Snap package for zotero

ibaidev
edited November 30, 2017
Hi,

I'm trying to create a snap package in order to install zotero-standalone in linux distributions. I found an interesting thread in the snapcraft forum:
https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/zotero-snap-failing-with-version-glibc-private-not-defined-in-file-libc-so-6/2463/8

WIth the code in that post, I started the following project:
https://github.com/ibaidev/zotero-snap

It can be installed with:
sudo snap install --edge zotero-standalone

It seems that it works in Ubuntu 16.04 with wayland and x11, although more testing should be done.

Is there any chance to distribute zotero officially as a snap?

regards


  • emilianoeheyns
    Could something like this be used to auto-update the snaps: https://build.snapcraft.io/ ?

    How would https://github.com/ibaidev/zotero-snap auto-update zotero when a new release comes out? Do you know where snaps are installed? I could well use this in my tests.
  • ibaidev
    That script downloads the last zotero.tar.gz for linux-x86_64 available in https://www.zotero.org/download/client/dl?channel=release&platform=linux-x86_64 to build the snap. I have not worked in other architectures yet. If a commit is pushed to the github repository it triggers the build. It can be also manually triggered, and always downloads from that URL.

    I use https://build.snapcraft.io/ to build the snap. First, I logged in that web with the github account, in order to use the automatic build. Then, I had to register the snap name in https://dashboard.snapcraft.io/ to publish in the store. I probably did wrong registering the "zotero-standalone" name. If you decide to release an official snap, I will delete my protect. I did it just to know it was possible.

    The snaps are installed in /snap/, in Ubuntu at least.

    I still have to improve the desktop icon.
  • dstillman
    edited November 30, 2017
    If a commit is pushed to the github repository it triggers the build.
    If a commit is pushed to https://github.com/ibaidev/zotero-snap, you mean?
  • dstillman
    What happens if there's an update on the Zotero release channel, though?
  • emilianoeheyns
    That's what I was wondering about.

    Isn't there a desktop icon in the archive of the releases? I thought there was.
  • dstillman
    Isn't there a desktop icon in the archive of the releases?
    Yes, and it's included in the Snap package. I don't think it renders properly on Ubuntu in general, though — not sure why.

    There's an open ticket for a Snap package on GitHub. @ibaidev, can you post this there?
  • ibaidev
    Yes, I mean that, now, the build is triggered when you push to https://github.com/ibaidev/zotero-snap. However, my proposal is to have the "snap/" folder in the zotero official repository, so that when a new zotero version is released, https://build.snapcraft.io/ starts to build and finally releases in https://dashboard.snapcraft.io/, everything in the name of zotero and nothing is related to my accounts nor my repositories.

    I'm having issues to run the "snap run zotero-standalone" (I get a "Bad system call"), although it runs well with "/snap/zotero-standalone/current/zotero". I have to find whats going wrong. The desktop icon is not automatically copied on install neither. I'll tell you if I'm able to solve these issues.
  • vjjaimez
    Hello guys! Any new developments in this regard? As a user, I think having the possibility of officially installing Zotero on Linux either as a snap or as a Flatpack would be a great step forward. Thanks!
  • ibaidev
    Hi vjjaimez! I gave up trying to create the snap package. There were a couple of problems. On the one hand, there was a conflict between the sandboxes of snapd and firefox. You have either to disable the sanbox of firefox, or allow it on snapd. Although I was able to allow it on snapd, when I tried to submit the package to snapcraft they rejected it. On the other hand, there was a problem with Wayland that I was not able to solve. It works correctly in X11, though. I think that if finally they decide to move zotero to electron I will be much easier to create this package.
  • vjjaimez
    It's a pity, but thanks for the response and the hard work!
  • pmaynard
    edited March 23, 2018
    @ibaidev I have no idea about snap, or much about zotero's development.
    Would it be possible to have firefox interact via a network socket? Which might remove the sandbox issues...
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