Installation from sideloaded source fails

[MichaelTrip]

Linux distribution and version

• Source machine when creating the flatpak create-usb is Fedora 34.
• Target machine when installing the flatpak: RHEL 8.4

Flatpak version

• Source machine: 1.10.2
• Target machine: 1.8.5

Description of the problem

Note: The target computer is in a offline environment.

When i try to install a flatpak from a sideloaded usb drive by running:

flatpak install --sideload-repo=/run/media/usbstick/flatpaks/.ostree/repo flathub de.ifw_dresden.nagstamon
Looking for remotes
error: No remote refs found simular to 'flathub'

Steps to reproduce

• Create usb for sideloaded apps: flatpak create-usb /run/media/usbstick/flatpaks
• Install the flatpak on the target computer which is offline by using: flatpak install --sideload-repo=/run/media/usbstick/flatpaks/.ostree/repo flathub de.ifw_dresden.nagstamon
• See error message above.

Questions:

Should i install the remote flathub before trying to install from a sideloaded usb stick? I already tried to install the flathub.flatpakrepo file but that didn't work as it was searching for the gpg key and the computer doesn't have a internet connection.

[mwleeds]

When i try to install a flatpak from a sideloaded usb drive by running:

flatpak install --sideload-repo=/run/media/usbstick/flatpaks/.ostree/repo flathub de.ifw_dresden.nagstamon
Looking for remotes
error: No remote refs found simular to 'flathub'

This error message, while not very user friendly, is a product of the flathub remote not being configured on your RHEL machine.

Create usb for sideloaded apps: flatpak create-usb /run/media/usbstick/flatpaks

You need to specify the Flatpak you want to copy in the command, e.g. flatpak create-usb /run/media/usbstick/flatpaks de.ifw_dresden.nagstamon

Should i install the remote flathub before trying to install from a sideloaded usb stick? I already tried to install the flathub.flatpakrepo file but that didn't work as it was searching for the gpg key and the computer doesn't have a internet connection.

Yes, the remote must be configured on both computers, source and destination. You also need to have a collection ID configured on the remote, on both the source and destination computers. The command to configure a collection ID would be flatpak remote-modify --collection-id=org.flathub.Stable flathub in the case of flathub.

The GPG key is specified in the .flatpakrepo file, so I don't think you should need an Internet connection to configure the remote with a remote-add command.

[x37v]

I can't seem to figure this out either.
I created my usb

flatpak create-usb /media/parallels/XNORUSB/ com.Cycling74.RNBORunner2

umounted it and plugged it into another computer.

flatpak remote-ls file:///run/media/deck/XNORUSB/.ostree/repo/

Name                           Application ID                                Version          Branch
RNBORunner2                    com.Cycling74.RNBORunner2                                      master
default                        org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.default                            22.08
default                        org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.default                            22.08-extra
freedesktop platform           org.freedesktop.Platform                                       22.08
Yaru                           org.gtk.Gtk3theme.Yaru                                         3.22

how do I specify the install? Why is flathub included in the command in the documentation?

flatpak install --user --sideload-repo=/run/media/deck/XNORUSB/.ostree/repo flathub com.Cycling74.RNBORunner2
Looking for matches…
error: No remote refs found similar to ‘flathub’

[kablondino]

I have the exact same issue. I am attempting to installing onto an air-gapped VM, so no remotes are configured whatsoever. Setting up any internet-connected remote is a showstopper. The eventual goal is to set up a private, internal remote, however.

[x37v]

@kablondino I figured it out. you have to add a repo with the given name to your air-gapped host.. the names have changed a little, but here is what i needed on the host i'm installing RNBORunner on, with the repo named rnborunner1-origin

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists rnborunner1-origin file:///home/deck/rnborunner1-origin
flatpak remote-modify --collection-id=com.Cycling74.RNBORunner rnborunner1-origin
flatpak install --sideload-repo=/run/media/deck/XNORUSB/.ostree/repo rnborunner1-origin com.Cycling74.RNBORunner

[kablondino]

I've tried to follow your notation, but I must be missing something. The manner by which I have done this is installed the package on the internet-connected computer and then created the USB as a local folder in my home directory with this:

$ flatpak install flathub org.kde.massif-visualizer
$ flatpak create-usb /home/kablondino/massif_flatpak org.kde.massif-visualizer

I then zipped the folder and transferred it to the air-gapped one. Trying to install, I did the following after unzipping (the original and target hosts have the same folder structure):

$ flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists massif_flatpak file:///home/kablondino/massif_flatpak
# Above gives an error, complaining about summary file
$ flatpak remote-modify --collection-id=org.kde.massif-visualizer massif_flatpak
$ flatpak install --sideload-repo=/home/kablondino/massif_flatpak/.ostree/repo massif_flatpak org.kde.massif-visualizer

error: Unable to load summary from remote massif_flatpak: GPG verification enabled, but no summary found (check...)

I then removed the remote and added it again with the --no-gpg-verification, but then the install still does not work, again complaining about the summary file.

I know that the creation of the USB worked because when I get the proper list of applications when I do remote-ls on the target host:

$ flatpak remote-ls file:///home/kablondino/massif_flatpak/.ostree/repo

Name                Application ID                         Version                Branch
massif-visualizer   org.kde.massif-visualizer                                     stable
default             org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.default                           22.08
...                 ...                                                           ...

What is it that I am missing? It must be that I am point something to the wrong location. Or is it that I am creating the USB incorrectly? The end goal of this is to use the zipped "USB" on a internal remote to be deployed on multiple of these air-gapped VMs.

[x37v]

flatpak install flathub org.kde.massif-visualizer

I'm no flatpak pro but it looks like this should be in the flathub repo so maybe remote install should use the flathub repo, and maybe you just need to setup flathub on your air-gapped device?

flatpak install --sideload-repo=/home/kablondino/massif_flatpak/.ostree/repo flathub org.kde.massif-visualizer

[kablondino]

Regardless of how I name my local "remote" (whether it's flathub or otherwise) or the collection ID, it still does not find the package:

# Remote labeled flathub, as suggested, with no collection ID
error: Nothing matches org.kde.massif-visualizer in remote flathub

or

# Named collection ID the package name
error: Configured collection ID 'org.kde.massif-visualizer' not in summary file

It must be something with the adding of the remote. I cannot seem to get any other result.