Linux: Embed AppImage update information

[shuvashish76]

Request to provide .zsync file for AppImage delta updates.
Updating will take less amount of data and time due to downloading only diff.

info:

• https://github.com/AppImageCommunity/AppImageUpdate#update-information-overview
• https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageSpec/blob/master/draft.md#update-information
• https://github.com/ivan-hc/AppImage-tips#how-to-add-delta-updates

This is a common standard for updating AppImages.
AppImage having update information would also recognized by other software e.g. AppImageLauncher, AppImageUpdate, AppManager, AM etc...

Lots of projects already support updating AppImage e.g: LibreWolf, KeePassXC, Sigil etc.

[axpnet]

Request to provide .zsync file for AppImage delta updates.

Thanks @shuvashish76, this is a good request and we are taking it on. It fits the way the AppImage is already built: the release workflow unpacks the Tauri AppImage and repacks it with appimagetool, so the update information can be embedded at that step with -u "gh-releases-zsync|axpdev-lab|aeroftp|latest|AeroFTP_*_amd64.AppImage.zsync". The generated .zsync will then be published next to the AppImage in the release assets. That makes AppImageUpdate, AppImageLauncher, AM, AppManager and other tools that read the spec able to update AeroFTP by downloading only the changed blocks.

It is tracked for the next release in the 4.2.1 tracker (row 20 under "Requested / under consideration"). We will post here when it lands on main, and check the result with appimageupdatetool against a real release before calling it done.

[axpnet]

@shuvashish76, an honest update: the .zsync delta updates did not make 4.2.1, which went out today. I said above they were tracked for that release, and they slipped. They are now tracked for 4.2.2 in the 4.2.2 tracker, and I will post here once appimageupdatetool updates a real release, not before.

The other half of your suggestion is done: the README now lists AeroFTP in AM and AppMan, with am -i aeroftp and appman -i aeroftp, next to the other Linux formats. Thanks for packaging it there and for the pointer.

[shuvashish76]

ivan-hc/AM#2735

If you think it's worth adding to readme page...

Available in AM/AppMan package managers for Linux/BSD users:

• Install via AppMan (rootless)

  appman -i aeroftp

• Install via AM

  am -i aeroftp

[axpnet]

If you think it's worth adding to readme page...

It is, thanks for packaging it. I read the script in ivan-hc/AM#2735: it takes the official AppImage from our releases and its updater already tries appimageupdatetool first, so once the update information from this request is embedded, AM and AppMan users get block-level delta updates with no change on your side.

The PR is still open, so am -i aeroftp would fail for someone reading the README today. We will add the AM and AppMan lines to the Linux install section as soon as it is merged, in the same place where Snap, AUR and FlatPark are listed.

[shuvashish76]

Merged :)