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How do I configure Flatpak applications to interact with each other?

Here is a specific example.

The .deb version of Darktable is able to interact with the .deb versions of GIMP and Hugin Panorama Stitcher. However, the Flatpak version of Darktable cannot interact with the .deb. version of GIMP nor the Flatpak version of Hugin. In fact, there is a whole raft of functionality (provided by lua scripts that call other programs) that no longer works because it is a Flatpak.

I have installed Flatseal so that I can have some control over Flatpak applications. I have managed to give Darktable access to my home folder, which is great, but that's all I have achieved.

What do I need to do to allow Flatpak applications to work with each other?

hatterman
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1 Answers1

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I have edited this answer as it turns out, after a lot more reading and testing, that this is not an easy problem to solve.

In order for a Flatpak application to launch another Flatpak application, it needs to be spawned. In addition, certain D Bus communication permissions needs to be configured. In further addition, the spawned application needs to be able to provide feedback to the application that spawned it and to be able to read and write to its folders. As both applications are in their own restricted sandbox (that's the point of Flatpak after all) it seems this is not a trivial task.

The Darktable Github tracker does have a request made in 2024, for the Lua scripts to be Flatpak aware, as others are also missing this functionality.

hatterman
  • 2,330