Linux desktop builders GNOME, Debian and KDE are exploring the idea of ​​uniting and creating a Linux desktop app store.

The hundreds of different Linux desktops and dozens of ways to do things within Linux confuse users. One of the problems they encounter is finding a program, installing it and getting it to work on your desktop.

To solve this problem, the GNOME Foundation, the KDE Foundation and Debian Linux are joining forces to build an app store. They use Flatpak, a universal Linux software deployment and package management tool. Flatpak is not only easier to use, but also runs on any Linux distribution. Because applications with all their necessary libraries and files are stored in containers.

Earlier attempts at a central Linux app store

The idea of ​​setting up a general app store for Linux is not new. Less than twenty years ago, Linspire (Lindows) pioneered the “Click’n’Run” app store. More recently, Elementary OS experimented with a pay-what-you-can app store. However, since it was specifically aimed at a handful of Linux distributions, it was never a very attractive solution for users and developers.

The plan the three Linux desktop builders now have is to encourage diversity and sustainability in the Linux desktop community by adding payments, donations and memberships to the Flathub app store. The difference between this plan and previous attempts is that Flatpak works on almost all Linux distributions.

It’s just an idea

At the moment, the proposal for a paid Flathub app store is nothing more than an idea. However, it is likely that the plan will receive a lot of support from the Linux community. And if the plan gets enough support, it could become the first popular universal Linux app store.