bauh is still a practical way to manage AppImage, Flatpak, Snap, and Arch/AUR software from one GUI on Arch Linux. The project currently supports all four formats, but each backend has its own prerequisites. The cleanest setup is to install bauh from the AUR, then add Flatpak and Snap support only if you plan to use them.
bauh itself is distributed through the AUR. Arch notes that AUR build files are unofficial and are not thoroughly vetted, so review the PKGBUILD before building anything. The standard manual workflow is safer to document than relying on a particular third-party AUR helper.
sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/bauh.git
cd bauh
makepkg -si
The bauh project also documents installation with yay -S bauh, but an AUR helper is optional. See the official bauh repository and the ArchWiki AUR guidance for current details.
Install Flatpak from the Arch repositories:
sudo pacman -S flatpakFlathub's Arch setup recommends restarting after the initial Flatpak installation. Afterward, run flatpak remotes. If Flathub is not listed, add it with:
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
Flatpak supports both system-wide and per-user installations, so bauh may ask which level to use. The official Flathub Arch setup and Flatpak documentation explain remotes and installation scopes.
Snap is not in Arch's official repositories. Canonical's current Arch instructions install snapd from the AUR, then enable its systemd socket:
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/snapd.git
cd snapd
makepkg -si
sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socket
If you need snaps that use classic confinement, Canonical also documents creating /snap as a symlink to /var/lib/snapd/snap, then logging out and back in or restarting. If AppArmor is already enabled on your system, Snap's documentation also covers the matching AppArmor service. See the official Snap on Arch instructions.
AUR management is available on Arch-based systems and is enabled by bauh for Arch packages. For AppImage, there is no repository service to enable in the same way as Flatpak or Snap. bauh can search supported AppImages and can also install an external AppImage file from its extra actions.
There are two useful caveats. First, bauh's current AppImage search is limited to x86_64 items in its supported AppImage source. Second, if an AppImage reports a FUSE error on Arch, the official AppImage documentation recommends installing fuse2:
sudo pacman -S fuse2For additional context, see the AppImage FUSE troubleshooting guide.
Launch bauh from your desktop menu or a terminal. Its management panel can search, install, uninstall, upgrade, downgrade, and launch supported applications. Use the format filters to narrow results to Arch/AUR, Flatpak, Snap, or AppImage.
Search for the application you want, confirm the package source, and choose Install. The same application can exist in more than one format, so check whether you are installing an AUR package, Flatpak, Snap, or AppImage before approving the transaction.
Some operations require authentication because they change system-level packages or services. User-level Flatpaks and AppImages may not need the same privileges.
Open the installed-applications or updates view to manage software that bauh already knows about. Use the available update action for a package, or choose Uninstall to remove it. Because the backend differs by format, bauh passes the operation to the appropriate package technology rather than treating every app as the same kind of package.
If a backend does not appear, first verify the prerequisite outside bauh: flatpak --version, snap version, or the required FUSE support for AppImages. That is usually more useful than reinstalling bauh itself.
Capture Linux desktop audio in Audacity by routing its recording stream to your output device’s monitor source. Follow PulseAudio and PipeWire steps, export tips, and fixes for silent tracks.
Install Dropbox on Linux from the official package, sign in, sync a local folder, manage selective sync, and check status from the command line.
Install Inkscape from your Linux distribution’s repositories, the Ubuntu stable PPA, Snap, or Flathub, with current commands and notes for choosing a package source.
Use FSlint to scan selected Linux folders, review duplicate groups, and safely delete redundant files or learn when hard-link merging is appropriate.
Install SABnzbd on Ubuntu or Debian, or run it in Docker on another Linux host. Then open the web interface and configure your provider and download folders.
Install the Paper GTK theme from supported Linux repositories, enable it for GTK apps in GNOME Tweaks, and see what the legacy theme can and cannot change.
The old OpenMediaVault Plex plugin is archived. Set up Plex on OMV 8 with OMV-Extras, the Compose plugin, persistent storage, and Plex’s official container.
Clean and speed up Ubuntu with safe APT cleanup, storage checks, and startup controls that help free space and troubleshoot a sluggish desktop.
Install Hiri on Linux with its Snap package or official tarball, add a desktop launcher, and check supported accounts plus a warning about Hiri’s old Snap release.
Use Fastfetch and built-in Linux commands to check your distro, kernel, CPU, memory, graphics, storage, and connected devices, then save a clear report.
