flatpak-install - Man Page

flatpak install [OPTION...] [REMOTE] REF...

flatpak install [OPTION...] [--from|--bundle|--image] LOCATION

Installs an application or runtime​. The primary way to install is to specify a REMOTE name as the source and one or more REFs to specify the application or runtime to install​. If REMOTE is omitted, the configured remotes are searched for the first REF and the user is asked to confirm the resulting choice​.

Each REF argument is a full or partial identifier in the flatpak ref format, which looks like "(app|runtime)/ID/ARCH/BRANCH"​. All elements except ID are optional and can be left out, including the slashes, so most of the time you need only specify ID​. Any part left out will be matched against what is in the remote, and if there are multiple matches you will be prompted to choose one of them​. You will also be prompted with choices if REF doesn't match anything in the remote exactly but is similar to one or more refs in the remote (e​.g​. "devhelp" is similar to "org​.gnome​.Devhelp"), but this fuzzy matching behavior is disabled if REF contains any slashes or periods​.

By default this looks for both apps and runtimes with the given REF in the specified REMOTE, but you can limit this by using the --app or --runtime option, or by supplying the initial element in the REF​.

If REMOTE is a uri or a path (absolute or relative starting with ​./) to a local repository, then that repository will be used as the source, and a temporary remote will be created for the lifetime of the REF​.

If the specified REMOTE has a collection ID configured on it, Flatpak will search the sideload-repos directories configured either with the --sideload-repo option, or on a per-installation or system-wide basis (see flatpak(1))​.

For OCI remotes, sideload repositories can also be specified as --sideload-repo=oci:PATH or --sideload-repo=oci-archive:PATH, where path points to an OCI image layout or archive of an OCI image layout​. (See containers-transports(5)​.) When specified in this fashion, the images found in the image layout are available for all OCI remotes, without regard to collection ID​. For this reason, there is no directory equivalent - it can only be specified on the command line​.

The alternative form of the command (with --from, --bundle, or --image) allows to install directly from a source​. The source can be a ​.flatpak single-file bundle, ​.flatpakref application description, or a reference to an OCI image​. The options are optional if the first argument has the expected filename extension or prefix​.

Note that flatpak allows to have multiple branches of an application and runtimes installed and used at the same time​. However, only one version of an application can be current, meaning its exported files (for instance desktop files and icons) are visible to the host​. The last installed version is made current by default, but this can manually changed with flatpak make-current​.

Unless overridden with the --user or the --installation option, this command installs the application or runtime in the default system-wide installation​.

The following options are understood:

-h,  --help

Show help options and exit​.

--bundle

Treat LOCATION as a single-bundle file​. This is assumed if the argument ends with ​.flatpak​.

--from

Treat LOCATION as an application description file​. This is assumed if the argument ends with ​.flatpakref​.

--image

Treat LOCATION as the location of a Flatpak in OCI image format​. [LOCATION] is in the format of containers-transports(5)​. Supported schemes are docker://, oci:, and oci-archive:​. This is assumed if the argument starts with one of these schemes​.

--reinstall

Uninstall first if already installed​.

-u,  --user

Install the application or runtime in a per-user installation​.

--system

Install the application or runtime in the default system-wide installation​.

--installation=NAME

Install the application or runtime in a system-wide installation specified by NAME among those defined in /etc/flatpak/installations​.d/​. Using --installation=default is equivalent to using --system​.

--arch=ARCH

The default architecture to install for, if not given explicitly in the REF​. See flatpak --supported-arches for architectures supported by the host​.

--subpath=PATH

Install only a subpath of REF​. This is mainly used to install a subset of locales​. This can be added multiple times to install multiple subpaths​.

--gpg-file=FILE

Check bundle signatures with GPG key from FILE (- for stdin)​.

--no-deploy

Download the latest version, but don't deploy it​.

--no-pull

Don't download the latest version, deploy whatever is locally available​.

--no-related

Don't download related extensions, such as the locale data​.

--no-deps

Don't verify runtime dependencies when installing​.

--or-update

Normally install just ignores things that are already installed (printing a warning), but if --or-update is specified it silently turns it into an update operation instead​.

--app

Assume that all REFs are apps if not explicitly specified​.

--runtime

Assume that all REFs are runtimes if not explicitly specified​.

--sideload-repo=PATH

Adds an extra local ostree repo as a source for installation​. This is equivalent to using the sideload-repos directories (see flatpak(1)), but can be done on a per-command basis​. Any path added here is used in addition to ones in those directories​.

--include-sdk

For each app being installed, also installs the SDK that was used to build it​. Implies --or-update; incompatible with --no-deps​.

--include-debug

For each ref being installed, as well as all dependencies, also installs its debug info​. Implies --or-update; incompatible with --no-deps​.

-y,  --assumeyes

Automatically answer yes to all questions (or pick the most prioritized answer)​. This is useful for automation​.

--noninteractive

Produce minimal output and avoid most questions​. This is suitable for use in non-interactive situations, e​.g​. in a build script​.

-v,  --verbose

Print debug information during command processing​.

--ostree-verbose

Print OSTree debug information during command processing​.

$ flatpak install gedit

$ flatpak install flathub org​.gnome​.gedit

$ flatpak --installation=default install flathub org​.gnome​.gedit

$ flatpak --user install flathub org​.gnome​.gedit//3​.30

$ flatpak --user install https://flathub​.org/repo/appstream/org​.gnome​.gedit​.flatpakref

$ flatpak --system install org​.gnome​.gedit​.flatpakref

flatpak(1), flatpak-update(1), flatpak-list(1), flatpak-build-bundle(1), flatpakref(5), flatpak-make-current(1), ostree-find-remotes(1)

flatpak(1), flatpak-create-usb(1), flatpak-info(1), flatpak-list(1), flatpak-make-current(1), flatpakref(5), flatpak-update(1).