Even though the AppImage format is not without certain drawbacks, it does offer a unique and practical solution to a very annoying “problem” – that of installing software on different Linux distributions without having to deal with different software installation tools and various packaging formats.
In short, AppImage offers a consistent way of running Linux apps across most Linux distributions, regardless of how they’re configured. Be that as it may, AppImage, as a format, still has a long way to go until it achieves perfect system integration.
This is where Gear lever comes in.
Gear lever is one of the few apps of this sort, an app that allows you to integrate AppImages into your app menu with just a few mouse clicks. To put it as simple as possible, it provides a quick way of “installing” AppImages on your system.
What’s even more impressive is the fact that Gear lever also allows you to manage AppImage updates (keep older versions if that’s what you want, or replace them with the latest releases).
The fact that Gear lever is so easy to use is without a doubt it’s biggest advantage. Not only is the app’s GUI very modern and intuitive (it’s mostly designed for GNOME desktops, though), but integrating an AppImage with your system is as easy as dragging and dropping the file directly from your file manager, pressing the “Install” button.
Once an AppImage is “installed,” you can open and manage all your AppImages from under a single roof, or better yet, directly from your system’s app menu.
The app does have a Preferences section and, even though it’s not what one might call complex, it does offer you a bit of freedom when it comes to how your want your AppImages to be handled on your system. For instance, you can change the AppImage default location, opt to show or hide the integrated AppImages outside the default folder, as well as the option to either move or clone the AppImage into the destination folder.
Taking everything into account, Gear lever is a very useful little utility that can really make your life a bit easier when it comes to dealing with AppImage files.
