[Packaging Request] Software in AppImage package format

I’m new to 3D printing and currently explore all the different technologies and vendors at the moment.

I noticed that you are offering your software “Cura Lulbots Edition” for Linux users currently as Ubuntu and Debian packages. That’s great!
However… it seems to be for Ubuntu and Debian users ONLY!

Myself, I’m on openSUSE Tumbleweed, and sometimes on other distros too, if I boot up my different notebooks and machines or harddisks.

I can use the original Cura software, without ever changing the software installation package, on ALL of my systems (I do so even via a shared network folder), running from the same location, where it sits in the format of an “AppImage” package. Cura downloads for Linux are in AppImage format by default (and possibly only?), because AppImages can run on (almost) all Linux distros, old and new. An AppImage consists of 1 single file only, which embeds the complete complex application with all its dependencies (similar to the macOS .app folders): and hence it never needs to be “installed”, but it can run directly from any storage location (after making the file executable, of course!)

It would be great if you also did offer your software for Linux users as an AppImage.

Since you already create Debian and Ubuntu .deb packages, it should be fairly easy to also offer .AppImage files. The developers of the #AppImage format are rather supportive if you need help to set up an automatic workflow for the creation a new AppImage automatically from each build you make. They can be contacted thru IRC on Freenode in channel #AppImage: webchat.freenode.net/?channels=appimage.

More info about AppImages:

  1. Source code: github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit
  2. Website: appimage.org
  3. Wiki: github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit/wiki
  4. Different ways to create an AppImage: github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit/wiki/Creating-AppImages
  5. IRC with developers: webchat.freenode.net/?channels=appimage

Thanks for considering,
Cheers, Kurt