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How do I get the KiCad FlatPak to install in Linux?

 

I'd like to install KiCad from a "FlatPak" under Linux, but I want to download the "FlatPak" as a file that I can archive. I then want to be able to install from that archive so that I'll have a repeatable installation process without being connected to the Internet.
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Is that possible? If so, does anyone know how to do it?
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Thanks in advance.
 

For any installed flatpak app you can create an image.? Start with an empty directory, then do:
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flatpak create-usb /path/to/directory org.kicad.KiCad
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That will create a hidden directory called .ostree within the directory you specified and will put the KiCad flatpak app in place.
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You can then do an install via:
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flatpak install --sideload-repo=/path/to/directory/.ostree/repo flathub org.kicad.KiCad
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Please note that flatpak normally installs dependencies as needed.? I'm not sure how that works with the above commands - I've only tested saving/installing the KiCad app and libraries, not any dependencies such as the org.freedesktop runtime.
 

Thanks for your help.
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There must be something that I'm not understanding about the flatpak system. I am imagining a tarball or an ISO image or a JAR file or a DEB file. In those cases, the file just needs to be downloaded to be unpacked with the proper tool to extract or install it. I was hoping that a "flatpak" was something similar where I could just download the KiCAD flatpak image and install from it. But every source I've found (including your kind tutorial above) requires installing it first.
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Why aren't "flatpak" images just available as downloads?
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Thanks in advance again.
 


Cheers

Ian


On Sat, 11 Jan 2025 at 22:51, Bob Kuczewski via <bobkuczewski=[email protected]> wrote:
Thanks for your help.
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There must be something that I'm not understanding about the flatpak system. I am imagining a tarball or an ISO image or a JAR file or a DEB file. In those cases, the file just needs to be downloaded to be unpacked with the proper tool to extract or install it. I was hoping that a "flatpak" was something similar where I could just download the KiCAD flatpak image and install from it. But every source I've found (including your kind tutorial above) requires installing it first.
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Why aren't "flatpak" images just available as downloads?
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Thanks in advance again.
 

Thanks Ian. There's a whole lot of information at that site!
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It led me to this:
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It says this:
One can distribute flatpaks along with their dependencies on USB drives (or network shares, etc.) which is especially helpful in situations where Internet access is limited or non-existent.
I'm not sure that's as easy as it sounds ... but if it is, then why not just offer the KiCad flatpaks directly rather than forcing people to use flathub?
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For now I've given up. Instead, I've fired up my old Windows computer (something I hate to do) and the Windows version of KiCad is working fine.
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Thanks again for your time.
 

Which Linux distribution are you using? I have never had any problems installing Kicad on any Linux machine. I even have it on a Raspberry Pi 400. You don't have to use a flatpack.

As for why Kicad is not offered directly as a flatpack, that is a question you should address directly to Kicad's developers. This group is for users of Kicad and unfortunately we have no direct influence over Kicad itself although I am told they do keep an eye on this list.

Cheers

Ian

On Sun, 12 Jan 2025 at 03:52, Bob Kuczewski via <bobkuczewski=[email protected]> wrote:
Thanks Ian. There's a whole lot of information at that site!
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It led me to this:
?
?
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It says this:
One can distribute flatpaks along with their dependencies on USB drives (or network shares, etc.) which is especially helpful in situations where Internet access is limited or non-existent.
I'm not sure that's as easy as it sounds ... but if it is, then why not just offer the KiCad flatpaks directly rather than forcing people to use flathub?
?
For now I've given up. Instead, I've fired up my old Windows computer (something I hate to do) and the Windows version of KiCad is working fine.
?
Thanks again for your time.
 

I understand your question. I think the basic concept is that for user convenience, flatpaks are meant to be easily installed from a central repository.? "flathub" is the main one, and it is not expected that most users will want to archive a specific build.
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This in fact occasionally causes a few issues for KiCad - flathub basically has two channels: stable and beta.? There have been times when we wanted more channels; for example, when an RC of the 8.0 branch and an RC of the 9.0 branch are both current.? Which should the beta channel carry?? 8.0 or 9.0?
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But, that is how flathub is set up.? KiCad could set up its own hub and do something fancy, but then it would be a lot of extra work (and money) for the team to run a hub server, and it would be more work for users to potentially have more hubs configured.
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An alternative would be for KiCad to create stand-alone .flatpak files, and make those available for download on some server somewhere.? But most users would likely find it confusing to choose a specific file, download it, and install it, rather than just picking a channel and installing whatever is the latest version.? It would also mean more bug reports for the team if someone chose an older KiCad and reported bugs that had been fixed in a later version.
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So in summary, you can achieve what you want, based on the commands I showed above, but flatpak is optimized for the simple case of the official flathub server.
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BTW, I'm not the KiCad flatpak person - I handle the Fedora official KiCad builds, as well as the Fedora Copr KiCad builds.? So what I've written above is simply my understanding and opinion.? I hope it helps.
 

Thanks Ian and Steve.
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My Linux distribution and package manager contains the old version. I did try compiling it from source and ended up in "dependency hell". I suspect any native package installer would be the same. :(
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The FlatPak idea sounded like an easy way around the dependency problem (that's part of its purpose, after all), but I don't want a SaaS model (Software as a Service). I like to have a download that I can archive to recreate the exact same system at any point in the future. That way I have an EXACT copy of what was installed and can always reproduce it (bugs and all).
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What surprised me (not knowing much about FlatPaks) was that they don't seem to be available as a straight download. KiCad is offered as a FlatPak on "flathub", so someone went through the trouble to build it (along with a Windows .EXE and others). But while the Windows EXE can be downloaded (and archived), the FlatPak itself is surprisingly elusive. I'm just not sure why (yet).
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Either way, my immediate problem is solved (Windows for KiCad 8, Linux for KiCad 5). So thanks for all the help!!
 

By the way, I went to the KiCad downloads page () and found that they have 311 downloads for Windows (either native .exe or .zip) - no "flathub" required. The MacOS section has 95 downloads (all native .dmg files) - no "flathub" required. Yet there are no downloadable versions for Linux. They either rely on the distribution's package manager (apt, dnf, pacman, pkg, emerge, or zypper) or they require use of "flathub". Why not just post the flatpak images directly?
 

I forgot to mention, in case you aren't familiar with appimage, after download, you have to right click - properties - set to executable, then you have to right click and select RUN.
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Your original request was like this:
download the "FlatPak" as a file that I can archive. I then want to be able to install from that archive so that I'll have a repeatable installation process
Appimage KiCad already exists and meets your requirements above and you don't even have to install it,? you can just run it as a self contained single file.
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https://sourceforge.net/projects/kicad-appimage/
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I tried it, it works.
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