fp-appimage-updater is a CLI tool written in Rust that lets you manage, update, and desktop-integrate AppImages entirely through user-provided YAML configuration files. It operates strictly in user-space, requires no GUI, and is small enough to live alongside your dotfiles on any Linux system — including immutable and atomic distributions.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.fau.fpt.icu/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Key features
YAML-based declarative recipes
Define every app and its update strategy in a plain YAML file. Add, remove, or share apps by editing files — no wizard required.
Multi-platform Forge Support
Fetch updates from GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo releases. It automatically detects self-hosted instances and supports custom API/web URL overrides.
Direct Links & Script Resolvers
Fetch updates via static URLs using ETag/Last-Modified headers, or use custom bash scripts for complex version resolution scenarios.
Automatic Zip Extraction
Automatically detects
.zip assets, extracts the AppImage using built-in heuristics (ELF magic bytes or filename), and cleans up the archive.Delta downloads via zsync
When an app recipe enables
zsync, the updater uses its built-in zsync-rs backend to download only the bytes that changed — saving bandwidth on large AppImages.Parallel Operations
check and update commands run multiple apps concurrently with provider-aware caps to keep large batches fast without hitting rate limits.Segmented HTTP range downloads
Large files are split into parallel HTTP range requests when the server supports it. Enabled by default and configurable per-app.
Desktop integration
Extracts exact
.desktop manifests and icons directly from each AppImage and installs them into ~/.local/share/applications.Systemd background automation
The install script sets up a systemd timer that runs checks and updates automatically in the background without user intervention.
GitHub API tokens & proxies
Bypass rate limits using personal access tokens or
secrets.yml. Optional metadata proxy fallback support is also available for unauthenticated requests.Local Health Checks (Doctor)
The
doctor command validates your local configuration, required directories, process locks, and setup health to ensure everything is running smoothly.JSON Output for Scripting
Every core command supports a
--json flag, providing stable, machine-readable output for integration into your own scripts or dashboards.Design philosophy
fp-appimage-updater is intentionally narrow in scope. It runs entirely in user-space — no root access required for a standard install. Configuration lives in~/.config/fp-appimage-updater/, making it a natural fit for dotfile repositories. There is no GUI, no central recipe registry, and no database: state is driven purely by files on disk. You write your own recipes, keep them wherever you like, and the tool stays out of your way.
The project will never include a recipe repository. You are expected to write and own your own app recipes. For inspiration, check the official examples.