Managing Flatpak repositories in orcharhino

Flatpak allows users to install, manage, and run portable applications on orcharhino, primarily for desktop environments. In orcharhino, you can integrate Flatpak repositories to distribute and control Flatpak applications across managed hosts. By configuring Flatpak repositories, you ensure that systems have access to the necessary application packages while maintaining centralized control over application deployment.

Flatpak repositories function similarly to other content repositories in orcharhino. You can synchronize, manage access permissions, and assign repositories to specific lifecycle environments to control which applications are available to systems. You can also use Hammer CLI to manage Flatpak repositories.

Enabling the Flatpak remote

This procedure configures and manages Flatpak repositories by using Hammer CLI.

Prerequisites

  • Your orcharhino account has a role that grants the permissions view_flatpak_remotes, create_flatpak_remotes, edit_flatpak_remotes, and destroy_flatpak_remotes.

  • Set up Flatpak.

  • Flatpak applications rely on Flatpak runtimes. For example, rhel9/firefox-flatpak depends on rhel9/flatpak-runtime.

  • Ensure that runtime repositories are available to clients alongside application repositories for installations to work.

CLI procedure

  1. Enable a Flatpak remote on the orcharhino Server by using standalone AlmaLinux systems or orcharhino:

    $ hammer flatpak-remote create \
--name=My_Flatpak_Remote_Name \
--organization=My_Organization \
--url=My_Flatpak_Remote_URL

    You can include authentication details by using the options --username=My_User_Name --token=My_Token.

  2. Update the Flatpak remote with authentication credentials:

    $ hammer flatpak-remote update \
--id My_Flatpak_Remote_ID \
--token=My_Token \
--username=My_User_Name

  3. Optional: List and view information about the Flatpak remote:

    $ hammer flatpak-remote list
$ hammer flatpak-remote info --id My_Flatpak_Remote_ID

  4. Scan the Flatpak remote:

    $ hammer flatpak-remote scan --id=My_ID

  5. List repositories in the Flatpak remote:

    $ hammer flatpak-remote remote-repository list --flatpak-remote-id=My_ID

  6. Mirror a Flatpak remote repository to a orcharhino product:

    $ hammer flatpak-remote remote-repository mirror \
--id=My_Remote_Repo_ID \
--product-id=orcharhino_Product_ID

    You can view the repository under the selected product in orcharhino management UI. Set the Include Tags field to latest.

  7. Synchronize the orcharhino repository:

    $ hammer repository sync --id=My_Repo_ID

Installing Flatpak applications on orcharhino hosts

Use the command line to install selected applications from the enabled Flatpak remotes.

Prerequisites

  • Install Flatpak.

Procedure

  1. On the managed host, add your orcharhino Server as a Flatpak remote:

    $ flatpak remote-add --authenticator-name=org.flatpak.Authenticator.Oci katello oci+https://orcharhino.example.com/

  2. Log in using Podman:

    $ podman login

  3. Install your application. For example, to install the Mozilla Firefox Flatpak:

    $ flatpak install firefox

Setting up Flatpak remote for orcharhino Proxy

Configure orcharhino Proxy Servers to synchronize and distribute Flatpak repositories to managed hosts.

orcharhino Proxies synchronize Flatpaks and make them available to all hosts, but not organizations, content views, or lifecycle environments. Clients receive the latest Flatpaks synchronized on the orcharhino Proxy globally.
Prerequisites
Procedure

  1. On the managed host, add the orcharhino Proxy as a Flatpak remote:

    $ flatpak remote-add --authenticator-name=org.flatpak.Authenticator.Oci katello oci+https://orcharhino-proxy.network2.example.com/pulpcore_registry/

  2. Log in using Podman:

    $ podman login

    For more information about logging in using Podman, see Configuring podman to trust the CA.

    You might need to log in to the registry again if you have not saved your credentials.

  3. Optional: Save your credentials permanently using one of the following options:

    • To save the credentials for the current user:

      $ cp $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/containers/auth.json $HOME/.config/flatpak/oci-auth.json

    • To save the credentials system-wide:

      $ cp $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/containers/auth.json /etc/flatpak/oci-auth.json

  4. Install your application. For example, to install the Mozilla Firefox Flatpak:

    $ flatpak install firefox

Importing and exporting content to orcharhino Server for Flatpak

Use Hammer CLI to transfer Flatpak content to orcharhino Server in environments with disconnected orcharhino Server instances.

Prerequisites
Procedure

  1. On your connected orcharhino Server, export your Flatpak repository:

    $ hammer content-export complete repository \
--id My_Repository_ID

  2. Transfer the Flatpak repository from your connected orcharhino Server to your disconnected orcharhino Server. Ensure that the pulp user can read and write the directory and place it under /var/lib/pulp/imports/.

    For more information, see Synchronizing Content Between Servers.

  3. On your disconnected orcharhino Server, import your Flatpak repository:

    $ hammer content-import repository \
--organization-id My_Organization_ID \
--path /var/lib/pulp/imports/My_Exported_Flatpak_Repository/

  4. On your host, add the disconnected orcharhino Server as a Flatpak remote:

    $ flatpak remote-add --authenticator-name=org.flatpak.Authenticator.Oci katello oci+https://orcharhino.example.com/

  5. Log in using Podman:

    $ podman login

  6. Install your application. For example, to install the Mozilla Firefox Flatpak:

    $ flatpak install firefox

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