This Linux Deployment Tool, `linuxdeployqt`, takes an application as input and makes it self-contained by copying in the resources that the application uses (like libraries, graphics, and plugins) into a bundle. The resulting bundle can be distributed as an AppDir or as an [AppImage](https://appimage.org/) to users, or can be put into cross-distribution packages. It can be used as part of the build process to deploy applications written in C, C++, and other compiled languages with systems like `CMake`, `qmake`, and `make`. When used on Qt-based applications, it can bundle a specific minimal subset of Qt required to run the application.
This tool is conceptually based on the [Mac Deployment Tool](http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/osx-deployment.html), `macdeployqt` in the tools applications of the Qt Toolkit, but has been changed to a slightly different logic and other tools needed for Linux.
* Instead of an `.app` bundle for macOS, this produces an [AppDir](http://rox.sourceforge.net/desktop/AppDirs.html) for Linux
* Instead of a `.dmg` disk image for macOS, this produces an [AppImage](http://appimage.org/) for Linux which is quite similar to a dmg but executes the contained application rather than just opening a window on the desktop from where the application can be launched
__To produce binaries that are compatible with many target systems, build on the oldest still-supported build system.__ The oldest still-supported release of Ubuntu is currently targeteed, tested and supported by the team.
We recommend to target the oldest still-supported Ubuntu LTS release and build your applications on that. If you do this, the resulting binaries should be able to run on newer (but not older) systems (Ubuntu and other distributions).
We do not support linuxdeployqt on systems newer than the oldest Ubuntu LTS release, because we want to encourage developers to build applications in a way that makes them possible to run on all still-supported distribution releases. For an overview about the support cycles of Ubuntu LTS releases, please see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases.
Please download __linuxdeployqt-x86_64.AppImage__ from the [Releases](https://github.com/probonopd/linuxdeployqt/releases) page and `chmod a+x` it. If you would like to build `linuxdeployqt` from source instead, see [BUILDING.md](https://github.com/probonopd/linuxdeployqt/blob/master/BUILDING.md).
Replace `<theme>` and `<resolution>` with (for example) `hicolor` and `256x256` respectively; see [icon theme spec](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/icon-theme-spec/icon-theme-spec-latest.html) for more details.
Open in Qt Creator and build your application. Run it from the command line and inspect it with `ldd` to make sure the correct libraries from the correct locations are getting loaded, as `linuxdeployqt` will use `ldd` internally to determine from where to copy libraries into the bundle.
__Important:__ By default, `linuxdeployqt` deploys the Qt instance that qmake on the $PATH points to, so make sure that it is the correct one. Verify that qmake finds the correct Qt instance like this before running the `linuxdeployqt` tool:
Before running linuxdeployqt it may be wise to delete unneeded files that you do not wish to distribute from the build directory. These may be autogenerated during the build. You can delete them like so:
To enable icon and icon theme support you must add `iconengines` as an extra Qt plugin while running `linuxdeployqt`. In order for your application to locate the system theme icons, the `libqgtk3.so` platform theme must also be added:
If you want aditional plugins which the tool doesn't deploy, for a variety of reasons, you can use the -extra-plugins argument and include a list of plugins separated by a comma.
The plugins deployed are from the Qt installation pointed out by `qmake -v`.
You can deploy entire plugin directories, a specific directory or a mix of both.
A common use case for `linuxdeployqt` is to use it on Travis CI after the `make` command. The following example illustrates how to use `linuxdeployqt` with Travis CI. Create a `.travis.yml` file similar to this one (be sure to customize it, e.g., change `APPNAME` to the name of your application as it is spelled in the `Name=` entry of the `.desktop` file):
If `qmake` does not allow for `make install` or does not install the desktop file and icon, then you need to change your `.pro` file it similar to https://github.com/probonopd/FeedTheMonkey/blob/master/FeedTheMonkey.pro.
It is common on Unix to also use the build tool to install applications and libraries; for example, by invoking `make install`. For this reason, `qmake` has the concept of an install set, an object which contains instructions about the way a part of a project is to be installed.
Please see the section "Installing Files" on http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qmake-advanced-usage.html.
Some applications have the bad habit of relying on CMake versions newer than what comes with the oldest still-supported distributions. In this case, install a newer CMake with
__autotools__ (the dinosaur that spends precious minutes "checking...") wants `DESTDIR` too but insists on an absolute link which we can feed it using readlink:
Here, `CONFIG+=use_qt_paths` needs to be removed, otherwise it will install everything under the Qt installation paths in `/opt/qt58` when using the beineri ppa.
The exception is that you are building Qt libraries that _should_ be installed to the same location where Qt resides on your system, from where it will be picked up by `linuxdeployqt`.
According to https://dwheeler.com/essays/automating-destdir.html,
> Automating DESTDIR can be a pain, so it’s best if the program supports it to start with; my package Auto-DESTDIR can automatically support DESTDIR in some cases if the program installation does not support it to begin with.
Also see https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/html_node/DESTDIR.html for more information.
`linuxdeployqt` is great for upstream application projects that want to release their software in binary form to Linux users quickly and without much overhead. If you would like to see a particular application use `linuxdeployqt`, then sending a Pull Request may be an option to get the upstream application project to consider it. You can use the following template text for Pull Requests but make sure to customize it to the project in question.
This PR, when merged, will compile this application on [Travis CI](https://travis-ci.org/) upon each `git push`, and upload an [AppImage](http://appimage.org/) to your GitHub Releases page.
- Applications packaged as an AppImage can run on many distributions (including Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, CentOS, elementaryOS, Linux Mint, and others)
- One app = one file = super simple for users: just download one AppImage file, [make it executable](http://discourse.appimage.org/t/how-to-make-an-appimage-executable/80), and run
__PLEASE NOTE:__ For this to work, you need to set up `GITHUB_TOKEN` in Travis CI for this to work; please see https://github.com/probonopd/uploadtool.
If you would like to see only one entry for the Pull Request in your project's history, then please enable [this GitHub functionality](https://help.github.com/articles/configuring-commit-squashing-for-pull-requests/) on your repo. It allows you to squash (combine) the commits when merging.
If you have questions, AppImage developers are on #AppImage on irc.freenode.net.
One great way to contribute is to send Pull Requests to the application projects you'd like to see use linuxdeployqt, as described above. You are also welcome to contribute to linuxdeployqt development itself. Please discuss in the [forum](http://discourse.appimage.org/t/linuxdeployqt-new-linux-deployment-tool-for-qt/57) or using GitHub issues and Pull Requests.
## Contact
The developers are in the channel #AppImage on irc.freenode.net
