"AM" 9

Install and manage applications both at the system level... and locally!

From now on "AM" will be able to install and manage also local applications, installed with AppMan or... directly installing them from "AM", using the new implementation of the --user option as a "flag" for the pre-existing installation options, namely:

• -i or install, for normal installations;
• -ia or install-appimage, to install only AppImage packages;
• -e or extra, to install AppImage packages from github outside this database.

But let's proceed in order.

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Install applications locally or at system level

In this video I will first install an app locally, and then one at system level. The root password is asked only in the second case.

install.mkv.mp4

All this whitout switching to "AppMan Mode" or using "AppMan"!

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The --user flag

The "--user" option can also be used just as a flag for installation options. For example:

• Use it to install applications locally, option "-i" or "install":

   am -i --user {PROGRAM}
  

• Also suboptions of "-i" can work with this flag:

   am -i --user --debug {PROGRAM}
   am -i --user --force-latest {PROGRAM}
   am -i --user --debug --force-latest {PROGRAM}
  

• Same for AppImages only, option "-ia" or "install-appimage":

   am -ia --user {PROGRAM}
   am -ia --user --debug {PROGRAM}
   am -ia --user --force-latest {PROGRAM}
   am -ia --user --debug --force-latest {PROGRAM}
  

• External AppImages can be installed like this as well, option "-e" or "extra":

   am -e --user user/project {APPNAME}
   am -e --user user/project {APPNAME} {KEYWORD}
  

But that's not all that's changed... "AM" 9 or higher is also able to, update and manage apps locally, by default, and without having to switch to "AppMan Mode"!

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List installed programs

"AM" will list all the apps it can handle both in -f...

files.mkv.mp4

...and in -l...

list.mkv.mp4

...thanks to the configuration file for "AppMan", which, if not existing, will be created the first time you start an app installation locally.

config-file.mkv.mp4

Here is a small demonstration of how the data changes, removing the file.

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Refresh everything, for real!

But if you think lists are just "fluff"... here's what happens if you refresh with the -u option.

update.mkv.mp4

All locally and system-wide installed apps will be updated!

The mechanism this time involves starting the related AM-installer scripts following the entire file path, and no longer running the script in individual directories.

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Removing applications

But unlike installations, which are either for local-only or system-only apps... the removal happens all at once!

Here's what happens if I use the am -R command, listing a local app first, then a system app, then a local app again.

remove.mkv.mp4

This is done by determining the permissions in the remove file, which depending on the permission level, is executed to remove the app it belongs to.

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But how many options have you changed?

This release has seen a major overhaul in most of the options, here is a complete list of all the changed options:

• -a can detect if an app is installed or not in both ways
• -b for backups of apps that may be needed for both AM and AppMan
• -C to create potable .config directories
• -e to install AppImages from github out of this database
• -f to list the installed apps
• -H to create portable .home directories
• -i to install apps
• -ia to install appimages
• -o to restore backups/snapshots created with -b
• -r and -R to remove apps
• -u to update all the apps, modules and "AM" itself
• --icons to get icons from installed apps, to use themes
• lock to lock version and updates
• unlock to undo "lock" (see above)
• nolibfuse to convert old AppImages to the new runtime, without libfuse2 dependence
• --sandbox to sandbox AppImages (but still require the root permissions, for now)
• --disable-sandbox to undo --sandbox (see above)
• --force-latest to downgrade a github app quickly if it is a dev build or an alpha
• --rollback to downgrade the apps from a list
• -c to clean unneeded files and the cache
• -l to list all apps availeble, now shows both local apps and system apps
• -s to check for installation scripts changes among the installed apps in this database, to update modules and "AM" itself, not the apps
• -h (of course) by adding the new info about --user
• --user that now is suggested as a flag instead of using it as an option to swith to AppMan Mode
• -d but just the flag --convert to convert the installation scripts for "AM" to scripts for AppMan... or generally for a local installation

all other options (the few remaining ones) have remained unchanged.

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Documentation

The README of this repository has been lightened, and has a subdirectory where tutorials and troubleshooting have been divided, creating dedicated pages.

They are accessible simply by scrolling the main page of this repository!

Conclusions

It's been a very intense week. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the tests in the "dev" branch of this repository.

This release is not a reason to break "AppMan", I made sure that the users of the latter do not notice the difference, preserving their user experience.

AppMan will still be maintained, being a portable edition of "AM", even if limited to the use of local apps only... and there are system configurations for which users do not have administrative privileges. "AM" belongs only to those who install it, as always. "AppMan" is even more flexible, in this respect... but now the difference between the two is almost zero.

I hope you all enjoy this release!

Sorry again for the wait... see you next!

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What's Changed

• Update install.am: fix AppImage list (option -ia) by @ivan-hc in #1043
• Rename ntfy to ntfydesktop by @ivan-hc in #1061
• Update install.am: add Torsocks patch for repology.org by @ivan-hc in #1065
• Update readme (for "AM" 9) by @ivan-hc in #1068
• "AM" 9: handle "AppMan" programs without switching to "AppMan Mode" by @ivan-hc in #1036

New Contributors

• @lwhiteley made their first contribution in #1044

Full Changelog: 8.4.1...9