install-opt

A simple Linux CLI tool to install portable applications into /opt and automatically create a .desktop launcher.

Supports:

• Extracted application folders (tar.gz / zip releases)
• Standalone .AppImage files

After installation, the original source is automatically cleaned up when located in common download/temp directories.

*All from chatjippity - will probably break your installs (probably) *

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✨ Features

• Installs applications into /opt/{program}

• Creates a per-user launcher in:

  ~/.local/share/applications

• Supports extracted folder installs

• Supports .AppImage installs

• Automatic safe cleanup of source files

• Optional StartupWMClass

• Optional custom icon support

• Safe replacement with --force

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📦 Why This Exists

Many Linux applications are distributed as:

• Portable tarballs
• Zip archives
• AppImages

The manual workflow usually looks like:

1. Extract archive (if needed)
2. Move to /opt
3. Make executable
4. Create .desktop file
5. Clean up download

install-opt automates that process in one command.

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🚀 Installation

Make the script executable:

chmod +x install-opt

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🛠 Usage

Folder mode

install-opt \
  --name <Name> \
  --src <extracted-folder> \
  --exec <relative-path-to-executable> \
  --icon <relative-path-to-icon> \
  --categories <desktop-categories> \
  --comment <description> \
  --wmclass <startupWMclass> \
  --force

Argument	Default	Description
--icon	(none)	Relative path to an icon file (png/svg) inside the directory.
--categories	Utility;	Desktop entry categories (e.g. Development;IDE;).
--comment	Installed app	Description shown in application menu.
--terminal	false	Whether the app should launch inside a terminal.
--wmclass	(none)	StartupWMClass value for proper dock/taskbar grouping.
--force	disabled	Replace existing installation in /opt/{program} if it exists.

AppImage mode

Use this mode for standalone .AppImage files.

Syntax

install-opt \
  --name <program> \
  --src <file.AppImage> \
  --appimage \
  [options]

Example

install-opt \
  --name obsidian \
  --src ~/Downloads/Obsidian-1.5.3.AppImage \
  --categories "Office;Utility;" \
  --comment "Obsidian Markdown Editor" \
  --force

The AppImage will be installed as:

/opt/{program}/{program}.AppImage