Create AppImage package

[szszszsz]

Create AppImage package for App distribution on long release cycle OSes.
Similar to #114

[probonopd]

Check out the examples for how to use linuxdeployqt on Travis CI, specifically:

• https://github.com/probonopd/linuxdeployqt#using-linuxdeployqt-with-travis-ci
• https://github.com/probonopd/linuxdeployqt#projects-using-linuxdeployqt

[FrostKnight]

I look forward to 1.3! I wonder when that is coming out... :)

[dragon788]

I would love to see this so I can simply put the AppImage on the unencrypted partition of my Nitrokey storage and be able to open it on most distributions as it is simply a binary at that point. No needing to change the state of the system (adding PPA/snapd/etc) just to access my files.

I may take a whack at it if I get a chance between other projects.

[probonopd]

I would love to see this so I can simply put the AppImage on the unencrypted partition of my Nitrokey storage and be able to open it on most distributions as it is simply a binary at that point. No needing to change the state of the system (adding PPA/snapd/etc) just to access my files.

Great use case! 👍

[szszszsz]

Hi! I have uploaded AppImage for v1.3-beta.1 to the release's download page. It was built on Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS inside Docker container. It should be possible to build exactly the same binary using a builder located in nitrokey-app.build project (work in progress).

[probonopd]

Thank you @szszszsz. Can you please build on Ubuntu 14.04.x? That is currently the oldest still-supported LTS release, and it's required that AppImages run on Ubuntu 14.04.x in order to be included in AppImageHub. See https://github.com/probonopd/linuxdeployqt/ for examples on how to do this while still using new versions of Qt.

[szszszsz]

Actually, the issue is with requiring GCC 5.0+ compiler (C++14 to be specific), which 14.04 is not providing as far as I remember. I can install newer, as one does with Travis CI, but have not tested this yet. Do you know any success stories?

[probonopd]

If you install a newer (C++14) compiler on 14.04, then it pulls in a newer libstdc++, which creates trouble if not handled properly. Luckily we have a solution for that: https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit/wiki/Creating-AppImages#libstdcso6

[szszszsz]

Updated release page with new build, done on Ubuntu 14.04: link.
Made using modified previous builder: nitrokey-app.build/support_14.04.
Feedback welcomed!

[probonopd]

Thanks. Triggered a re-run of the test.

[probonopd]

Looks like it is working. I think the 16.04 one can be deleted, since it is no longer needed.

[probonopd]

Possibly graphics are missing, please make sure you are loading them from a location relative to the main executable, e.g., using QString QCoreApplication::applicationFilePath() .

[FrostKnight]

On 03/30/18 13:11, probonopd wrote: Possibly graphics are missing, please make sure you are loading them from a location _relative_ to the _main executable_, e.g., using `QString QCoreApplication::applicationFilePath() `. 

This works on my distro also. I use a distro that is based on archlinux using debian packages. ;) so far so good I say! ps, glad there is even a beta so soon!

[szszszsz]

Thank you for the test and feedback!

@FrostKnight Great! Quite interesting distro - how is it named?
@probonopd This is probably some kind of QtSvg library dependency, which is missing on 14.04 (we switched to SVG format lately). The graphics binaries themselves are integrated into binary (via Qt resources). Could you share how the test was conducted? Are you running the binary on a VM with 14.04?

[FrostKnight]

On 04/04/18 03:26, Szczepan Zalega wrote: Thank you for the test and feedback! @FrostKnight Great! Quite interesting distro - how is it named?

Hyperbola is the distro. It is on this website, Hyperbola.info It will be using libressl and the first fully free software distro to do so... Although it hasn't been approved by the fsf yet, it will be eventually. Yeah, it also uses a hardened linux libre kernel and other good stuff... Long story short, It is an awesome distro. Look on the website for more info though. :)

[probonopd]

Are you running the binary on a VM with 14.04?

Yes. The test is running on a 14.04 machine on Travis CI, using this script.

[szszszsz]

Closing as the initial task is mostly finished. Moving support for Svg images on 14.04 to a separate issue - will be provided later, after the release. Issue: #340.

Edit: AppImage binaries should be available for each version from releases page from now on.