flatpak-spawn - Linux
Overview
flatpak-spawn executes a specified executable inside a given Flatpak runtime environment. It allows users to run applications designed for a particular Flatpak without directly accessing the runtime’s graphical user interface or package manager.
Syntax
flatpak-spawn [options] -- [executable] [arguments...]
Options/Flags
- –app-id: Specify the Flatpak application ID whose runtime should be used.
- –bwrap-mountns: Use the
bwrap
tool to mount the namespace. - –env: Set an environment variable for the runtime environment.
- –fake-home-dir: Simulate the user’s home directory within the runtime.
- –help: Display help information.
- –version: Display version information.
Examples
- Run the
gedit
application in theorg.gnome.gedit
Flatpak runtime:
flatpak-spawn org.gnome.gedit gedit
- Run the
firefox
browser using the environment variableDISPLAY
:
flatpak-spawn --env=DISPLAY=:0 org.mozilla.firefox firefox
Common Issues
- File permissions: Ensure that the files and directories within the Flatpak runtime have appropriate permissions for the user running the command.
- Flatpak not installed: The
flatpak
command should be installed before usingflatpak-spawn
.
Integration
- Flatpak-Builder: Use
flatpak-spawn
to run test applications during Flatpak package building. - Shell scripts: Embed
flatpak-spawn
in shell scripts to run commands in a specific Flatpak runtime environment.
Related Commands
- flatpak: Manage Flatpak packages and runtimes.
- bwrap: A utility for executing commands in a sandboxed user namespace.
- unshare: A lower-level command for creating new namespaces.