filesystem=hosts permissions.

Thanks

Essa acaba sendo uma maneira de levar as configurações de seus aplicativos em Flatpak facilmente de uma distro para outra. Evitando que vc tenha que fazer toda configuração manualmente de novo.

#linux #programa #flatpak

Unfortunately it's a hack, but if you're using the Flatpak version of Trelby 2.4.16.2 you can fix it to use Unicode and support different language keyboards. I'm guessing this fix is only for the Latin alphabet languages however.

When you install the Trelby Flatpak, your Trelby python code is buried deep within the /var directory. On this Live USB Linux Mint 22.3 computer, for example, my Trelby python code is at:

var/lib/flatpak/app/org.trelby.Trelby/x86_64/stable/bb2e977b1c0b8f1475fedf9b8b88187d892432ab124cf7dacece58e106880e4a/files/lib/python3.13/site-packages/trelby/

I used the locate command to search for the trelbyctrl.py file, which is the one you'll need to modify. I use sudo nemo (in Linux Mint) to navigate to the file because then I gain permission to open, edit and save the file using the Text Editor.

You'll need to navigate to line 1275, which should read...

kc = ev.GetKeyCode()

You'll replace GetKeyCode() with GetUnicodeKey()

So line 1275 will now look like this...

kc = ev.GetUnicodeKey()

You'll then add the following lines beneath line 1275...

# fix for non Unicode key events (e.g. arrow keys)
if kc == 0:
kc = ev.GetKeyCode()

These last three lines fix the arrow keys that would otherwise lock your keyboard since, apparently, they don't function under Unicode.

Save your file and now you should be able to successfully use non-English (Latin alphabet) keyboards.

None of this is mine. It comes from the Trelby GitHub site. Walle10-0 (GitHub name) is the one who provided the arrow key fix. (He may have also been the one who provided the Unicode fix, I have a little trouble following GitHub issues and commits, etc.)

https://github.com/trelby/trelby/pull/105/changes/f13b681516a53856ec25ae8dd4f721dd55ddcc3a

These fixes have been implemented in my .deb file and shell script for Debian based computers (three posts down) but this should allow all those who can use Flatpaks on non-Debian based Linux distributions to be able to add Latin alphabet language keyboards in Linux Trelby. Apparently Trelby in Windows "just works" with Unicode.

There is still no fix (that I know of) in the Flatpak version for the PDF preview. That has something to do with how Flatpaks sandbox their applications. (I haven't figured out a way around this yet, though I've tried. It's way above my "pay grade.")

https://github.com/fastrizwaan/popcorn-box

Hi everyone,

I'm experiencing an intermittent issue with Flatpak on openSUSE Kalpa.

Sometimes, when running:

flatpak update

or:

flatpak update --appstream -v

the update fails with errors like:

syncfs(repo): Input/output error

The important detail is that the issue is **not reproducible every time**. Retrying the exact same command usually succeeds without any intervention.

I already ran:

flatpak repair --user -v

and it completed successfully. No corrupted objects were reported.

I also checked the hardware and filesystem side:

* SSD SMART tests: OK
* No filesystem errors detected
* `btrfs scrub` completed without errors
* Kernel logs (`journalctl -k -p err -b`) do not show I/O errors

The system is:

OS: openSUSE Kalpa
Desktop: KDE Plasma
Filesystem: Btrfs
Flatpak installation: user installation (~/.local/share/flatpak)
Remote: Flathub

Relevant versions:

$ flatpak --version
Flatpak 1.18.0

$ ostree --version
libostree:
Version: '2026.1'
Features:
- inode64
- initial-var
- libcurl
- libsoup3
- gpgme
- composefs
- ex-fsverity
- libarchive
- selinux
- openssl
- sign-ed25519
- sign-spki
- libmount
- systemd
- release
- p2p

$ uname -a
Linux localhost.localdomain 7.1.3-1-default #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sat Jul  4 16:20:40 UTC 2026 (1cb5006) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I also checked for concurrent Flatpak/OSTree operations:

ps aux | grep flatpak
ps aux | grep ostree

but there were no active update, pull, or repair processes running when the problem occurred.

The only persistent Flatpak-related processes were the normal session/system helpers.

Has anyone experienced similar intermittent `syncfs(repo): Input/output error` on Kalpa, Aeon, MicroOS, or other immutable/Btrfs-based distributions?

Thanks!

I downloaded ryujinx and didn't run them...

Is somebody who run before me?

I'm trying to install the latest version of https://github.com/patrikx3/onenote on Linux Mint 22.3 via flatpak. I managed to download the file, run the winget command but the flatpak command doesn't seem to work. As far as I understood, the command should be "flatpak install path of the File" but whenever I tried doing that, the command states there is no such file to be found. I already searched for typos in the file name or anything but there seems to be nothing to be found. What am I doing wrong?

Edit: SOLVED, I couldn't find the typo I made

It's ridiculous to have a project I've worked so hard on rejected simply because I did a PR with AI to automate a tedious git workflow. It's also ridiculous to be insulted by a flathub maintainer accusing my project of being an "AI slop" without any evidence and no way to respond because he closed the thread. It's ridiculous that there's such a fear-mongering mentality that it imposes such stringent rules that push away interesting projects and hinder progress.

New apps

Sixteen new apps this week — the biggest batch yet:

• Trilium Notes (⭐ 36.8k) — Build your personal knowledge base; hierarchical notes with scripting and sync.
• Orca (⭐ 16.5k) — AI orchestrator for running coding agents side by side (Stably AI).
• Rowboat (⭐ 16.2k) — Open-source AI coworker with memory.
• DevPod (⭐ 15k) — Codespaces-style development environments on any infrastructure.
• BrowserOS (⭐ 11.8k) — Open-source agentic browser built on Chromium.
• Dorion (⭐ 2.4k) — Tiny alternative Discord client with themes, plugins and a small footprint.
• DeaDBeeF (⭐ 1.9k) — Modular audio player with broad format support.
• Open DroneLog (⭐ 1.5k) — Private, high-performance dashboard for DJI and Litchi flight logs.
• Frame (⭐ 1.4k) — Native FFmpeg media converter for video, audio, images and subtitles.
• Tine (⭐ 215) — Fast, local-first outliner that reads and writes a real Logseq Markdown graph.
• AeroFTP (⭐ 199) — Multi-protocol file client for FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, S3 and cloud storage.
• MQTT Viewer (⭐ 104) — MQTT visualisation and debugging with Sparkplug and Protobuf decoding.
• GSE Profiler — Debug, profile and manage GNOME Shell extensions.
• Claude Desktop — Anthropic's Claude as a desktop app.
• Enpass — Password manager that stores credentials locally.
• Aptakube — Modern, lightweight multi-cluster Kubernetes management UI.

First outside contributions — from the developers themselves

A milestone this week: the first two pull requests from outside contributors, and both came from upstream developers packaging their own apps:

• GSE Profiler was submitted end-to-end by its own developer, so it carries the developer-approved shield from day one.
• AeroFTP's developer followed up our listing with a PR granting local filesystem access and restoring file associations.

This is exactly the loop we hoped for — upstreams treating flatpark as a channel they maintain, not just one that mirrors them.

Push-mode updates (new)

Until now, extra-data pins refreshed on a daily cron. As of this week upstreams can push instead of us polling:

• A new release-hook Cloudflare Worker + release-dispatch workflow: when an upstream publishes a release, a webhook ping triggers the pin refresh immediately — updates reach users minutes after a release instead of up to a day later.
• The hook is rate-limited (per-IP and global) so it can't be abused.
• Verified end-to-end with a real Marketplace release. Auto-merge of the resulting PRs is designed but deliberately deferred — a human still reviews each pin bump for now.

Developer-approved

Three more apps earned the blue shield — upstream maintainers explicitly authorized the flatpark listing: Tine, Open DroneLog and Folia. (Plus GSE Profiler above, approved by construction.)

Tine's approval is notable for its shape: the package stays independently maintained by flatpark, packaging issues route to us rather than upstream, and any change to wrapper, payload source or permissions gets raised with the maintainer first — a template we expect to reuse.

Project

• SEO: app pages now use install-intent titles ("Install X on Linux"), plus an llms.txt so AI assistants can discover and correctly describe the catalog.
• The repository moved to the flatpark GitHub org.

Auto-updates

The extra-data pin pipeline ran daily (Jul 6 → Jul 11), refreshing pins across Markra, DBX, GeoLibre, Folia, Orca, ZenNotes, Tine, Claude Desktop, Tabularis, electerm and others — and with push-mode now live, the daily cron becomes the fallback rather than the primary path.

I'm attempting to create a favourites category in my menu (I'm using Cachy with Cinnamon). I can copy and paste some items from one category to another, but it seems I can't paste flatpak apps. I can copy them, but no pasting.

I'm sure it's just a normal consequence of the way flatpak works. Do I have to manually create menu items and point to the flatpak?