Ubuntu Make Apps

Electron application to easily manage your AppImage applications on Ubuntu.

Features

• Automatically create the ~/Applications folder
• Manage .desktop files in ~/.local/share/applications/
• Add, edit, and delete applications
• Support for AppImage files and directories
• Copy or move AppImage files
• Icon management
• Modern interface with Bootstrap 5

Quick Installation (One-liner)

Install directly from GitHub with a single command:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aluzed/ubuntu-make-apps/master/install.sh | bash

This will:

• Check system requirements (Node.js 18+, npm, git)
• Clone the repository
• Install dependencies
• Build the AppImage
• Install to ~/Applications
• Create a desktop menu entry

Development Installation

For development purposes:

npm install

Running

npm start

Usage

1. Add an application: Click on "Add"
2. Select the type: Application (for AppImage) or Directory (for folder)
3. Choose the file/folder: Browse to select your AppImage or folder
4. Copy or move: A dialog will ask if you want to copy or move the file
5. Add an icon: Select a PNG/JPG file for the icon
6. Fill in the information: Name, categories
7. Save: The .desktop file will be created automatically

File Structure

• main.js: Electron main process
• preload.js: Secure IPC bridge
• index.html: User interface
• renderer.js: Application logic
• styles.css: Custom styles

Building

AppImage (portable)

# Using npm
npm run build-appimage

# Using the build script
./build.sh

# Using the Makefile
make build-appimage

.deb Package (Ubuntu/Debian)

# Using npm
npm run build-deb

# Using the Makefile
make build-deb

The packages will be created in dist/.

For detailed installation instructions, see Install.md.

Installation

Quick Install (Recommended)

# Build and install in one command with automatic dependency handling
./build.sh
./install.sh

Alternative Methods

# Using Makefile with automatic dependency handling
make install

# Using apt (Ubuntu 18.04+)
sudo apt install ./dist/ubuntu-make-apps_1.0.0_amd64.deb

# Using gdebi (best for dependency handling)
sudo apt install gdebi
sudo gdebi dist/ubuntu-make-apps_1.0.0_amd64.deb

See Install.md for complete installation instructions including:

• Multiple installation methods
• Manual installation from source
• Troubleshooting
• System requirements

Technologies

• Electron
• Bootstrap 5
• SweetAlert2
• Node.js