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If you intend to use this, reach for the AppImage version. The AUR installation script appears to be broken, and the Flatpak version of the app is feature-incomplete (and, yunno, a Flatpak).


The download page says of Flatpak:

> This is the most supported and tested release of Bottles.

and AppImage:

> AppImage is broken, we are investigating, please use Flatpak in the meantime.


Parent is right though: Flatpak version doesn't allow the creation of .desktop files for Windows applications. It's a mysteriously silly decision, as you don't even get the option even if you manually give the flatpak the correct permissions.

Even worse: a bug in the Flatpak version prevents the launching of Windows applications directly from the commandline, so you can't even manually create .desktop files for it!


> and, yunno, a Flatpak

What's wrong with Flatpak? I've had fewer problems with flatpak than with AppImage personally.


The main challenges I have had with Flatpak is that for any apps that need to integrate with other components (e.g. I want my VS Code to use the same Node that I run from the Terminal) things get flaky. Its not so much that Flatpak does not support that kind of integration, but that many apps are not properly configured when packaged to take advantage of FP's integration features.... End result is still a poor user experience. Moral of the story: don't just shove your code in a Flatpak and call it a day! Take the time to do it right.


Some peoples opinion of Flatpak has been heavily warped by websites like FlatKill.org


It's even easier to warp your opinion of it by trying to daily-drive a Flatpak, you'll be begging for distro packages in no time!


Root access because I want to run a media player? No thanks!


VLC has access to your entire filesystem by default. Their sandboxing doesn't much care about that.


Gnome has a built in method that allows you to set your own permissions on where in the filesystem a Flatpak can access, in addition to more fine-grained control like Flatseal. For most programs this means limiting it's access to your Download directory or similar until portals become more widely adopted. There are also wrapper scripts you can use for when you double click a file it will temporarily give access to the file to VLC and revoke it afterwards - basically a poor man's portal.

Also you should look closer at what "your entire filesystem" means. There are a lot of areas of the file system that are completely blacklisted with no actual way to enable them regardless of configuration. Important things like /etc and /usr just to name a few.


I use the flatpak version. What am I losing?


Unstable FS APIs, obfuscated data storage directories, and the app itself cannot generate launch shortcuts for any of your bottled programs.




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