v3.0-release

📦 Debian App Builder — v3.0 — What's Changed

Built with ❤️ by tuffgit21
Official site: https://tuffgit21.github.io/Debian-App-Builder/
More Projects: https://tuffgit21.github.io/

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✨ New Features

🏪 AppStream Metadata — Dedicated Section

• 🆕 New AppStream tab in DebAppBuilder.py calling core.py:write_appstream_file()
• Creates usr/share/metainfo/<app_id>.metainfo.xml for GNOME Software / KDE Discover
• 📝 Fields: App ID, Name, Summary, Description (multi-paragraph), Developer, Project License, Metadata License, Homepage, Categories, Keywords
• 🔘 Create AppStream Metadata button (green) — validates and shows Successfully created message

🆔 Smart App ID

• 🧬 App ID now auto-derived from package metadata Maintainer (Name <email> → reverse-DNS, e.g. john@example.com → com.example.myapp)
• 💭 Placeholder only: com.example.<package> (auto from Maintainer) — behaves like other entries (click clears hint, not editing inserted value)
• 🔄 Migrates old hardcoded io.github.tuffgit21.* to generic placeholder
• 💾 Saved in .debappbuilder_session.json

🗂️ Desktop Path= Support

• 📂 New Path field in Desktop Entry (Path=/working-directory)
• ✅ Validates absolute path (must start with /), writes Path=<value> in .desktop file
• 💭 Placeholder: /usr/share/<package> (working directory, optional) — empty omits key
• 💾 Persisted in session, included in set_write_inputs_state and KeyRelease bindings

🔘 Choose Main Executable

• ⭐ Set Main button next to X in Selected files list (Application tab)
• 📁 Excludes folders — only files can be set as main (folders show placeholder, warning if attempted)
• 💚 Active main shows ✓ Main (disabled, green) + ★ in name, others show Set Main (blue)
• 🔄 Updates selected_file, Application info, and build status instantly

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🐛 Bug Fixes

🔓 Package & Desktop Entries Now Always Available

• 🐞 Fixed: Starting from scratch showed file in Selected files but Package & Desktop tab entries were disabled (selected_file == None)
• ✅ Now: Early disk sync + set_write_inputs_state("normal") always — metadata editable from scratch, even before selecting file
• 🔄 Also fixed remove and session restore not re-enabling entries

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💾 Session Persistence

• 📂 .debappbuilder_session.json now saves/loads:
  • desktop_path (new)
  • All AppStream fields: appstream_id, appstream_name, appstream_summary, appstream_description, appstream_developer, appstream_license, appstream_meta_license, appstream_homepage, appstream_categories, appstream_keywords, appstream_created, appstream_status
  • hicolor, selected_file, package metadata etc.
• 🔒 File remains read-only after save, writable on next save

❔How to use Debian App Builder?

1.⬇️ Install dpkg-dev kit

# Run this
sudo apt install dpkg-dev

# For Debian-based distros (Ubuntu, Zorin OS, Linux Mint, etc...)
# Same Goes to Debian or Ubuntu WSL on Windows 10 or 11. 

2.🐍 Install Python

Install Python from python.org for Windows, Linux has python3 installed so you don't need to!

3.📦 Open Debian App Builder

Open Debian App Builder using debappbuilder on Debian And on Windows run the .exe file

This package was built using Debian App Builder v3.0 🎉

v2.4-release

🔍 What's new?

• Mostly bug fixes, no new features.
• Windows build released now!

Full Changelog: DebianAppBuilder-v2.0...DebianAppBuilder-v2.4

v2.0-release

Full Changelog: DebianAppBuilder-v1.5...DebianAppBuilder-v2.0
too lazy to release the windows version

v1.5-release

Second Release! 🚀🚀

Here's what was added to DebAppBuilder:

1. 🌐 Fixed the icon placement for .desktop file.
2. 💻 Added the terminal option for .desktop file.
3. 📁 Added support for .c files and Folders/Directories.
4. 🗃️ Added vendor dependencies for python.

DebAppBuilder First Version

The First Version of Debian App Builder!