.metainfo.xml files not accepted (.appdata.xml required)

[iTrooz]

Apparently, the parser script of this repository requires a .appdata.xml file and do not accept .metainfo.xml (proof : https://github.com/iTrooz/appimage.github.io/runs/8208199832?check_suite_focus=true)

2022-09-06T13:43:34.3788472Z WARNING: No appdata file present. Please provide one in the AppImage as per the instructions on https://www.freedesktop.org/software/appstream/docs/chap-Quickstart.html#sect-Quickstart-DesktopApps

But the freedesktop page says

The application-metainfo files override any values which are automatically fetched by the AppStream data generator. Applications can ship one or more files in /usr/share/metainfo/%{id}.metainfo.xml.

And doesn't mention .appdata.xml files

Apparently .appdata.xml is the old standard, that should not be used anymore

For now my solution is to include a symlink to the .appdata.xml file, and so include both of them

Shouldn't the script ask for a .metainfo.xml file instead of a .appdata.xml file ?

[iTrooz]

(The github repository the appimage is from is https://github.com/iTrooz/nmap-appimage)

[probonopd]

Apparently .appdata.xml is the old standard, that should not be used anymore

Sigh. "Moving target" standards...!

For now my solution is to include a symlink to the .appdata.xml file, and so include both of them

Thanks for posting this workaround.

All our tools (not only in this repository) check for .appdata.xml and know nothing about .metainfo.xml files. So symlinking them is probably the easiest backward compatible way to do this for now.

This would have to be changed in many places, and the tools would need to be reworked to accept old and new style filenames.

Examples:

• https://docs.appimage.org/packaging-guide/optional/appstream.html
• https://github.com/AppImage/simple-appstream-generator
• https://github.com/AppImage/appimage.github.io/blob/master/code/worker.sh
• https://github.com/probonopd/go-appimage/blob/a36186bd31cd5bff6f3a20c064c3a2da1f02a8ed/src/appimagetool/appimagetool.go#L349
• https://github.com/TheAssassin/appimagelint/blob/956ab95933734c3466fb05c8b9ea32271f03a186/ci/build-appimage.sh#L48

...and likely 1,001 other places as well:

https://github.com/search?q=%22appimage%22+%22appdata.xml%22&type=code

What a pain!

[iTrooz]

I feel your pain, I'm also cursing these "standards" that can't seem to be the same anywhere (saw your plateform issues repo on gitlab)