Ability to set the --user flag as default

[julientechdev]

I find myself always installing/managing flatpak apps as user apps.
Is there a way to configure the --user flag as default instead of --system ?
I understand an shell alias could do the trick, but it would be cleaner if set directly on flatpak config IMHO.
If such a feature does not exist, please consider this ticket as a feature request.

[mwleeds]

If the system installation is empty, you should be able to leave off --user and have the user installation still be used. Is your use case that you have some things installed system-wide and others per-user?

[julientechdev]

Yes, I removed system apps and now it implicitely use --user.
Thanks @mwleeds

[rezad1393]

I have the same problem but it still ask for user or system choice.
I dont seem to have any flatpak installed in system.

[mwleeds]

@rezad1393 use flatpak --system remote-list to see if you have remotes defined there

[teohhanhui]

I'd really like to be able to do flatpak install ... as --user by default, instead of it telling me nothing matches (because the specified remote doesn't exist in --system).

[mwleeds]

I'd really like to be able to do flatpak install ... as --user by default, instead of it telling me nothing matches (because the specified remote doesn't exist in --system).

Not sure what Flatpak version you're on but the expected behavior is that the install command will automatically detect that the per-user installation should be used if the specified remote exists there and only there.

[teohhanhui]

Uhh, you're right. Sorry about that.

It just gives a confusing message when the branch is not matched, e.g.

$ flatpak install flathub org.mozilla.firefox//beta
Looking for matches…
error: Nothing matches org.mozilla.firefox in remote flathub

[mwleeds]

Yeah that's confusing, added a comment to #3996

[teohhanhui]

I've noticed an undesirable case when trying to install like this:

$ flatpak install https://nightly.gnome.org/repo/appstream/org.gtk.WidgetFactory4.flatpakref

It defaults to --system even though there are no remotes configured there.

[teohhanhui]

Another example:

$ flatpak install --from https://firefox-flatpak.mojefedora.cz/org.mozilla.FirefoxNightly.flatpakref

Expected result: It should default to --user.

Actual result: It defaults to --system.

[akdev1l]

https://docs.flatpak.org/en/latest/using-flatpak.html

Flatpak commands are run system-wide by default. If you are installing applications for day-to-day usage, it is recommended to stick with this default behavior.

However, running commands per-user can be useful for testing and development purposes, since objects that are installed in this way won’t be available to other users on the system. To do this, use the --user option, which can be used in combination with most flatpak commands.

where is the behaviour above documented? The flatpak website seems to say --user is always required

[rusty-snake]

You mean which flatpaks command has no support for --user?

All where it makes no sense. Look at flatpak <command> --help. Example: flatpak enter --help.

[akdev1l]

No, the documentation suggests flatpak install always works on the system wide storage.

This thread seems to say I can or cannot use --user as long as I have a configured remote as --user.

Not sure what Flatpak version you're on but the expected behavior is that the install command will automatically detect that the per-user installation should be used if the specified remote exists there and only there.

This isn't documented anywhere that I could see, except here. (if it is feel free to point me there)

[rusty-snake]

man 1 flatpak-install, last paragraph of DESCRIPTION:

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

Flatpak 1.12.7

[SteveLauC]

Well, flatpak -h does not mention that the --user option can be used directly with flatpak but it actually can, so one can do the following alias:

$ alias flatpak='flatpak --user'
$ flatpak install flathub xx.xx.xx

[rusty-snake]

Now try to run flatpak ps.

[SteveLauC]

Now try to run flatpak ps.

Everything seems to be ok?

[rusty-snake]

Good for you.

$ LANG=C flatpak --user ps
error: Unknown option --user

[SteveLauC]

Good for you.

$ LANG=C flatpak --user ps

error: Unknown option --user

Kinda weird:(

[rusty-snake]

Expected because flatpak ps -h has no --user (ps --user do not make sense after all).

[SteveLauC]

Maybe this hack will only work in specific versions