Igit's Guide to Installing Linux apps outside OS store

Software PureOS
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I’m the “everyone else” referenced by Purism when they say PureOS is for the Linux technical folk as well as everyone else. My desktop is Pop!_OS, and I mostly install from the Cosmic Store, but now and then I’ve bumbled my way through verify and install the installer and then verify and install the app and I’m going the long way round. Can anyone recommend and Igit’s Guide to installing Linux apps outside OS stores?

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Android apps it is Linux apps too.

Enjoy!

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Thank you, @carlosgonz .

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When I am on PureOS, since the store seems annoying:

I use sudo apt search whatever if I want to look for an app in the app store containing whatever as text or description. This will usually list multiple installable packages matching whatever text.

So for example if I want to play minecraft, I can use sudo apt search minecraft and it will come up with

libstb-dev/byzantium-security 0.0~git20200713.b42009b+ds-1+deb11u1 amd64
  single-file image and audio processing libraries for C/C++ - development headers

libstb0/byzantium-security,now 0.0~git20200713.b42009b+ds-1+deb11u1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
  single-file image and audio processing libraries for C/C++

minetest/byzantium,now 5.3.0+repack-2.1+deb11u1 amd64 [installed]
  Multiplayer infinite-world block sandbox

minetest-data/byzantium,now 5.3.0+repack-2.1+deb11u1 all [installed,automatic]
  Multiplayer infinite-world block sandbox (data files)

minetest-mod-pycraft/byzantium 0.22-1 all
  Minetest mod - (most of) Raspberry PI Minecraft API

minetest-server/byzantium 5.3.0+repack-2.1+deb11u1 amd64
  Multiplayer infinite-world block sandbox (server)

python3-minecraftpi/byzantium 0.22-1 all
  Raspberry PI Minecraft API python client library

If I find a package that I like among the suggestions, for example in this case minetest which is a libre game someone made to mimic Minecraft or something, I use sudo apt install minetest. Sometimes it asks me to type Y and push enter to say yes I really want to install this.

After that completes, I can use the menus to play the Minetest game. (I think it doesn’t work on arm though, so this probably doesn’t work on a Librem 5 and instead only on a Librem 14 for this particular software package)

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Thank you @Dlonk .

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Generally, it’s best for security if you stick to the official repositories and install either from the graphical “store” or in the terminal, but if you do have to get a package from the internet, it’s important to verify that it’s safe and hasn’t been tampered with.

As one good example of the process, have a look at these instructions that Proton provides for verifying and installing their Proton Mail Bridge application: Verifying the Proton Mail Bridge package for Linux | Proton (The .deb section is applicable to Debian-based distributions like PureOS.)

And here’s a general guide: How to Verify PGP Signature of Downloaded Software on Linux - LinuxBabe

Installing .deb files: How to Install a DEB File in Linux

Or: https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-install-deb-packages-on-ubuntu-26-04

Or: https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-install-deb-packages-on-ubuntu/

You might like this, too. It includes a downloadable e-book: The Linux command line for beginners | Ubuntu

You can always ask for specific help here if you need it.

EDIT - Another example
Downloading and verifying the Signal Messenger .apk for Android: Signal >> Signal Android APK

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Thank you, @amarok .

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