Flatpak cheat sheet
Summary
This cheat sheet lists essential Flatpak commands organized by function, including installing, running, updating, sandboxing, managing repositories, and performing maintenance and troubleshooting tasks.
Flatpak command overview #
The following tables provide a comprehensive list of essential Flatpak commands, organized by functionality. This overview will guide you through the key commands for using Flatpak.
Getting help and basic information #
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
flatpak help | See all available Flatpak commands |
flatpak info <application-id> | Show information about an installed Flatpak application |
flatpak permissions | View global Flatpak permissions |
flatpak permission-show <application-id> | View specific app permissions |
flatpak history | View Flatpak transaction history (installs, updates, removals) |
Installing applications #
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
flatpak install flathub <application-id> | Install an application from the Flathub repository |
flatpak install --from <application-id>.flatpakref | Install an application from a .flatpakref file |
flatpak install --user <remote-name> <application-id> | Install application for current user only (not system-wide) |
flatpak remote-add <remote-name> <repository-url> | Add a new Flatpak remote repository |
flatpak remotes | List all configured Flatpak repositories (remotes) |
Running and interacting with applications #
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
flatpak run <application-id> | Run an installed Flatpak application |
flatpak run --command=<command> <application-id> | Run a specific command inside the Flatpak application |
flatpak run --filesystem=<path> <application-id> | Run a Flatpak with additional filesystem access |
flatpak ps | Show currently running Flatpak applications |
flatpak kill <application-id> | Force-stop a running Flatpak application |
Managing applications #
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
flatpak list | List all installed Flatpak applications |
flatpak list --user | List only user-installed Flatpak applications |
flatpak update | Update all installed Flatpak applications |
flatpak update <application-id> | Update a specific Flatpak application |
flatpak uninstall <application-id> | Uninstall a Flatpak application |
flatpak uninstall --user <application-id> | Uninstall application for current user only |
flatpak uninstall --unused | Uninstall unused runtimes and clean up |
flatpak remote-delete <remote-name> | Remove a Flatpak remote repository |
flatpak search <search-term> | Search for Flatpak applications in configured repositories |
Permissions and sandboxing #
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
flatpak override <application-id> --filesystem=home | Set permissions or override default sandboxing behavior |
flatpak override --reset <application-id> | Reset all overrides for a Flatpak application |
flatpak permission-reset <application-id> | Reset permissions of a Flatpak application |
Maintenance and troubleshooting #
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
flatpak repair | Check and fix the Flatpak installation (e.g., missing files) |
flatpak create-usb <remote-name> <mount-point> | Copy apps/runtimes to a USB for offline installation |
FAQ's #
Most common questions and brief, easy-to-understand answers on the topic:
How do I install a Flatpak application?
Use the command flatpak install <remote> <application-id>, replacing <remote> with the repository (e.g., flathub) and <application-id> with the app's ID.
How can I list all installed Flatpak applications?
Run flatpak list to see all installed applications. Add --app to show only apps or --runtime for runtimes.
How do I update all Flatpak applications?
Execute flatpak update to update all installed applications. Add --app to update only apps or specify an app ID to update selectively.
What is the command to remove a Flatpak application?
Use flatpak uninstall <application-id> to remove an app. Add --unused to clean up unused dependencies.
How do I run a Flatpak application from the terminal?
Use flatpak run <application-id> to launch an app. Replace <application-id> with the app's ID (e.g., org.gimp.GIMP).
How can I troubleshoot Flatpak issues?
Run flatpak repair to fix broken installations or flatpak info <application-id> to check app details. Check logs with journalctl if needed.
Further readings #
Sources and recommended, further resources on the topic:
Author
Jonas Jared Jacek (J15k)
Jonas works as project manager, web designer, and web developer since 2001. On top of that, he is a Linux system administrator with a broad interest in things related to programming, architecture, and design. See: https://www.j15k.com/License
Flatpak cheat sheet by Jonas Jared Jacek is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This license requires that reusers give credit to the creator. It allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, for noncommercial purposes only. To give credit, provide a link back to the original source, the author, and the license e.g. like this:
<p xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"><a property="dct:title" rel="cc:attributionURL" href="https://www.ditig.com/flatpak-cheat-sheet">Flatpak cheat sheet</a> by <a rel="cc:attributionURL dct:creator" property="cc:attributionName" href="https://www.j15k.com/">Jonas Jared Jacek</a> is licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="license noopener noreferrer">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>.</p>For more information see the Ditig legal page.
