flatpak

name	flatpak
description	Install, remove, update, and troubleshoot Flatpak applications on Bluefin.
domain	sysadmin

Flatpak Management

Bluefin uses Flathub as the primary application delivery mechanism. All GUI apps should be installed as Flatpaks. The base image ships with a curated set; users add their own via flatpak install or Bazaar (Bluefin's default app store).

Load with: point your agent at this file.

When to Use

• Installing or removing a Flatpak application
• Updating Flatpaks (separately from system updates)
• Troubleshooting a Flatpak app that won't launch or has permission issues
• Overriding Flatpak permissions (filesystem, network, etc.)
• Finding which Flatpak provides a specific app

When NOT to Use

• Installing system tools or CLI utilities — use Homebrew (brew install) for those
• Installing packages that modify the base OS — use a Distrobox container instead

Key Commands

# Search for an app
flatpak search <name>

# Install from Flathub
flatpak install flathub <app-id>

# Remove an app
flatpak remove <app-id>

# Update all Flatpaks
flatpak update

# List installed Flatpaks
flatpak list --app

# Override permissions (example: grant home directory access)
flatpak override --user <app-id> --filesystem=home

# Reset permissions to defaults
flatpak override --user --reset <app-id>

# Show current permissions
flatpak info --show-permissions <app-id>

# Run a Flatpak with verbose output (debugging)
flatpak run --verbose <app-id>

Common App IDs

App	Flatpak ID
Firefox	org.mozilla.firefox
Bazaar (app store)	io.github.kolunmi.Bazaar
Flatseal (permission manager)	com.github.tchx84.Flatseal
Warehouse (Flatpak manager UI)	io.github.flattool.Warehouse

Troubleshooting

App won't launch: Run flatpak run --verbose <app-id> and look for permission errors.

Missing library or runtime: Run flatpak update — the runtime may need updating.

Permission denied errors: Use Flatseal or flatpak override to grant needed permissions.

"Not installed" but visible in Software: Run flatpak repair to rebuild the local database.