Mint's WebApp-Manager on Debian

craigevil · 03-14-2021, 08:51 PM

With Google dropping support for webapps next year and removing sync from Chromium it is time to come back to Firefox.
Trying to find out how to create webapps with Firefox I cam across Mint's WebApp-Manager.
https://itsfoss.com/web-app-manager-linux-mint/
https://github.com/linuxmint/webapp-manager

So first I tried just installing the deb package. Yes it installed but crashed.
So I figured what the heck let's see if I can backport the needed packages to Debian Stable.
As it has been almost 10 yrs since I have even touched a computer I wasn't sure if I could. Luckily the directions to build a "Simple Sid Backport" are pretty simple.
Here is what I did:

Code:

How to Install Mint's WebApp-Manager on Raspberry Pi OS (Buster)

Step 1) sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list add 
deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ sid main contrib non-free
deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ buster-backports main contrib non-free 
Step 2) wget http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/d/debian-archive-keyring/debian-archive-keyring_2019.1_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i debian-archive-keyring_2019.1_all.deb
sudo apt update && sudo apt install build-essential devhelp gdebi
sudo apt build-dep xapp
Step 3) sudo apt -b source xapp
Step 4) Install the packages
sudo gdebi libxapp1-dbgsym_2.0.7-1_armhf.deb
sudo gdebi libxapp-dev_2.0.7-1_armhf.deb
sudo gdebi gir1.2-xapp-1.0_2.0.7-1_armhf.deb
sudo gdebi libxapp1_2.0.7-1_armhf.deb
sudo gdebi xapps-common_2.0.7-1_all.deb
(If needed) sudo apt -f install
wget http://packages.linuxmint.com/pool/main/w/webapp-manager/webapp-manager_1.1.1_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i webapp-manager_1.1.1_all.deb

If you have problems with the Debian repo not being signed you need to manually add the signing keys:

Code:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 04EE7237B7D453EC
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 648ACFD622F3D138
sudo apt-get update

What it looks like:
https://imgur.com/PmeNVSY

Bonzoo · 03-20-2021, 03:42 PM

To me ? It's a goofy concept. Install the extension speed dial 2 and be done with it

craigevil · 03-20-2021, 03:50 PM

Well the neat thing, it puts the webapp on the Internet menu. So if you just wanted to check facebook or whatever you just open that webapp.

My Internet menu after adding several webapps:
https://i.imgur.com/s9F2Qhj.png

evo2 · 03-21-2021, 09:50 PM

Hi,

I just had a play with this. Trying to work out if you can specify which profile the browser uses for each web app. Do you know?

Evo2.

craigevil · 03-21-2021, 11:12 PM

Haven't played with it too much. You could probably use a -profile flag and point it to a specific profile.

What I want to figure out is how to use netsurf-gtk as the browser. Much lighter and no need to worry about profiles with firefox.