273 lines
8.1 KiB
Markdown
273 lines
8.1 KiB
Markdown
# Snapcraft Guide (Linux)
|
|
|
|
This guide provides information on how to package your Electron application
|
|
for any Snapcraft environment, including the Ubuntu Software Center.
|
|
|
|
## Background and Requirements
|
|
|
|
Together with the broader Linux community, Canonical aims to fix many of the
|
|
common software installation problems with the [`snapcraft`](https://snapcraft.io/)
|
|
project. Snaps are containerized software packages that include required
|
|
dependencies, auto-update, and work on all major Linux distributions without
|
|
system modification.
|
|
|
|
There are three ways to create a `.snap` file:
|
|
|
|
1) Using [Electron Forge][electron-forge] or
|
|
[`electron-builder`][electron-builder], both tools that come with `snap`
|
|
support out of the box. This is the easiest option.
|
|
2) Using `electron-installer-snap`, which takes `@electron/packager`'s output.
|
|
3) Using an already created `.deb` package.
|
|
|
|
In some cases, you will need to have the `snapcraft` tool installed.
|
|
Instructions to install `snapcraft` for your particular distribution are
|
|
available [here](https://snapcraft.io/docs/installing-snapcraft).
|
|
|
|
## Using `electron-installer-snap`
|
|
|
|
The module works like [`electron-winstaller`][electron-winstaller] and similar
|
|
modules in that its scope is limited to building snap packages. You can install
|
|
it with:
|
|
|
|
```sh
|
|
npm install --save-dev electron-installer-snap
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### Step 1: Package Your Electron Application
|
|
|
|
Package the application using [@electron/packager][electron-packager] (or a
|
|
similar tool). Make sure to remove `node_modules` that you don't need in your
|
|
final application, since any module you don't actually need will increase
|
|
your application's size.
|
|
|
|
The output should look roughly like this:
|
|
|
|
```plaintext
|
|
.
|
|
└── dist
|
|
└── app-linux-x64
|
|
├── LICENSE
|
|
├── LICENSES.chromium.html
|
|
├── content_shell.pak
|
|
├── app
|
|
├── icudtl.dat
|
|
├── libgcrypt.so.11
|
|
├── libnode.so
|
|
├── locales
|
|
├── resources
|
|
├── v8_context_snapshot.bin
|
|
└── version
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### Step 2: Running `electron-installer-snap`
|
|
|
|
From a terminal that has `snapcraft` in its `PATH`, run `electron-installer-snap`
|
|
with the only required parameter `--src`, which is the location of your packaged
|
|
Electron application created in the first step.
|
|
|
|
```sh
|
|
npx electron-installer-snap --src=out/myappname-linux-x64
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
If you have an existing build pipeline, you can use `electron-installer-snap`
|
|
programmatically. For more information, see the [Snapcraft API docs][snapcraft-syntax].
|
|
|
|
```js @ts-nocheck
|
|
const snap = require('electron-installer-snap')
|
|
|
|
snap(options)
|
|
.then(snapPath => console.log(`Created snap at ${snapPath}!`))
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## Using `snapcraft` with `@electron/packager`
|
|
|
|
### Step 1: Create Sample Snapcraft Project
|
|
|
|
Create your project directory and add the following to `snap/snapcraft.yaml`:
|
|
|
|
```yaml
|
|
name: electron-packager-hello-world
|
|
version: '0.1'
|
|
summary: Hello World Electron app
|
|
description: |
|
|
Simple Hello World Electron app as an example
|
|
base: core22
|
|
confinement: strict
|
|
grade: stable
|
|
|
|
apps:
|
|
electron-packager-hello-world:
|
|
command: electron-quick-start/electron-quick-start --no-sandbox
|
|
extensions: [gnome]
|
|
plugs:
|
|
- browser-support
|
|
- network
|
|
- network-bind
|
|
environment:
|
|
# Correct the TMPDIR path for Chromium Framework/Electron to ensure
|
|
# libappindicator has readable resources.
|
|
TMPDIR: $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
|
|
|
|
parts:
|
|
electron-quick-start:
|
|
plugin: nil
|
|
source: https://github.com/electron/electron-quick-start.git
|
|
override-build: |
|
|
npm install electron @electron/packager
|
|
npx electron-packager . --overwrite --platform=linux --output=release-build --prune=true
|
|
cp -rv ./electron-quick-start-linux-* $SNAPCRAFT_PART_INSTALL/electron-quick-start
|
|
build-snaps:
|
|
- node/14/stable
|
|
build-packages:
|
|
- unzip
|
|
stage-packages:
|
|
- libnss3
|
|
- libnspr4
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
If you want to apply this example to an existing project:
|
|
|
|
- Replace `source: https://github.com/electron/electron-quick-start.git` with `source: .`.
|
|
- Replace all instances of `electron-quick-start` with your project's name.
|
|
|
|
### Step 2: Build the snap
|
|
|
|
```sh
|
|
$ snapcraft
|
|
|
|
<output snipped>
|
|
Snapped electron-packager-hello-world_0.1_amd64.snap
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### Step 3: Install the snap
|
|
|
|
```sh
|
|
sudo snap install electron-packager-hello-world_0.1_amd64.snap --dangerous
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### Step 4: Run the snap
|
|
|
|
```sh
|
|
electron-packager-hello-world
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## Using an Existing Debian Package
|
|
|
|
Snapcraft is capable of taking an existing `.deb` file and turning it into
|
|
a `.snap` file. The creation of a snap is configured using a `snapcraft.yaml`
|
|
file that describes the sources, dependencies, description, and other core
|
|
building blocks.
|
|
|
|
### Step 1: Create a Debian Package
|
|
|
|
If you do not already have a `.deb` package, using `electron-installer-snap`
|
|
might be an easier path to create snap packages. However, multiple solutions
|
|
for creating Debian packages exist, including [Electron Forge][electron-forge],
|
|
[`electron-builder`][electron-builder] or
|
|
[`electron-installer-debian`][electron-installer-debian].
|
|
|
|
### Step 2: Create a snapcraft.yaml
|
|
|
|
For more information on the available configuration options, see the
|
|
[documentation on the snapcraft syntax][snapcraft-syntax].
|
|
Let's look at an example:
|
|
|
|
```yaml
|
|
name: myApp
|
|
version: '2.0.0'
|
|
summary: A little description for the app.
|
|
description: |
|
|
You know what? This app is amazing! It does all the things
|
|
for you. Some say it keeps you young, maybe even happy.
|
|
|
|
grade: stable
|
|
confinement: classic
|
|
|
|
parts:
|
|
slack:
|
|
plugin: dump
|
|
source: my-deb.deb
|
|
source-type: deb
|
|
after:
|
|
- desktop-gtk3
|
|
stage-packages:
|
|
- libasound2
|
|
- libnotify4
|
|
- libnspr4
|
|
- libnss3
|
|
- libpcre3
|
|
- libpulse0
|
|
- libxss1
|
|
- libxtst6
|
|
electron-launch:
|
|
plugin: dump
|
|
source: files/
|
|
prepare: |
|
|
chmod +x bin/electron-launch
|
|
|
|
apps:
|
|
myApp:
|
|
command: bin/electron-launch $SNAP/usr/lib/myApp/myApp
|
|
desktop: usr/share/applications/myApp.desktop
|
|
# Correct the TMPDIR path for Chromium Framework/Electron to ensure
|
|
# libappindicator has readable resources.
|
|
environment:
|
|
TMPDIR: $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
As you can see, the `snapcraft.yaml` instructs the system to launch a file
|
|
called `electron-launch`. In this example, it passes information on to the
|
|
app's binary:
|
|
|
|
```sh
|
|
#!/bin/sh
|
|
|
|
exec "$@" --executed-from="$(pwd)" --pid=$$ > /dev/null 2>&1 &
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Alternatively, if you're building your `snap` with `strict` confinement, you
|
|
can use the `desktop-launch` command:
|
|
|
|
```yaml
|
|
apps:
|
|
myApp:
|
|
# Correct the TMPDIR path for Chromium Framework/Electron to ensure
|
|
# libappindicator has readable resources.
|
|
command: env TMPDIR=$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR PATH=/usr/local/bin:${PATH} ${SNAP}/bin/desktop-launch $SNAP/myApp/desktop
|
|
desktop: usr/share/applications/desktop.desktop
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## Optional: Enabling desktop capture
|
|
|
|
Capturing the desktop requires PipeWire library in some Linux configurations that use
|
|
the Wayland protocol. To bundle PipeWire with your application, ensure that the base
|
|
snap is set to `core22` or newer. Next, create a part called `pipewire` and add it to
|
|
the `after` section of your application:
|
|
|
|
```yaml
|
|
pipewire:
|
|
plugin: nil
|
|
build-packages: [libpipewire-0.3-dev]
|
|
stage-packages: [pipewire]
|
|
prime:
|
|
- usr/lib/*/pipewire-*
|
|
- usr/lib/*/spa-*
|
|
- usr/lib/*/libpipewire*.so*
|
|
- usr/share/pipewire
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Finally, configure your application's environment for PipeWire:
|
|
|
|
```yaml
|
|
environment:
|
|
SPA_PLUGIN_DIR: $SNAP/usr/lib/$CRAFT_ARCH_TRIPLET/spa-0.2
|
|
PIPEWIRE_CONFIG_NAME: $SNAP/usr/share/pipewire/pipewire.conf
|
|
PIPEWIRE_MODULE_DIR: $SNAP/usr/lib/$CRAFT_ARCH_TRIPLET/pipewire-0.3
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
[snapcraft-syntax]: https://docs.snapcraft.io/build-snaps/syntax
|
|
[electron-packager]: https://github.com/electron/packager
|
|
[electron-forge]: https://github.com/electron/forge
|
|
[electron-builder]: https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder
|
|
[electron-installer-debian]: https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-installer-debian
|
|
[electron-winstaller]: https://github.com/electron/windows-installer
|