SIL Linux Flatpak software

Some SIL Linux software is provided as Flatpak packages from the Flathub software repository. SIL Flatpak software packages may work on other Linux distributions but are primarily tested on Ubuntu and Wasta-Linux.

To install SIL Flatpak software packages, follow the instructions below.

Set up Flatpak in Ubuntu

Skip this if you are running Wasta, which already is set up for Flatpak.

How do I know if I am running Wasta or Ubuntu?

Wasta or Ubuntu?

To determine if you are using Wasta or Ubuntu, do the following.

  1. Click Activitieshelp_outline or Menuhelp_outline and launch Terminal.
  2. Type cat /etc/wasta-release and press Enter.
If you see a few lines of output mentioning Wasta Linux, such as the following, you are running Wasta Linux and Flatpak is already set up. 
$ cat /etc/wasta-release
ID=Wasta-Linux
VERSION=18.04
RELEASE=18.04
CODENAME=bionic
DESCRIPTION="Wasta-Linux 18.04.2"
BASE_ID=ubuntu
BASE_VERSION=18.04
BASE_RELEASE=18.04
BASE_CODENAME=bionic

If you see message cat: /etc/wasta-release: No such file or directory, you are not running Wasta Linux.

Ubuntu or Debian or Mint or ...?

To confirm that you are running Ubuntu and not another distribution of Linux, do the following.

  1. Click Activitieshelp_outline or Menuhelp_outline and launch Terminal.
  2. Type lsb_release -a and press Enter
If you see a few lines of output mentioning Ubuntu, such as the following, you are running Ubuntu Linux. Note that Wasta will also identify itself as Ubuntu from this second test in the same way.

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS
Release:        18.04
Codename:       bionic

Add Flatpak to Ubuntu by doing the following.

Click Activitieshelp_outline and launch Terminal. For each of the following commands, click the copy icon copy icon to copy the command to your clipboard, right-click in your Terminal window, click Paste, and press Enterhelp_outline. When prompted, type your password and press Enter.

These commands will install Flatpak and enable access to the Flathub software repository.

sudo apt update && sudo apt install flatpak
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Log out or reboot, to help your system see and use Flatpak (such as showing installed Flatpak software in your programs list).

Install SIL Flatpak software

Install SIL Flatpak software in Wasta or Ubuntu by doing the following.

Note that in Wasta, the Software Manager can also be used to install software using a GUI, such as in these instructions for FieldWorks.

Click Activitieshelp_outline or Menuhelp_outline and launch Terminal. Run a command like flatpak install flathub PACKAGENAME, such as one of the following examples. Enter your password if prompted.

flatpak install flathub org.sil.Bloom
flatpak install flathub org.sil.FieldWorks

Update Flatpak software packages

Flatpak software packages can be updated in Wasta or Ubuntu by doing the following.

Click Activitieshelp_outline or Menuhelp_outline and launch Terminal. For the following command, click the copy icon copy icon to copy the command to your clipboard, right-click in your Terminal window, click Paste, and press Enterhelp_outline.

This command will update your Flatpak software packages, including SIL Flatpak software packages.

flatpak update

More information

View instructions for accessing and installing SIL software and fonts from apt/deb packages.

View the catalog of SIL software and fonts.

Download SIL software for Windows.