AppBundler Expansion
Tool to create cross-platform installers
AppBundler is a tool that enables cross-platform installer creation (MSIX, Snap, DMG) from any UNIX host (Linux, FreeBSD, macOS), with MSIX support also available on Windows. By building pipelines from cross-compiled, open-source tools sourced from Julia's Yggdrasil registry rather than relying on host system utilities, AppBundler eliminates CI maintenance burden: builds won't break when runners or system tools update.
With this project call, we will improve AppBundler by reducing unnecessary dependencies, conducting real-world testing, and solidifying DMG and MSIX codesigning support using the Jumbo Julia distribution as a testbed. We will also explore adding Flatpak bundling support and create a self-hosting CLI utility bundled via AppBundler itself. Once the tool reaches this maturity, we will extend bundling support to other programming language ecosystems, starting with a demonstration: a Rust application built on a GitLab Linux runner, producing properly codesigned DMG, Snap, Flatpak, and MSIX installers.
- The project's own website: https://github.com/PeaceFounder/AppBundler.jl
This project was funded through the NGI0 Commons Fund, a fund established by NLnet with financial support from the European Commission's Next Generation Internet programme, under the aegis of DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology under grant agreement No 101135429. Additional funding is made available by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
