There are many ways to install software on Linux PCs, but the Flathub app repository is one of the most popular methods. Flathub is now aiming to become the best possible app store across all Linux distributions and setups with a new roadmap for 2023.

Flathub is a repository for software packaged in the Flatpak format, a container format that works on Ubuntu, Fedora, Pop!_OS, Elementary OS, Debian, Arch, and many other Linux distributions. It's even possible to run Flatpak software on the Windows Subsystem for Linux or Linux container in Chrome OS. Thanks to Flatpak and Flathub, it's possible for developers to create apps and games for Linux that work well across many different Linux-based platforms (even the Windows Subsystem for Linux). Flathub says it currently offers 2,000 apps from over 1,500 collaborators, with around 700,000 app downloads each day.

The Flathub team has outlined its plans for 2023 in a blog post, explaining that the team will scale up operations and split off from the GNOME Foundation. The post says, "we plan to establish an independent legal entity to own and operate Flathub which reduces risk for the GNOME Foundation, better reflects the independent and cross-desktop interests of Flathub, and provides flexibility in the future should we need to change the structure."

Flathub screenshot
The in-development Flathub web redesign

Flathub is currently testing a new web version of the store, as well as a full rebrand with a new logo. The team is also working on a verification feature that will inform people if an app is published by the original developer, or if the app is repackaged into Flatpak format by an unrelated developer or group. Other long-term goals include filters for verified apps, directly uploading apps to Flathub, automated publishing tools for developers, and enhanced security.

Flatpak already has wide acceptance in the Linux community, especially since it's not tied to a specific app repository. Flathub is the most popular, but the Elementary OS AppCenter switched to Flatpaks in 2021. The main competitor to Flatpak and Flathub is Snap and the Snap Store, which is developed by Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Linux.

Hopefully, Flathub's revamp will get the Linux ecosystem closer to a simple and cohesive app experience, which has been sorely needed for a long time.

Source: Flathub