Flatpak: Difference between revisions
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This article extends the documentation in the [https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/#module-services-flatpak NixOS manual]. | This article extends the documentation in the [https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/#module-services-flatpak NixOS manual]. | ||
== | == Installation == | ||
=== Global | === Global === | ||
Using this configuration, <code>flatpak</code> will be installed and ready to use globally for all users: | Using this configuration, <code>flatpak</code> will be installed and ready to use globally for all users: | ||
{{file|3=services.flatpak.enable = true;|name=/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|lang=nix}}To automatically configure a flatpak repository for all users using the global configuration file, add this to your <code>configuration.nix</code> file:{{file|3=systemd.services.flatpak-repo = { | {{file|3=services.flatpak.enable = true;|name=/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|lang=nix}}To automatically configure a flatpak repository for all users using the global configuration file, add this to your <code>configuration.nix</code> file:{{file|3=systemd.services.flatpak-repo = { | ||
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};|name=/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|lang=nix}} | };|name=/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|lang=nix}} | ||
=== Per-User | === Per-User === | ||
If you'd rather make Flatpak available to a specific user, add <code>flatpak</code> to that user's packages. To be able to install Flatpaks graphically, add the <code>gnome-software</code> package. The result will look something like this: | If you'd rather make Flatpak available to a specific user, add <code>flatpak</code> to that user's packages. To be able to install Flatpaks graphically, add the <code>gnome-software</code> package. The result will look something like this: | ||
Revision as of 19:26, 7 August 2025
Flatpak is a Linux application sandboxing and distribution framework.
This article extends the documentation in the NixOS manual.
Installation
Global
Using this configuration, flatpak will be installed and ready to use globally for all users:
services.flatpak.enable = true;
To automatically configure a flatpak repository for all users using the global configuration file, add this to your configuration.nix file:
systemd.services.flatpak-repo = {
wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
path = [ pkgs.flatpak ];
script = ''
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
'';
};
Per-User
If you'd rather make Flatpak available to a specific user, add flatpak to that user's packages. To be able to install Flatpaks graphically, add the gnome-software package. The result will look something like this:
users.users."user" = {
packages = with pkgs; [
flatpak
gnome-software
];
};
Window Managers / Compositors Patches
After adding the desired solution to your configuration file, Flatpak will be installed, but it is not always added to your path directly, e.g. when you are using Sway.
To manually add it to the path while using the Greetd login manager and Sway, create a .profile file with an override for your XDG_DATA_DIRS path, e.g.:
export XDG_DATA_DIRS=$XDG_DATA_DIRS:/usr/share:/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share:$HOME/.local/share/flatpak/exports/shareThis is also required when installing flatpak on a per-user basis.
Flatpak Package Installation
Declaratively
To install flatpak packages declaratively, you can either use nix-flatpak or declarative-flatpak
In the event of a Nix rollback, both modules will reinstall the previously declared Flatpak packages
A convergent approach to Flatpak management where refs are managed in place
Flatpak packages are not cached in the Nix store
It supports flakes or home-manager, but doesn't support non-flakes only
A congruent approach to Flatpak management where changes are designed to be atomic, ensuring that either they succeed or nothing happens. This module uses a temporary installation and then overwrites the current one.
It supports non-flake, flakes, and home-manager
For more details, see declarative-flatpak/issues/44
Imperatively
To install flatpak packages imperatively and use them, you can use the flatpak CLI (flatpak CLI Reference Documentation)
Example
$ flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
$ flatpak update
$ flatpak search Flatseal
$ flatpak install flathub com.github.tchx84.Flatseal
$ flatpak run com.github.tchx84.Flatseal
Development
Build a Flatpak project
The following example builds a demo app of the libadwaita repository using flatpak-builder, installs it locally in the user space and runs it. First install flatpak and flatpak-builder on your system
services.flatpak.enable = true;
environment.systemPackages = [
pkgs.flatpak-builder
];
Clone, build and run the example project.
$ flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists gnome-nightly https://nightly.gnome.org/gnome-nightly.flatpakrepo
$ flatpak install gnome-nightly org.gnome.Sdk org.gnome.Platform
$ git clone https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libadwaita.git
$ cd libadwaita
$ nix shell nixpkgs#appstream
$ flatpak-builder --disable-tests --user --install build demo/org.gnome.Adwaita1.Demo.json
$ flatpak run org.gnome.Adwaita1.Demo.json
Note that the gnome-nightly repository and the appstream dependency are especially required for this specific project and might be different for other Flatpak projects.
Tips and tricks
Emulate Flatpaks of different architecture
It is possible to install and run Flatpaks which were compiled for a different platform. In this example we start the application Metronome as aarch64 Flatpak on a x86_64 host:
$ flatpak install --user --arch=aarch64 flathub com.adrienplazas.Metronome
$ flatpak run --user com.adrienplazas.Metronome
To support emulation with Qemu, following Binfmt configuration is required.
Troubleshooting
Missing themes and cursors
If you have issues with cursors or themes in general, take a look at Fonts#Flatpak_applications_can't_find_system_fonts