What is the best way to manage apps downloaded without using package manager?

Non-technical Questions
1

I am a beginner user. I have needed to download a couple of apps which were not in the official repos nor in the AUR. As of now, they are just sitting in my downloads folder and I open them from there. (They are appimages) What is the best practice in terms of managing such apps in the system and where should I keep them?
I had read somewhere that /opt is a folder where optional things such as games install themselves so I thought it might be a good idea to put them there but I am unable to do so because perhaps it requires root privileges. Please correct my understanding if it is wrong.

2

What is the best way to manage apps downloaded without using package manager?

your brain/memory? :wink:

appimages …
can be managed (installed, deinstalled) via the package manager
pamac

no need to try to manage them on your own

familiarize yourself with how the distribution that you chose to use works
how it is managed
what the different ways to manage it are

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3

For software downloaded outside the package manager, i’d rather keep them within my home directory. This way it can be managed without superuser privileges.

As for actually managing them… Well, since they can’t rely on the package manager, they can only be managed independently. It is your responsibility to keep them up-to-date.

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4

Use appimagelauncher. If it’s not already installed by default, note that you need to reboot after installing it.

All you have to do is open them and it will prompt to run them once or integrate with your system.

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5

Myself for programs I actually manually install from my files I keep in a Downloads folder on a separate drive (folder Structure listed below). As for Appimages they are stored in the folder that fits the type of application they are. When I need to install one of them I make sure Appimagelauncher is installed, copy the Appimage I want o install to the desktop, click it and let Appimagelauncher do it’s job. The I still have then original file on the secondary drive.

Downloads/
   Activators - ISO's - VM's
   App Icons
   Browsers - Internet Tools - Plugins
   Desktop Tweakers
   File Extension Icons
   Games - Game Demos - Game Utilities
   Graphics - Printers - Word
   Monitors - Sound - Video
   Moto - Motoi SD Card
   Shortcuts A
   Shortcuts G
   Shortcuts M
   Shortcuts X
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