Appdata XML file doesn't seem to show any information in GNOME Software

1

Hello everyone! I’m a new developer and I’m planning on releasing my first flatpak application (and publish it on flathub).

I’m pretty sure this is a mistake by my part, but I’m not sure where it is. I edited my application’s appdata.xml.in file (attached below)

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <component type="desktop">
    	<id>org.gustavoperedo.FontDownloader.desktop</id>
    	<metadata_license>CC0-1.0</metadata_license>
    	<project_license>GPL-3.0-or-later</project_license>
      <name>Font Downloader</name>
      <summary>A simple GTK font downloader.</summary>
      <description>
    	  <p>Have you ever wanted to change the font in your terminal, but didn't want to go through the entire process of searching, downloading and installing a font? This simple to use and adaptive GTK application allows you to search and install fonts directly from Google Fonts' website!</p>
    	</description>
      <screenshots>
        <screenshot type="default">
          <image type="source">https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GustavoPeredo/font-downloader/master/data/screenshots/entire.png</image>
        </screenshot>
        <screenshot>
          <image type="source">https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GustavoPeredo/font-downloader/master/data/screenshots/dark_entire.png</image>
        </screenshot>
        <screenshot>
          <image type="source">https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GustavoPeredo/font-downloader/master/data/screenshots/compact.png</image>
        </screenshot>
        <screenshot>
          <image type="source">https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GustavoPeredo/font-downloader/master/data/screenshots/dark_compact.png</image>
        </screenshot>
      </screenshots>
      <releases>
        <release version="1.0.0" date="2020-09-16"/>
      </releases>
      <url type="homepage">https://github.com/GustavoPeredo/font-downloader</url>
      <developer_name>Gustavo Peredo</developer_name>
      <launchable type="desktop-id">org.gustavoperedo.FontDownloader.desktop</launchable>
      <content_rating type="oars-1.1"/>
    </component>

and I told meson to add it to the metainfo folder:

appstream_file = i18n.merge_file(
  input: 'org.gustavoperedo.FontDownloader.appdata.xml.in',
  output: 'org.gustavoperedo.FontDownloader.appdata.xml',
  type: 'xml',
  po_dir: '../po',
  install: true,
  install_dir: join_paths(get_option('datadir'), 'metainfo')
)

But then, and I’m not sure why, none of the things written on my xml file seem to apply (see GNOME Software below)

Screenshot from 2020-09-17 22-07-23
Screenshot from 2020-09-17 22-07-231920×1080 115 KB

I would like to know how I can fix it to display the correct information in GNOME Software?

My full project can be seen at: https://github.com/GustavoPeredo/font-downloader

1 Like
2

Software or any store that uses appstream specs, can’t read your appdata/metainfo file that’s shipped with the app. It would mean that your store will have to download the app to show any information about it.

Instead, the list of the appdata files available in a repository like Flathub are collected on a collection of appdata files that’s being updated when you do a flatpak update. Traditional packaging systems ships that as a separate package that gets updated from time to time.

What you’re looking for is something like Appdata Preview https://gitlab.gnome.org/bertob/app-ideas/-/issues/47 which doesn’t exists yet.

3

Thank you very much!

4

Btw, you should avoid adding the extra .desktop to the id. That’s the desktop file name, which you already mentioned in the launchable tag.

1 Like