Flathub has gained popularity among Linux users as a one-stop shop for discovering, installing, and updating Flatpak applications. It is a containerized software distribution model that provides an easy and secure way to install desktop applications on Linux systems.
The store offers 2,000 apps from over 1,500 collaborators, averaging 700,000 app downloads daily from different categories, including productivity, gaming, education, and multimedia.
The graph below, publicly available on Flathub beta, clearly shows the projectโs growing importance for the Linux community. The use of Flathubโs software has seen a dramatic jump in the last six months, proving the Flatpak formatโs popularity among Linux users.
Largely related to the growing importance of the project, a little earlier this year, Flathub announced significant changes to its future vision for the platform, including adding direct uploads, verified apps, establishing governance to oversee the project, and more.
Flathub Beta: Fresh Design & New Functionalities
Flathubโs launch of a new web experience and changing the projectโs logo were among the first steps in achieving these goals. This can be seen in the Flathub beta (https://beta.flathub.org), which shines with its new design and features.
Flathubโs new design offers a clean and modern interface with easy-to-use navigation. The homepage displays featured applications, top-rated apps, and recently updated ones. In addition, users can browse applications by categories or search for specific applications using keywords.
The big news here, though, entirely with user security in mind, is the new option for verified apps. So, for example, if youโre a popular social media platform Twitter user, youโll probably immediately spot the similarity between the blue badge in the two places.
Of course, the two have nothing in common in practice. Still, from a purely conceptual standpoint, they may be considered to share the same ideology โ in Flathubโs case, verifying the legitimacy of the application. This virtually guarantees the end-users’ security when using it.
Furthermore, in the Flathub beta, you can find a lot of useful additional information on the page of each app, such as the size of the app, how much space the installation will take on your disk, how many times it has been downloaded as well as a graphic presentation about it, and much more.
Flathub’s long-term development goals also involve enabling developers to provide paid subscriptions. While this possibility may be met with mixed feelings by open source proponents, it will undoubtedly increase the number of apps available for download on Flathub and provide a mechanism for developers to monetize their efforts in developing Flatpak apps.
In conclusion, Flathub aims to become the go-to platform for discovering and installing Flatpak applications on Linux systems. The new beta version brings it one step closer to that goal.
The new design and features offer a more intuitive and engaging experience for Linux users and new functionality, making all interactions with the platform easier and more secure.
At this time, no information or commitment to a specific timeframe has been provided by Flathub regarding when the beta version will replace the current one. Still, it is expected to happen later this year.
