Desktop app deployment on Linux

Linux apps also have a variety of deployment options. The simplest is to use GZip and let the user put the app wherever they want. You can also use a tool such as InstallJammer that creates a generic installer that works with a variety of Linux platforms. Lastly, you can create separate installers for each Linux distribution. Common installer formats are deb (used by Debian and Ubuntu) and RPM (RedHat Package Maker) used by RedHat.

Generic installer

InstallJammer is an open-source product that has a simple user interface for creating an installer that works on a variety of Linux distributions. Unfortunately, this tool is no longer being actively developed. However, it still works well and might be a good choice if you do not use Linux often enough to master creating dedicated installers.

Debian installer

Debian installers are used by Debian-based Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu or Linux Mint. They can be installed by the Synaptic Package Maker or from the terminal.

You create Debian installers using the dpkg-deb terminal app. Its usage is far more involved than can be discussed here, but this tutorial describes how you can create a Debian package:

• Debian Binary Package Building HOWTO

Redhat installer

The Redhat installer format (RPM) is used by Redhat-based Linux distributions. You can create RPM installers using the rpmbuild terminal app. Its usage is far more involved than can be discussed here, although the Fedora Project does have a good walkthrough:

• How to create an RPM package

Zip

A Zip file is an archive of your app. A zip is easy to download and most users understand what they are. They can usually be unzipped by double-clicking on them, which reveals the app itself. The app can then be manually copied to where the user wants it.