Update for v1.2.0 (see CHANGES)

Assets/appdata.xml

@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@
 
     <description>
         <p>A longer description. This needs to be of minimum length, otherwise AppImageTool will give you a warning.
-        No description available (TBD). Add your own.</p>
+        No description available (TBD). Add your own here. This is a test - AppRoot: ${APPDIR_ROOT}</p>
     </description>
 
     <releases>
-        <release version="${VERSION}" date="${ISO_DATE}">
-            <description><p>This is a test release.</p></description>
+        <release version="${APP_VERSION}" date="${ISO_DATE}">
+            <description><p>This is a test release only.</p></description>
         </release>
     </releases>
 

Assets/post-publish.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# This is a dummy script only. It does nothing except output information.
+# Ensure that it has executable permission and specify the POST_PUBLISH config parameter to point at it.
+
+echo "DUMMY POST_PUBLISH SCRIPT"
+echo "APP_MAIN: ${APP_MAIN}"
+echo "APP_ID: ${APP_ID}"
+echo "APP_VERSION: ${APP_VERSION}"
+echo "VERSION: ${VERSION}"
+
+echo "ISO_DATE: ${ISO_DATE}"
+echo "DOTNET_RID: ${DOTNET_RID}"
+echo "PKG_KIND: ${PKG_KIND}"
+echo "APPDIR_ROOT: ${APPDIR_ROOT}"
+echo "APPDIR_USR: ${APPDIR_USR}"
+echo "APPDIR_BIN: ${APPDIR_BIN}"
+echo "APPRUN_TARGET: ${APPRUN_TARGET}"

CHANGES

@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+Version 1.2.0
+o Versioning of project output changed! Removed version (-x) arg from command line. Instead, specify APP_VERSION in the .conf file.
+o Added dummy "post-publish.sh" file for test purposes only.
+o Updates to readme file and conf file
+
 Version 1.1.2
 o Updated HelloWorld appdata.xml to avoid warnings.
 o Fixed typos in readme

LICENSE

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Publish-AppImage for .NET
-Copyright 2021 Andy Thomas
+Copyright 2021-2022 Andy Thomas
 https://kuiper.zone
 
 MIT License

README.md

@@ -8,11 +8,9 @@
 packages the output as an [AppImage](https://appimage.org/) file (or zip) with a single command. The Linux
 "Desktop Entry" file is generated automagically.
 
-It is licensed under MIT and for use on Linux with the [Microsoft .NET SDK](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download)
+It is licensed under MIT and is for use on Linux with the [Microsoft .NET SDK](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download)
 (i.e. for C# applications).
 
-For latest information, see: https://kuiper.zone/publish-appimage-dotnet
-
 
 ## Pre-requisits ##
 Publish-AppImage for .NET requires (*):
@@ -22,16 +20,16 @@ Publish-AppImage for .NET requires (*):
 * The [appimagetool](https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit) utility to build the AppImage file
 * The Linux "zip" utility is optional and typically may already be installed on your system
 
-(*) Tested against .NET 5.0, bash 4.4.20, Zorin OS 15.3 (Ubuntu 18.04 LTS), appimagetool r13 (31 Dec 2020).
+(*) Tested bash 4.4.20 and appimagetool r13 (31 Dec 2020).
 
 
 ## Build HelloWorld ##
-The github repository provides a simple "HelloWorld" terminal demo application.
+A simple "HelloWorld" terminal demo application is provided with the script.
 
 <img title="Terminal Screenshot" alt="Terminal Screenshot" src="Screenie.png" style="width:50%;max-width:600px;"/>
 
-Download and install [appimagetool](https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit). Ensure that `appimagetool` is
-in the path, or you can specify its location in the .conf file if you have downloaded it as an AppImage.
+**IMPORTANT:** Download and install [appimagetool](https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit). Ensure that `appimagetool`
+is in the path, or you can specify its location in the .conf file if you have downloaded it as an AppImage file.
 
 For example, in `publish-appimage.conf`, change this line:
 
@@ -41,34 +39,57 @@ to this as appropriate:
 
     APPIMAGETOOL_COMMAND="/home/user/Apps/appimagetool-x86_64.AppImage"
 
-The `publish-appimage` is just a bash script so there is no need to "build" it, but ensure that it has the
-executable flag set. From the top-level project directory, simply type:
+The `publish-appimage` file itself is just a bash script so there is no need to "build" it, but ensure that it
+has the executable flag set. From the top-level project directory, simply type:
 
     ./publish-appimage
 
 This will call `dot publish` and create the output local to the .conf file, i.e.: *AppImages/HelloWorld-x86_64.AppImage*
 
+Run `AppImages/HelloWorld-x86_64.AppImage` from a terminal, and it will output version and location information
+available to application. That's all it does!
+
 
 ## Use in Your Project ##
 There are only two files you really need. Drop the files, below, into your application source preferably at the
-same level as your solution (.sln) or project (.csproj) file. If you do not put `publish-appimage.conf` in the same
-directory as your .sln or .csproj, you should specify the project location in the .conf file.
+same level as your solution (.sln) or project (.csproj) file (*).
 
 * `publish-appimage` - the utility
-* `publish-appimage.conf` - project config
+* `publish-appimage.conf` - your project config
+
+Alternatively, if you wish, you may put the `publish-appimage` script in any directory on your system and add
+the directory to the `PATH`. This way, only the ".conf file" need go into your project.
 
-Alternatively, you may put the `publish-appimage` file in any directory on your system and add the directory to
-the `PATH`. This way, only the ".conf file" need go into your project.
+(*) If you do not wish to put `publish-appimage.conf` in the same directory as your .sln or .csproj, you can
+specify the location with `DOTNET_PROJECT_PATH` in the .conf file.
 
-**Note**, by default, publish-appimage will look for the publish-appimage.conf file (of that name) in the current
+**Note**, by default, `publish-appimage` will look for a file called `publish-appimage.conf` in the current
 working directly. However, all project related paths in the .conf file itself are relative to the location of the
-.conf, and not from where command was called.
+.conf file, and not from where command was called.
+
+**IMPORTANT**: Edit the configuration file for your application, providing an application name etc. This should be a
+relativel trivial matter and **all parameters are documented** with comments. You can specify application
+"Desktop Entry" fields here, as well as publish/build arguments, and project and output locations.
+
+If you wish to use an `appdata.xml`, copy the "Hello World" `appdata.xml` file and use it as a template in your project,
+changing or adding properties to suit. Ensure that your `publish-appimage.conf` references the file location using
+`APP_XML_SRC`. If you do not wish to use `appdata.xml`, ensure that `APP_XML_SRC` is unset.
+
+An icon may also optionally be included in the AppImage. Ensure that your `publish-appimage.conf` references the
+file location using `APP_ICON_SRC`.
+
+## App Versioning ##
+Use the APP_VERSION parameter in the .conf file to specify your application version, i.e. "1.2.3.0".
+
+This will call publish with the `-p:Version` option and set the `VERSION` environment variable for use by
+appimagetool. In the .conf file, you may optionally version the output package filename with `PKG_VERSION_FLAG`.
 
-Edit the configuration file for your application, providing an application name etc. This should be a relatively
-trivial matter and **all parameters are documented** with comments. You can specify application "Desktop Entry" fields
-here, as well as publish/build arguments, and project and output locations.
+## Post Publish Command ##
+The configuration contains an option called `POST_PUBLISH`. This may contain one or more commands, or point
+to a script file. It is called after `dotnet publish`, but before the final AppImage output. You can use
+to create require directory structures under `AppDir` or copy additional files there.
 
-An icon and appdata.xml may optionally be included in the AppImage. See the HelloWorld demo to see how this is done.
+See also "Non-.NET Projects", below.
 
 
 ## Command Line Usage ##
@@ -80,17 +101,10 @@ By default, publish-appimage will build for "linux-x64". However, you can specif
 
 For information, see: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/rid-catalog
 
-### Version ###
-It's possible to provide your application version at the command-line:
-
-    ./publish-appimage -x 1.2.3
-
-This will call publish with the `-p:Version` option and set the `VERSION` environment variable for use by
-appimagetool. In the .conf file, there is also an option to version the output package filename.
-
 ### Conf Filename ###
-Your application source project may contain multiple .conf files, and can you specify the configuration to use at
-the command line:
+By default, `publish-appimage` looks for a single file called `publish-appimage.conf`. However, your
+application project may contain multiple .conf files, but you must specify the configuration to use at
+the command line, like so:
 
     ./publish-appimage -f other-file.conf
 
@@ -122,10 +136,6 @@ This will create a simple zip file of the published content instead of an AppIma
         linux-x64 and linux-arm64. Default is linux-x64 if unspecified.
         See also: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/rid-catalog
 
-        -x, --app-version value
-        Application version supplied to the dotnet publish command as -p:Version=value.
-        It may also be used to form the output file. Example: --app-version 1.2.3.
-
         -k, --kind value
         Package output kind. Value must be one of: appimage or zip.
         Default is appimage if unspecified.
@@ -143,20 +153,28 @@ This will create a simple zip file of the published content instead of an AppIma
 ## Additional Information ##
 Publish-AppImage for .NET was created by Andy Thomas at https://kuiper.zone
 
-For a cross-platform .NET GUI application: https://kuiper.zone/shannon-calculator-avalonia
+See also my other C# project, a cross-platform Avalonia XAML previewer called [AvantGarde](https://github.com/kuiperzone/AvantGarde).
 
 ### Gotcha - symlink ###
-Symlink is disabled in VirtualBox shared folders and will prevent appimagetool from working.
-It is possible to enable them in VirtualBox. Alternatively, copy to the project to your home
-directory in the virtual machine.
+If you are using VirtualBox with your project within a shared folder, note that symbolic links are disabled within
+shared folders by VirtualBox, and this will prevent `appimagetool` from working. To overcome this, copy
+your entire project to your home directory in the virtual machine. Alternatively, it is possible to enable shared-folder
+symlinks in VirtualBox.
 
 ### Non-.NET Projects? ###
-I included the option of a "post-publish" command which may also serve to build a non-.NET project (i.e. C++).
-However, I don't imagine this will be a primary use case. Peruse the .conf parameters to learn more.
+It is also possible to use Publish-AppImage to build non-.NET projects (i.e. C++), although I don't imagine
+this will be a primary use case. To do this, you must use a suitable build script and specify the file
+location using the `POST_PUBLISH` config parameter. Your build script must populate the directory `AppDir/usr/bin`.
+
+You should also set `DOTNET_PROJECT_PATH="null"` in order to disable the `dotnet publish` operation.
+
+### Git Ignore? ###
+You may wish to consider adding your output directory (i.e. "AppImages") to your gitignore file.
 
 ### Flatpak? ###
 I initially intended that this utility spit out Flatpaks as well as AppImages. However, the configuration
 and building of Flatpaks adds complexity. For the moment, I decided that this project was best served by
 keeping things simple and elegant. I may do something on this a later, however.
 
 Don't forget to like (star) and share this project (but only if *you do like it* of course).
+

Source/Program.cs

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // #############################################################################
 // PROJECT   : Publish-AppImage for .NET
-// WEBPAGE   : https://kuiper.zone/publish-appimage-dotnet/
-// COPYRIGHT : Andy Thomas 2021
+// WEBPAGE   : https://github.com/kuiperzone/Publish-AppImage
+// COPYRIGHT : Andy Thomas 2021-2022
 // LICENSE   : MIT
 // #############################################################################