Binary-Only Flatpak Package Example

This demonstrates how to create a Flatpak package that distributes only a compiled binary without source code.

Project Structure

• hello.c - Source code (kept only for development, not distributed)
• hello - Compiled binary (this is what gets distributed)
• com.example.HelloWorld.yml - Flatpak manifest

Key Points

The Flatpak manifest uses a pre-compiled binary instead of building from source:

modules:
  - name: hello
    buildsystem: simple
    build-commands:
      - install -D hello /app/bin/hello
    sources:
      - type: file
        path: hello  # Pre-compiled binary

This approach:

• Distributes only the compiled binary
• Does not include source code in the package
• Source file (hello.c) is excluded from distribution

Build Instructions

Option 1: Pre-compiled Binary (com.example.HelloWorld.yml)

1. Compile the binary locally:

   gcc -o hello hello.c
   

2. Build and install the Flatpak:

   flatpak-builder --user --install --force-clean build-dir com.example.HelloWorld.yml
   

Option 2: Build Inside Flatpak (com.example.HelloWorld-build-inside.yml)

Build the binary inside the Flatpak sandbox using the SDK:

flatpak-builder --user --install --force-clean build-dir com.example.HelloWorld-build-inside.yml

This compiles hello.c using gcc inside the Flatpak environment, then installs only the resulting binary.

Run the Application

flatpak run com.example.HelloWorld

Package for Distribution

After building, create a single-file bundle for distribution:

# Create bundle from user installation
flatpak build-bundle ~/.local/share/flatpak/repo com.example.HelloWorld.flatpak com.example.HelloWorld

# Or create a custom repo and bundle
flatpak-builder --repo=repo build-dir com.example.HelloWorld.yml
flatpak build-bundle repo com.example.HelloWorld.flatpak com.example.HelloWorld

The resulting .flatpak file contains only the compiled binary and can be distributed to users.

Install from Bundle

Users can install your package:

flatpak install com.example.HelloWorld.flatpak

Notes

• The source file (hello.c) is never included in the Flatpak package
• Only the compiled binary is distributed
• You can delete hello.c after building if desired