New DeLinuxCo Cinnamon ISO with pre-installed AppImages

[DeLinuxCo]

Greetings all,

I have just finished a new ISO of DeLinuxCo, for those not in the know of my little spin of Manjaro Cinnamon, it is a little niche Linux ISO geared more towards Linux as a Workstation, no gaming here.

Download here: DeLinuxCo Download

But this release is a bit special and I would like to get something dragged out on to the table for your review and input. My hope is to initiated what could be something good and beneficial for Linux.

This release comes with 6 applications that are packaged as AppImages but are served through the regular repo channels, in this case, it is the repo for DeLinuxCo.

This shows that an AppImage can be integrated in to the OS like any other package. This has been done for years in the AUR. But the AUR cannot be used to install packages during an ISO build.

Just to set the record straight, I am app package agnostic, I really will use what ever works best. Even Snaps have their place, albeit not on my system. But AppImages have a simplicity that is hard to beat. Flatpaks are good, I use them but you cannot build an ISO with Flatpaks, the mechanisms are just not there, although Manjaro’s new immutable system may support them.

I really feel that Linux Distros, Application developers are not utilizing AppImages to their full potential.

The benefits of AppImages:

• They are self contained
• They are portable
• They are distro agnostic

The portability of the package is what we here about the most, but this feature comes at a price of lacking system integration, the user has to go and find the package/AppImage, download it to somewhere and then make it executable. None of which is difficult, but it breaks one of Linux’s strongest features, the repository of applications.

By utilizing Arch Linux package build system, AppImages can be easily integrated into the distro repo system. This makes it completely transparent to the user, the icon shows up in the menu, they click it and it works!

For the distribution, huge amounts of time can be save in compiling time and chasing dependencies. The distribution can focus on maintaining the core packages.

These are the six packages in AppImage format that come on the ISO:
Libreoffice
CinelerraGG
Inkscape
Darktable
Joplin
localsend

Try out the ISO, and give these a try, it all works perfectly, and one really interesting thing is that, ISO size did not increase by much, about 300MB for all six AppImages.

I will now sit back await my destruction from the comments.

[soundofthunder]

No adverse comments yet.
Of course, it’s still downloading; maybe later.

@DeLinuxCo

ISO size did not increase by much, about 300MB for all six AppImages.

That leaves a few GB of potential; without violating the storage capacity of a dual layer DVD.

[Mirdarthos]

I’m going to be honest…

I’m a little disappointed that the URL for the spin and/or download is https://www.delinuxco.com and not https://www.delinux.co

[soundofthunder]

@Mirdarthos

I’m a little disappointed that the URL

The (really) disappointing thing is that in 2024 so many people insist on using WWW as part of a website address – it’s a product of a bygone era – still used by many, despite it not being needed at all.

:end mini-rant

[DeLinuxCo]

No feedback on the appimages?

[linux-aarhus]

I have downloaded the ISO - no time yet for testing - but one thing comes to mind

• theming

An appImage is self contained - and that is good - so good that - to my knowledge - it will use the default theming provided by the packager. The format hands over every aspect of the application to the developer and developers does not want to have issues banging on how bad it integrates into this or that enviroment.

There is a lot of buzz when end-user do not grasp the differences between Gnome Tool Kit (GTK) and Qt tool kit (Qt).

An appImage is a great invention - but I speculate if the reason they have not had a wider acceptance - is really because there is very little the developer can do to integrate into the users desktop experience.

[DeLinuxCo]

And you are correct, but at the same time, the developer can integrate the themes they wish right into the AppImage itself. But in my testing, on Cinnamon, anyway, the AppImages behave just like the normal packages. Two examples:

Inkscape will Settings > Theme > Settings and use the it’s own default setting, nor will it respond to changing the settings to a light theme in QT5CT, but the user can go into the Inkscape settings and change the theme there.

LibreOffice AppImage however will follow the theming of the system set Settings > Theme >

Blockquote
An appImage is a great invention - but I speculate if the reason they have not had a wider acceptance - is really because there is very little the developer can do to integrate into the users desktop experience.

I believe it is due to lack of proper system integration and package delivery method.

But I look forward to your thoughts and input.

-John

[soundofthunder]

@DeLinuxCo

Darktable

Well, I finally had some time to play with this a little. Everything seems to work as described. As a proof of concept, there’s nothing to complain about.

Still, there are only a handful of appImages to deal with. Going forward, I imagine the number could/should increase dramatically, thereby also increasing the overhead.

Theming seems generally consistent; though I haven’t tried any random themes to see how well that holds true without curation; I already know there would be some issues in that arena.

Good job. Now, will anyone actually use it?

[DeLinuxCo]

Thanks @soundofthunder , remember, I am not saying that all application should/need to switch to AppImages, only that it is perfectly plausible to integrate AppImages into a distro and maintain them with out much effort.

@soundofthunder

Theming seems generally consistent; though I haven’t tried any random themes to see how well that holds true without curation; I already know there would be some issues in that arena.

I agree, but AppImages I don’t think is a fix for, or a cure for that issue. Once this is resolved at the toolkit level, it should naturally filter down to AppImages. AppImages should behave like regular Packages.

I think I am going to promote this more somehow. I purchased the domain appimage.xyz and will think about how to present this to the community at large.

[tracyanne]

I gave it a quick try in QEMU, seems stable, looks good.

[ehhen]

@ [DeLinuxCo]
(https://forum.manjaro.org/u/DeLinuxCo)

I tried your ISO. (VM)
My environment tz=tokyo,key japan, lang japan

This is the installation screen of the previous Manjaro ISO.
It’s been like this for years, so I’m not surprised.

For Taiwanese, Japanese, and Mainland Chinese, the font is Square (▢).

You may be surprised, but I can install manjaro in this state. It’s a sad, funny story.There is nothing more frightening than getting used to something.

At this point, the VM froze while installing noto-fonts-cjk, so I gave up for now. The download of 1.3GB was completed. It froze during the update. I think it was caused by VirtualBox.

retry. , install done.

[DeLinuxCo]

I am in the process of building a new ISO, I will add noto-fonts-cjk as a preinstalled font. I should have it out in a few days.

[DeLinuxCo]

I just tested the current ISO and it boots just fine into Japanese:

Did you select the Language at the GRUB screen?

I will still add the noto-fonts-cjk in the next ISO, but it seems to work. Some apps like Joplin you have to go into the settings and change the language etc.

-John

[ehhen]

Please check the screenshot in my previous post. Carefully. But it’s not a problem with the welcome screen.

The screenshot in my post, the welcome screen, at first glance shows Chinese characters, right? (That doesn’t mean this is correct, but it’s very difficult to explain. I’ll skip it.)

I think it’s a difficult task for Indo-European speakers. I’ve been thinking for over 10 years about how to explain these phenomena to people who speak languages ​​other than CJKV.

Of course, in grub, I select TOKYO KEY=JP LANG=ja_JP.

Support Asian kanji culture by default

I hope it’s about time that Manjaro would support Asian kanji culture by default. For example, in the case of Japanese, the following Adobe fonts (official package, extra) can be included from the beginning. Of course, “noto fonts JP” is also sufficient. If the fonts shown below are included in install media, Taiwanese and Japan people will feel less uncomfortable. In other words, it’s a little uncomfortable right now. /usr $ fd -e otf | grep JP share/fonts/adobe-source-han-serif/SourceHanSeri…

Again,
happening with English text, I was trying to make it look like a Japanese text.

Your code displays Japanese wrong

Try opening this page in firefox. It’s different from the installer problem, but you should be able to see the same phenomenon.

---

about Cinnamon ISO of DeLinuxCo.

Since I’ve installed it, I’ve been playing around with it a bit. It’s nice.

It’s worth mentioning that the nemo action layout editor, introduced in Cinnamon this spring, works. This is the first time I’ve seen this feature working on Manjaro. Lol) I’m happy. I’m really looking forward to this feature.

Note that,
Only Endeavour + Cinnamon works with this feature on my NVMe installation.

• Doesn’t work on Manjaro Cinnamon. Tested with 3 partitions.
• Doesn’t work on LinuxMint (upgraded, not fresh install).

By the way, what kind of target are you building for?

[soundofthunder]

Is the ipa-fonts package also installed?

sudo pacman -S ipa-fonts

Choose from three packages available in the extra repo.

[ehhen]

yes.

You noticed that quite well. I’m impressed.

I sometimes use fonts provided by IPA.
Currently, a derived version is in my font directory.
IPA fonts are fonts only for Japanese, so they are friendly to Japanese people. They do not include Chinese designs.
They are fonts from a public academic institution in Japan.

fc-list | grep ipa
.local/share/fonts/fonts/UtsukushiMincho-FONT/ipaexm/ipaexm.ttf: IPAex明朝,IPAexMincho:style=Regular

[DeLinuxCo]

@ehhen

By the way, what kind of target are you building for?

DeLinuxCo is geared toward a Workstation environment, where the ISO contains a “ready to go” setup. I am strictly avoiding anything with gaming, there is enough of that out there.

Focusing on someone just installing the system and getting ready to do work as soon as possible. Printers detected and functioning, Nemo plugins installed, desktop configured in a logical manner etc.

The theme would be, form following function.

[soundofthunder]

@ehhen

I sometimes use fonts provided by IPA.
Currently, a derived version is in my font directory.

fc-list | grep ipa
.local/share/fonts/fonts/UtsukushiMincho-FONT/ipaexm/ipaexm.ttf: IPAex明朝,IPAexMincho:style=Regular

I notice you have that font manually installed in your User directories.

Try installing the package via pacman, which should install the font(s) to the respective system directories instead. This may (or may not) make any difference; however, it might ensure that these fonts are available (at the system level) for applications that possibly require it.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Cheers.

[DeLinuxCo]

@ehhen New ISO isready DeLinuxCoLinux Workstation - Form Following FunctionDownload 240911

The ISO now includes :

• otf-ipaexfont installed
• otf-ipamjfont installed
• otf-ipafont installed
• noto-fonts-cjk installed

Also, after installing the ISO,be sure to use Manjaro-Settings_manager and install any missing language packs under “Language Packs”.

[ehhen]

done.

It’s perfect as the initial state of usb boot. Probably.

The following apps are also correct from a Japanese perspective in their initial state.

terminal, nemo. chromium. with out firefox.

thanks.

As you pointed out.
However, since I’m using buggy oracle vb, I installed it with the screen blacked out, so I didn’t see everything. Next time, I’ll try installing it without using VB.