Direct Download Support¶

AppImage Updater supports direct download URLs for applications that don't use traditional repository systems like GitHub or GitLab. This includes static download links, "latest" symlinks, and dynamic download pages. This document explains how to configure and use direct download sources.

Overview¶

Direct download support includes:

Static Download URLs: Fixed URLs that always point to the latest version
Latest Symlinks: URLs that redirect to the current version (e.g., /latest/download)
Dynamic Download Pages: Web pages with parseable AppImage download links
Custom Headers: Support for authentication headers and user agents
Flexible Pattern Matching: Advanced regex patterns for asset detection

Supported Direct Download Types¶

Static Download URLs¶

Fixed URLs that always serve the latest AppImage:

# Examples of static download URLs
https://example.com/downloads/MyApp-latest.AppImage
https://releases.myapp.com/stable/MyApp.AppImage
https://cdn.example.com/apps/MyApp-current.AppImage

Latest Symlinks and Redirects¶

URLs that redirect to the current version:

# GitHub-style latest releases (without using GitHub API)
https://github.com/owner/repo/releases/latest/download/MyApp.AppImage

# Custom latest endpoints
https://example.com/latest/MyApp.AppImage
https://downloads.myapp.com/latest

Dynamic Download Pages¶

Web pages containing download links that can be parsed:

# Download pages with parseable links
https://example.com/download
https://myapp.com/releases
https://software.example.com/downloads/myapp

Usage Examples¶

Adding Direct Download Applications¶

Static Download URL¶

# Simple static download
appimage-updater add MyApp https://example.com/downloads/MyApp-latest.AppImage

# With custom configuration
appimage-updater add MyApp https://example.com/downloads/MyApp-latest.AppImage \
    --download-dir ~/Applications \
    --source-type direct

Latest Symlink¶

# GitHub latest release (direct download, not API)
appimage-updater add MyApp https://github.com/owner/repo/releases/latest/download/MyApp.AppImage

# Custom latest endpoint
appimage-updater add MyApp https://downloads.example.com/latest/MyApp.AppImage

Dynamic Download Page¶

# Download page with multiple links
appimage-updater add MyApp https://example.com/download \
    --pattern "(?i)MyApp.*x86_64.*\.AppImage$" \
    --source-type dynamic

Configuration File Examples¶

Basic Direct Download¶

{
  "applications": {
    "MyDirectApp": {
      "name": "MyDirectApp",
      "url": "https://example.com/downloads/MyApp-latest.AppImage",
      "source_type": "direct",
      "enabled": true,
      "download_dir": "/home/user/Applications",
      "pattern": "(?i)MyApp.*\\.AppImage$",
      "checksum": {
        "enabled": false,
        "required": false
      }
    }
  }
}

Dynamic Download Page Configuration¶

{
  "applications": {
    "DynamicApp": {
      "name": "DynamicApp",
      "url": "https://example.com/download",
      "source_type": "dynamic",
      "enabled": true,
      "download_dir": "/home/user/Applications",
      "pattern": "(?i)DynamicApp.*x86_64.*\\.AppImage$",
      "user_agent": "AppImageUpdater/1.0",
      "headers": {
        "Accept": "text/html,application/xhtml+xml"
      }
    }
  }
}

Latest Symlink with Checksum¶

{
  "applications": {
    "SymlinkApp": {
      "name": "SymlinkApp",
      "url": "https://releases.example.com/latest/SymlinkApp.AppImage",
      "source_type": "direct",
      "enabled": true,
      "download_dir": "/home/user/Applications",
      "checksum": {
        "enabled": true,
        "required": false,
        "url": "https://releases.example.com/latest/SymlinkApp.AppImage.sha256"
      }
    }
  }
}

Direct Download Features¶

Version Detection¶

Direct downloads use different methods for version detection:

File Modification Time¶

For static URLs, AppImage Updater uses the Last-Modified header:

# Checks if the remote file is newer than the local file
appimage-updater check MyApp

Content-Based Detection¶

For dynamic pages, version detection analyzes:

Filename patterns: Version numbers in download links
Page content: Version information in HTML
HTTP headers: Last-Modified, ETag values

Manual Version Tracking¶

You can manually specify version information:

{
  "applications": {
    "MyApp": {
      "name": "MyApp",
      "url": "https://example.com/MyApp.AppImage",
      "source_type": "direct",
      "version_pattern": "MyApp-([0-9.]+)\\.AppImage",
      "version_url": "https://example.com/version.txt"
    }
  }
}

Pattern Matching¶

Direct downloads support advanced pattern matching:

Basic Patterns¶

# Match any AppImage file
--pattern ".*\.AppImage$"

# Match specific application
--pattern "(?i)MyApp.*\.AppImage$"

# Match architecture-specific builds
--pattern "(?i)MyApp.*x86_64.*\.AppImage$"

Advanced Patterns¶

# Match version ranges
--pattern "MyApp-[2-9]\.[0-9]+.*\.AppImage$"

# Exclude beta versions
--pattern "(?i)MyApp(?!.*beta).*\.AppImage$"

# Match multiple architectures
--pattern "(?i)MyApp.*(x86_64|amd64).*\.AppImage$"

Custom Headers and Authentication¶

Some direct downloads require custom headers:

User Agent¶

# Custom user agent
appimage-updater add MyApp https://example.com/download \
    --user-agent "MyCustomAgent/1.0"

Authentication Headers¶

{
  "applications": {
    "AuthApp": {
      "name": "AuthApp",
      "url": "https://secure.example.com/download",
      "source_type": "dynamic",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your-token-here",
        "X-API-Key": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cookies¶

{
  "applications": {
    "CookieApp": {
      "name": "CookieApp",
      "url": "https://example.com/members/download",
      "source_type": "dynamic",
      "headers": {
        "Cookie": "session=abc123; auth=xyz789"
      }
    }
  }
}

Real-World Examples¶

OpenRGB¶

OpenRGB provides direct download links:

appimage-updater add OpenRGB https://openrgb.org/releases/release_0.9/openrgb_0.9_amd64_bookworm_b5f46e3.deb \
    --source-type direct \
    --pattern "(?i)openrgb.*amd64.*\.deb$"

YubiKey Manager¶

YubiKey Manager uses GitHub latest releases:

appimage-updater add YubiKeyManager \
    https://github.com/Yubico/yubikey-manager-qt/releases/latest/download/yubikey-manager-qt-1.2.5-linux.AppImage \
    --source-type direct

Custom Enterprise Applications¶

Internal enterprise applications:

appimage-updater add CompanyApp https://internal.company.com/apps/latest/CompanyApp.AppImage \
    --source-type direct \
    --headers '{"Authorization": "Bearer internal-token"}' \
    --user-agent "CompanyUpdater/1.0"

Troubleshooting¶

Download Issues¶

Problem: Failed to download from direct URL

Solutions:

Verify the URL is accessible:

curl -I https://example.com/MyApp.AppImage

Check if authentication is required:

curl -H "User-Agent: AppImageUpdater" https://example.com/download

Test with custom headers:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer token" https://secure.example.com/download

Pattern Matching Issues¶

Problem: Pattern doesn't match any files

Solutions:

Test your pattern with online regex tools
Check the actual download page source:

curl https://example.com/download | grep -i appimage

Use a more permissive pattern initially:

--pattern ".*\.AppImage$"

Enable verbose logging to see what's being matched:

appimage-updater check MyApp --verbose

Version Detection Issues¶

Problem: Version not detected correctly

Solutions:

Check if the server provides Last-Modified headers:

curl -I https://example.com/MyApp.AppImage

Use manual version tracking:

{
  "version_pattern": "MyApp-([0-9.]+)\\.AppImage",
  "version_url": "https://example.com/api/version"
}

Enable file-based version detection:

appimage-updater add MyApp https://example.com/MyApp.AppImage --basename MyApp

Dynamic Page Parsing Issues¶

Problem: Cannot parse download links from page

Solutions:

Check the page structure:

curl https://example.com/download | grep -i "\.appimage"

Verify the page doesn't require JavaScript:

# If the page requires JavaScript, it cannot be parsed
# Consider using the browser's network tab to find direct URLs

Look for alternative download methods (RSS feeds, API endpoints)
Contact the application maintainer for stable download URLs

Advanced Configuration¶

Retry Logic¶

Configure retry behavior for unreliable connections:

{
  "applications": {
    "MyApp": {
      "name": "MyApp",
      "url": "https://unreliable.example.com/MyApp.AppImage",
      "source_type": "direct",
      "retry_count": 3,
      "retry_delay": 5,
      "timeout": 30
    }
  }
}

Checksum Verification¶

Enable checksum verification for direct downloads:

{
  "applications": {
    "MyApp": {
      "name": "MyApp",
      "url": "https://example.com/MyApp.AppImage",
      "source_type": "direct",
      "checksum": {
        "enabled": true,
        "required": true,
        "url": "https://example.com/MyApp.AppImage.sha256",
        "algorithm": "sha256"
      }
    }
  }
}

Bandwidth Management¶

Control download behavior:

{
  "applications": {
    "LargeApp": {
      "name": "LargeApp",
      "url": "https://example.com/LargeApp.AppImage",
      "source_type": "direct",
      "max_download_size": "500MB",
      "bandwidth_limit": "1MB/s"
    }
  }
}

Migration Strategies¶

From Manual Downloads¶

If you currently download AppImages manually:

Identify the download pattern:

# Check your browser's download history or network tab
# Look for consistent URL patterns

Test the URL:

curl -I https://example.com/MyApp-latest.AppImage

Add to AppImage Updater:

appimage-updater add MyApp https://example.com/MyApp-latest.AppImage

From Repository to Direct¶

If a project stops using GitHub/GitLab releases:

# Remove repository configuration
appimage-updater remove MyApp

# Add direct download configuration
appimage-updater add MyApp https://example.com/direct/MyApp.AppImage --source-type direct

Best Practices¶

Use HTTPS URLs: Always prefer secure connections for downloads
Test URLs Regularly: Direct URLs can change without notice
Monitor for Changes: Set up notifications for when downloads fail
Use Specific Patterns: Avoid overly broad patterns that might match wrong files
Enable Checksums: When available, always verify download integrity
Respect Rate Limits: Don't check too frequently for updates
Document Custom Headers: Keep track of any authentication requirements
Backup Configurations: Direct download configurations can be complex

Limitations¶

JavaScript-Required Pages¶

Some download pages cannot be parsed because they require JavaScript:

LM Studio: Uses dynamic dropdowns and JavaScript-generated URLs
Complex SPAs: Single-page applications with dynamic content
OAuth-Protected: Pages requiring interactive authentication

Workarounds:

Use browser developer tools to find direct URLs
Look for API endpoints or RSS feeds
Contact maintainers for stable download links

Rate Limiting¶

Some servers implement rate limiting:

Respect server rate limits
Use appropriate delays between checks
Consider caching mechanisms

Authentication Complexity¶

Some downloads require complex authentication:

OAuth flows cannot be automated
Session-based authentication may expire
Two-factor authentication is not supported

Support¶

For direct download issues:

Check this documentation first
Verify the download URL is accessible and stable
Test pattern matching with actual page content
Check server response headers and requirements
Report issues with specific URLs and error messages (sanitize sensitive information)

Direct download support provides flexibility for applications that don't use traditional repository systems, enabling AppImage Updater to work with a wide variety of distribution methods.