Pyretic

The Installer Wizard for GNU/Linux-Based Systems.

The facts written below are about the prototype of the given project. I will try to implement most of the features. Help and advice on this project are most welcome.

Introduction

Pyretic is a FLOSS project aimed at easing the installation of packages and software on GNU/Linux-based systems. It also aims to streamline the flow of software installation and inform the users about software licenses, details, and other useful information as well as modify app permissions during installation.

Planned Features

Include standard wizard functionality in the installer.
- Show License, Readme file, and Permissions "demanded and asked" in the Wizard.
- Show Simplified License for supported License with an option to fetch complete license.
- Support for app installation, uninstallation, and other features.
- Support for creating Start Menu, Desktop Icons, and Taskbar Icons, if required or if the package didn't create one.
- Give the user the power to install software without switching logins (for non-administrators).
Compile files from source using community-based scripts. Just enter your Github/Gitlab/Source-Code links and you are good to go. (If I can get enough help!)
- In compilation from source, allow language selection (or detection), icon management, generation of script for installation and script for start menu ,desktop icons, taskbar icons, directory and file addition.
Support installation from .deb, .appImage, sharedLibrary files etc.
Modify app permissions while installing.
Easy-to-use user interface.
- I only know Tkinter at this moment, but I think Kivy or PyQT4 may be a better choice.
- I have ruled out PyQT5 due to its restrictive licensing scheme. Otherwise, it was best suited for the project.
- In UI, show the list of commands going to be executed with an option to copy as well as an option to disable them from getting executed from settings.
Apply Patches on projects based on community based scripts.
- Detect packages being installed and recommend patches.
- Keep history of patches on installed apps with an option to roll back.
- An example would be that OBS doesn't work on low-end PCs, for which a flag needs to be applied to allow software encoding. The script can detect software names with user consent and search for any patches available, as well as check PC specs and apply if applicable. [Something more like a Windows compatibility checker].
Support for all major package managers with room to add any new package manager in the future if required.
- Allow the user to change the order of package manager preferences, including blocking any that he or she desires.
- Allow user to search for packages for installation.
Display a list of installed software and packages, along with the ability to modify them (permissions, etc.).Also, provide a search feature to look for in the main app.
- Update apps with the added feature of silent updates.
Download from Binary available on Github/ Gitlab Release page with compatibility check(from ArchWiki etc) just from repo link.
CLI Support(in Future Updates)

What it won't do

It won't be able to do something that the specified package manager can't do.
It is not a replacement for the package manager, but an added layer of compatibility and simplicity to it.
It can't do complex syntax functions, for which support may be added in later updates.

Why? gnome-software etc does almost the same feature

gnome-software store catalogue of softwares while pyretic doesn't.
Support for apt, dpkg package etc
Compile from source
Patches
Detect correct license for .deb, .appImage etc.
It is a installer wizard and software manager while gnome-software-center is just a software catalogue and manager.

Download

Notes

This app is not meant for any other OS like Windows, etc., but community-based PR is welcome!
Build's documentation is adopted from the ZoomAutoRecorder Readme template and hence may not be perfect until an official release is posted on GitHub.

Build an executable

Make sure you have fulfilled the following requirements:
1. Python v3 is installed.
2. Python libraries: datetime, os, errno, sys, tkinter, PIL, time, sqlite3, subprocess, math, platform, ttkthemes
  - (All libraries except PIL and ttkthemes are installed by default in Python).
  - PIL can be installed by using the given commands in Terminal/CMD.
```
pip install pillow ttkthemes
OR
pip3 install pillow ttkthemes
```
You can build your executable by using pyinstaller, Nuitka, or any other compiler that you like.
Then install your favourite compiler using their documentation.
- For pyinstaller, run pip3 install pyinstaller or pip install pyinstaller
- For Nuitka, run pip3 install nuitka or pip install nuitka, and then you'll need a C compiler, which will be automatically downloaded on the first run, if absent.

Open the Code directory in the File Explorer and open the Windows PowerShell or terminal at that location and run the given commands.

UNIX-based Systems (Linux, macOS, etc.)

pyinstaller --noconsole --windowed --add-data "data:data" -i"data/icon.ico" --collect-submodules PIL main.py

Windows

pyinstaller --noconsole --windowed --add-data "data;data" -i"data/icon.ico" --collect-submodules PIL main.py

[Not Recommended for Novice Users] Any operating system(s).Unstable; contains bugs

python3 -m nuitka --standalone --nofollow-imports --remove-output --no-pyi-file --include-package=PIL --include-module=ttkthemes --output-dir=app_build --enable-plugin=tk-inter --onefile --include-data-dir=data=data --windows-icon-from-ico=data/icon.ico main.py

The build will be created in the dist directory if using pyinstaller and app_build/main.dist if Nuitka is used.
Run
- Nuitka on Windows or pyinstaller: Run main.exe or main
- On Linux-based OS, Nuitka creates a shared-library file named 'main' which can be run by opening the terminal in main.dist and typing ./main
Also, see Workaround for Nuitka Build for fixing the errors in Nuitka builds.

Workaround for Nuitka Builds

After building the binary, copy the 'ttkthemes' folder from the site-packages folder (in the lib directory) in your standard Python installation location to main.dist directory, to remove import errors.

To run the binary, open a terminal in the /app_build/main.dist directory, then type and run main.exe or ./main, depending on your OS.

Running may cause an error after the app window is closed. (Any suggestions/workarounds for this are welcome.)

............/Pyretic/app_build/main.dist/tkinter/__init__.py", line 4025, in __del__
TypeError: catching classes that do not inherit from BaseException is not allowed
)

Novice users are warned against using the Nuitka build because of its comparatively more complex installation than pyinstaller, increased build size, and present bugs in compiling the script on it. (Nuitka builds are faster performance-wise, btw.)

⚠ Warning

Since the app is in the early development phase, it might be possible that it may not work at all. Feel free to report any bugs if they exist.

Alternatives

To be very honest, I couldn't find any alternatives, even semi-functional ones. The prime reason for this is that since the majority of the Linux userbase are tech-nerds, they don't have any problem with using terminals, which seems easier to them than actually making one.
However, if you get any alternatives, feel free to raise a PR. I will be glad to get one, even if it is a closed source.

rootCircle / Pyretic