I'm used to storing offline installers on my HDD while using Windows, and I can run them years later without any extra setup or downloads. I'm wondering if I can do something similar on Linux, specifically Ubuntu. I've heard of AppImages, but I'm not sure if they would work for this purpose.
What I want is to create an AppImage or a file, store it on an external HDD, and then transfer it to any Ubuntu or Linux computer via USB. Ideally, I'd like to run it offline without needing to fix anything or download additional dependencies. For example, if I create it on Ubuntu 24, I want it to run smoothly on Ubuntu 34. Is this feasible? Thanks!
2 Answers
Unfortunately, unlike Windows, Linux applications are often spread all over the file system, which some might say is a benefit because it promotes structure. So, installing apps on an air-gapped machine can be tricky since they usually have dependencies to worry about. AppImages are your best bet in this case, even if they can be a bit of a hassle to work with.
You might want to check out AppImage Builder. It's a good starting point to create your own AppImages and see if they suit your needs. Here's a link to the documentation: https://appimage-builder.readthedocs.io/en/latest/intro/tutorial.html
Just a heads up, there's no guarantee that AppImages will work perfectly in future Linux versions, so keep that in mind.
I get that it's not the default way, but could I automate the process with AppImages, maybe by writing a script to make it simpler? Or are AppImages limited in what they can do?