How to Install Packages with Flatpak on Debian 11

Flatpak is a package manager that allows Linux users to package their applications along with all the necessary dependencies and libraries into one bundle that can be installed and run on any Linux distribution without conflicts. Flatpak provides a sandboxed environment for applications, which helps ensure that they do not interfere with other applications.

Follow this guide to learn the installation of packages with flatpak on Debian 11.

How to Install Flatpak on Debian 11

To install flatpak on Debian, follow the below-given steps:

Step 1: First, update the packages list using:

sudo apt update

Step 2: Then install the flatpak through the following command:

sudo apt install flatpak

Step 3: Now, you must install GNOME plugins for the flatpak from the following command as it will help ensure that flatpak applications have access to all the features and functionality that they need to run properly.

sudo apt install gnome-software-plugin-flatpak

Step 4: Enable the flatpak on Debian by adding the repository of the flatpak repo, so it can install the applications:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Once the process of installation is finished, run the version command to verify the flatpak installation:

flatpak --version

Install Packages with Flatpak on Debian

Before installing the applications from flatpak, you can search for them and get detailed information about them through the following command:

sudo flatpak search <package-name>

For example, I am searching Skype from the following command:

<strong>sudo flatpak search skype</strong>

To install the package, you will need the remote repository and the package ID. You can get this information from the flatpak search command:

flatpak install [remotes] [application ID]

For example, I am installing the skype application on Debian with the following flatpak command:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.skype.Client

Run Flatpak Packages on Debian

You can launch the application from the menu or run the following command with the application ID:

flatpak run [application ID]

flatpak run com.skype.Client

Remove Flatpak Packages from Debian

Run the flatpak uninstall command to uninstall a specific package from your Debian system:

flatpak uninstall [application ID]

To remove Skype, use:

sudo flatpak uninstall com.skype.Client

Bottom Line

Flatpak provides a modern and efficient way to install packages on Debian systems, offering several advantages over traditional package managers. With flatpak, users can easily install and run applications in a sandboxed environment, without the need to worry about dependencies or conflicts with other software. In the above guide, we have discussed the installation and use of the flatpak on the Debian system.