AppImgMon

A Python utility to monitor directories for AppImages on Linux systems and automatically create desktop entries for seamless integration with desktop environments.

Features

• Automatic Desktop Entry Creation: Integrates AppImages with the desktop environment
• Icon Extraction: Automatically extracts icons from AppImage files
• Desktop Shortcut Support: Generates shortcuts on the desktop
• Systemd User Service: Runs as a lightweight background service
• Self-cleaning: Removes obsolete desktop entries when AppImages are deleted

Requirements

• Python 3.6 or higher
• Linux system with systemd
• Standard Linux desktop environment

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/abcdqfr/AppImgMon.git
   cd AppImgMon

2. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x AppImgMon.py

3. Install the user service:

   ./AppImgMon.py --install

Configuration

The following environment variables can be customized:

Variable	Description	Default
APPIMAGE_WATCH_DIR	Directory to monitor for AppImages	~/appimages
DESKTOP_ENTRY_DIR	Directory to store .desktop entries	~/.local/share/applications
ICON_DIR	Directory to save extracted icons	~/.local/share/icons

Usage

1. Create the watch directory:

   mkdir -p ~/appimages

2. Place your .AppImage files in the watch directory.

3. Manage the service:

   # Check service status
   systemctl --user status appimgmon.service
   
   # Start the service
   systemctl --user start appimgmon.service
   
   # Stop the service
   systemctl --user stop appimgmon.service

Uninstallation

1. Stop and disable the service:

   systemctl --user stop appimgmon.service
   systemctl --user disable appimgmon.service

2. Remove service and configuration files:

   rm ~/.config/systemd/user/appimgmon.service
   rm ~/appimages/AppImgMon.py
   rm ~/.local/share/applications/AppImg*.desktop
   rm ~/Desktop/AppImg*.desktop

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request on our GitHub repository.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Support

For issues or feature requests, please file a ticket on the GitHub repository.