Flatpak/FlatHub On ChromeOS
Flatpak is a software deployment, package management, and sandboxing system for Linux. It provides a platform-independent method for distributing applications across different Linux distributions. Your ChromeOS Device is able to use applications packaged with flatpack by following a few basic steps.
Developers package their applications along with their dependencies into a Flatpak package, which can then be installed and run on any Linux distribution that supports Flatpak, regardless of differences in underlying libraries or system configurations.
Flatpak uses containerization technology to isolate applications from the rest of the system, providing enhanced security and reliability. This means that applications installed via Flatpak are less likely to interfere with each other or with the underlying system, reducing the risk of conflicts or instability.
Flatpak also enables users to easily discover and install new applications from centralized repositories, similar to app stores on other platforms. This helps streamline the process of finding and installing software on Linux, making it more accessible to users of all skill levels.
Installing Flatpak
These commands will install Flatpak and activate the Flathub repository
You can install Flatpak on a Intel or AMD based ChromeOS device by running the following on the ChromeOS Linux Terminal.
sudo apt install flatpak
flatpak --user remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
You can install Flatpak on a arm based ChromeOS device by running the following on a ChromeOS Linux Terminal
sudo apt install flatpak
flatpak --user remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
Using Flatpak
Once Flatpak is installed, you can browse the list of applications on https://flathub.org. Once you have identified the application that you wish to install, simply select "Install" to obtain the installation command. Copy and paste the command into your ChromeOS Linux Terminal. The command should resemble the following:
sudo flatpak install flathub application.id
As a example, the command below will install the Telegram Desktop Client on your machine.
flatpak install flathub org.telegram.desktop