Flatpak Gaming Folder Change And Home Encryption

niereklamuj · August 17, 2023, 9:21pm

Hi!

I want to encrypt my Home folder, but I don’t want to encrypt my games, because it will slow down my 4 cores CPU.

I’ve searched many solutions how to change default path for Flatpak installations, but is confusing to me, so I need help. Any help would be appreciated, I want to learn, and it will definitively benefit others who want to have Home encrypted and still game without performance degradation.

My Flatpak folder with games now is:

/home/a/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/

It would be nice to have it outside of the Home folder. Thanks!

dalto · August 17, 2023, 9:27pm

You can just convert that path to a symbolic link to another location.

That way flatpak will still see it as /home/a/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/ but the data could be stored somewhere else altogether.

niereklamuj · August 17, 2023, 9:47pm

How can I do it?

niereklamuj · August 17, 2023, 9:48pm

I’m struggling with this tutorial:

github.com/flatpak/flatpak

Methods to save space on your '/root' partition while using flatpak

opened 12:37PM - 18 Nov 18 UTC

closed 04:36PM - 19 Nov 18 UTC

aiamuzz

### Information Flatpak installs at the default location `/var/lib/flatpak`. So… all applications get installed inside this flatpak folder(runtimes/platform/applications ... everything in this folder) eating away at the /root partition. **Method 1** : uses a simple hack making use of linux feature of symbolic links. **Method 2** : uses the official flatpak feature to install applications at custom locations/paths. ### Method 1 : Unofficial 'HACK' method (this method makes sense ONLY if you have a separate partition for `/home` ... if /root & /home are on the same partition its useless to try this method) Lets say your home is located at `/home/user` ... ('user' could be the name of your user and the same needs to be replaced with the actual user name on your system in place of `user` wherever found in the below commands) `sudo mv /var/lib/flatpak /home/user` `cd /var/lib` `sudo ln -s /home/user/flatpak flatpak` **that's it !!!** ... .... with the symbolic link at `/var/lib` ... all your flatpak applications will get routed and installed in your /home partition keeping the /root partition free. ### Method 2 : Official feature of installing it in a custom location of your choice by creating `extra.conf` file Its best(not mandatory) if the following conditions are adhered to ... - Its is best to have a separate partition on your internal hard disk(preferable) dedicated to installing flatpak applications. - It is best to configure you linux OS to auto mount partition on boot ... - Its is best to let the partitions mount at their default locations ... some OSes mount it in `/media/user` and some mount it in `/mnt` - It is best to name/label the partition The following commands are written assuming the default location being `/media/user` and partitions get auto mounted at this location ... make changes according to your own systems. ... i have a separate partition labeled it as Flatpak(name of the partition not the folder). `sudo mkdir /media/muz/Flatpak/flatpak` `sudo mkdir /etc/flatpak` `sudo mkdir /etc/flatpak/installations.d` `sudo gedit /etc/flatpak/installations.d/extra.conf` Lets name this custom install location ... Lets say i name it `myFlatpaks` ... you can use your own names instead, just make sure the name 'myFlatpaks' with your name in the commands/entries below. Paste the following block in the extra.conf file and save it ... ``` [Installation "myFlatpaks"] Path=/media/muz/Flatpak/flatpak/ DisplayName=myFlatpaks Installation StorageType=harddisk ``` Now lets add the flathub remote to this custom install location ... `flatpak --installation=myFlatpaks remote-add flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo` Thats It !!! **Advantages of using a Separate partition dedicated ONLY for flatpak applications.** - In cases where the OS is reinstalled from scratch which involves formatting /root and /home partition. (Tested and Works) - In cases where you are switching from one linux distro to another.(not yet tested as such a situation hasn't been encountered by me). I like to call this setup of using a dedicated partition as 'INSTALL ONLY ONCE' setup !!! ### Commands to manage applications at this newly created custom install location. **Install** `flatpak --installation=myFlatpaks install flathub org.application.name` **Uninstall** `flatpak --installation=myFlatpaks uninstall flathub org.application.name` **List** `flatpak list` - to list all applications `flatpak --installation=myFlatpaks list` - to list applications only from a specific installation location. **Run** `flatpak run flathub org.application.name`

After completion of the tutorial my installation defaults to /home/user/.var

niereklamuj · August 17, 2023, 10:03pm

Yes, it defaults to /home/user/.var path even if I do:
flatpak --installation=extra run com.valvesoftware.Steam

After completing the tutorial…
It’s too hard for me…

I did:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/flatpak/installations.d
sudoedit /etc/flatpak/installations.d/extra.conf

Inside is:
[Installation “extra”]
Path=/run/media/Flatpak/flatpak/
DisplayName=Extra Installation
StorageType=harddisk

And then:
flatpak --installation=extra remote-add flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
flatpak --installation=extra install com.valvesoftware.Steam
flatpak --installation=extra run com.valvesoftware.Steam

And it defaults to /home/user/.var/

I’m tired…

dalto · August 17, 2023, 10:17pm

You changed the path for root installations but your doing user installations.

Try using sudo flatpak --installation=extra install com.valvesoftware.Steam

niereklamuj · August 17, 2023, 10:18pm

Will it mean that I will run steam with sudo after? I don’t want it…

pebcak · August 17, 2023, 10:25pm

Isn’t that where flatpak app’s data and config files are stored and not where the apps themselves are installed?

Sort of what ~/.config is for “regular” apps.

niereklamuj · August 17, 2023, 10:29pm

No, mine is installing inside this folder, there is Steam inside and Counter Strike.
I don’t get it, why it’s so hard, I know nothing right now…

niereklamuj · August 17, 2023, 10:34pm

For 5 years I’m on Linux and still confused. I don’t get it, I thought that learning curve would flatten, but it’s not the case…

pebcak · August 17, 2023, 10:34pm

I have no gaming flatpaks but otherwise, never ever any apps have been installed under .var for me.
On my systems .var contains only app data and configs.

pebcak · August 17, 2023, 10:43pm

flatpak --installations should print the path to where flatpaks are installed on your system.

niereklamuj · August 17, 2023, 10:47pm

flatpak --installations
/run/media/Flatpak/flatpak
/var/lib/flatpak

So, now it’s changed. I’m so confused…

pebcak · August 17, 2023, 10:54pm

These are the locations where your flatpaks apps and runtimes are installed.

If you were to install flatpaks per user (not systemwide) they would be under ~/.local/share/flatpak.

dalto · August 17, 2023, 11:03pm

No. It controls where it gets installed.

niereklamuj · August 17, 2023, 11:03pm

It still makes directory in my /home/user/.var folder. I confirmed it by checking space on home folder before and after I run Steam.

I don’t get it. I will give up. Not worth my time. Linux is not what I expected, after 5 years still problems. Using Flatpak because Counter Strike was stuttering on newer mesa when Steam installed from pacman.

Really, Linux sux those days. I never thought that DT on YouTube were right, but he is, he is also using Flatpak because things breaks… What a waste of time.

system · August 19, 2023, 11:05pm

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