Minetest Forums

What is AppImage?

AppImage is a software that lets you build portable Linux binaries. Here, I host regular builds of Minetest as AppImages.

Download

All these AppImages are for 64-bit systems only, they will not work on 32-bit systems. Pick the client to play Minetest, pick the server to host a dedicated Minetest server.

0.4.16 client
0.4.16 server

Git ("master" development branch) client
Git ("master" development branch) server

All files (includes SHA-256 checksums and change log)

How do I run it?

Any distribution released after Ubuntu 14.04 is supported (since Ubuntu 14.04 is used to compile the binaries). To run the AppImage, make it executable (using chmod +x or by right-cliking the file then selecting "Properties" then "Permissions", and checking the executable checkbox) then double-click it to start Minetest. No administrator/root rights are needed.

Note that you want to start the server from a terminal, else you won't see its output.

Very Nice!
+1

May I request 32-bit images as well? They will be even more portable and allow me to run them as well...no 64 bit for me...

Hey, good job! I now take MT with me on a usb drive :)

Cool.
Do I need both client and server for singleplayer game? AFAIK local server is needed for it.

Sergey wrote:Cool.
Do I need both client and server for singleplayer game? AFAIK local server is needed for it.

no, local server is included in the client(and you can even connect to it with another client), the "server build" is for when you want to run a full server, it has no graphical output and therefore conserves a considerable amount of power, especially on 24/7 server situations...

What can you say about FLATPAK technology?
How AppImage and FLATPAK differ?

Could somebody answer my question?

And second question about new AppImages?

Sergey wrote:What can you say about FLATPAK technology?
How AppImage and FLATPAK differ?

AppImage is probably easier to use for end users, at least right now – you can use it without root, it works even on old distributions and no runtime is needed (unlike Flatpak). Just make it executable and run it.

Calinou, your answer is sooo quick! Thank you!

Good work. Now we need a Docker container, a file for Kubernetes, an rkt container, a Panamax app, and some more of the multiple standards+1 softwares that circumvent the package manager to install software using an own package manager. :D

But how do you run them? simply chmod +x filename and then ./filename to run without caring what distribution and version you need, like with PHAR files from PHP only needing a minimum PHP version?

Linuxdirk wrote:Good work. Now we need a Docker container, a file for Kubernetes, an rkt container, a Panamax app, and some more of the multiple standards+1 softwares that circumvent the package manager to install software using an own package manager. :D

This is one of the reasons I like AppImage – it's actually a lightweight layer that makes use of SquashFS (for type 2 AppImages, the currently recommended ones). If you pass --appimage-extract to the command line of any AppImage (including the ones I distribute), it will be extracted and all the contents will be available in a folder.

It also is clearly focused on desktops (but it can work on servers too, you may need to install/enable FUSE there because it might not be there by default, though), unlike many of the "competing" technologies.

Linuxdirk wrote:But how do you run them? simply chmod +x filename and then ./filename to run without caring what distribution and version you need, like with PHAR files from PHP only needing a minimum PHP version?

Yes, pretty much. You don't need to do anything else, but if you want to be able to call minetest from a terminal to start it, just rename the AppImage to minetest and place it in /usr/local/bin (or in another directory present in your $PATH).

Does the container have access to the "host" filesystem or is it independent from it?

Linuxdirk wrote:Does the container have access to the "host" filesystem or is it independent from it?

By default, no sandboxing is performed, but you can optionally use Firejail to run an AppImage sandboxed.

Update

I just updated the AppImages for 0.4.16 and latest Git master. These have been tested on Ubuntu 14.04, Debian 8 and Fedora 25. Enjoy!

For me the serverversion don't work on my server (16.04) but at home it works.
It always says "Permission denied".
What can I do?

I find this VERY useful when I want to play Minetest on someone's Linux pc who doesn't have Minetest installed.

Lejo wrote:For me the serverversion don't work on my server (16.04) but at home it works.
It always says "Permission denied".
What can I do?

AppImages are made mostly for desktops, and I haven't really tested them on servers. The reason the server AppImage might not work out of the box in a server environment is that unlike desktop distributions, server distributions typically don't come with FUSE installed and enabled.

I just do: And then:
So it works!

How would I run the Appimages server from the command line if there's already a different Minetest installed on the pc?

EDIT: Nvm, g00gle helped me.

I had a problem that I can't save screenshots with AppImage.
It allways says failed to save screenshot.
I tested it in a normal release and there it works.
What can I do?

Fixed i does in minetest.conf.
screenshot_path = /home/user

Configuration and world files stores in /home folder.
Is it possible to store them near minetest.appimage file ?

You should be able to store them at anyplace you like and then put a symlink to them at the point they are expected to be found. I have my mods and subgames on a separate partition with symlinks to them at /home/.minetest

The development version creates this following error and crashes one second after starting up: I just upgraded my Linux Mint 17 to Linux Mint 17.3, but this AppImage still creates the same error. It shouldn't do that, because Linux Mint 17.3 is based on Ubuntu 14.04.

I think Calinou is going to need help with this one. Any volunteers?

Inocudom wrote:The development version creates this following error and crashes one second after starting up:

Code: Select all

I just upgraded my Linux Mint 17 to Linux Mint 17.3, but this AppImage still creates the same error. It shouldn't do that, because Linux Mint 17.3 is based on Ubuntu 14.04.

I think Calinou is going to need help with this one. Any volunteers?

all is fine for me...except the "error writing mods.conf", but that's probably just a minor clash with the installed version...

is it fixed now and you just haven't updated the post?