# Install Vastra on Linux

Vastra ships a **command-line installer** for Linux. It builds a native
AppImage on your machine and installs it into your user account — no `sudo`
required.

> **Why build locally?** A Linux binary (`.AppImage` / `.deb`) can only be
> produced on Linux (it needs `appimagetool` / `fpm`, which don't exist on
> Windows). The installer does that fast build for you, then installs the
> result.

---

## Requirements
- **Node.js 18+** and **npm** — <https://nodejs.org> (or your distro's package manager)
- ~1.5 GB free disk space for the build
- The Vastra **source folder** (copy `vastra_browser/` to your Linux machine),
  *or* a git URL to clone.

## Quick install

From inside the Vastra source folder:

```bash
bash install-vastra-linux.sh
```

Point it at the source from anywhere:

```bash
VASTRA_SRC=/home/you/vastra_browser bash install-vastra-linux.sh
```

Or let it clone (set your repo first):

```bash
VASTRA_REPO=https://github.com/you/vastra.git bash install-vastra-linux.sh
```

One-liner (once the script is hosted):

```bash
curl -fsSL https://YOUR-HOST/downloads/install-vastra-linux.sh | bash
```

## What it does
1. Verifies Node 18+ / npm.
2. `npm ci` → `npm run build` → `npx electron-builder --linux AppImage`.
3. Copies the AppImage to `~/.local/share/vastra/Vastra.AppImage`.
4. Adds a `vastra` command to `~/.local/bin`.
5. Installs an app-menu entry (`~/.local/share/applications/vastra.desktop`)
   and icon, so Vastra shows up in your launcher.
6. Drops an uninstaller.

## Run it
- Search **“Vastra”** in your app launcher, **or**
- Run `vastra` in a terminal.

## Uninstall
```bash
bash ~/.local/share/vastra/uninstall.sh
```
(Your settings in `~/.config/vastra-browser` are kept; delete that folder too
for a full wipe.)

## Prefer a `.deb`?
Run the build with the deb target instead:

```bash
cd /path/to/vastra_browser
npm ci && npm run build
npx electron-builder --linux deb --x64
sudo apt install ./dist-installer/vastra_0.1.0_amd64.deb
```

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