WebApp Manager and Nativefier: Applications to create WebApps
The day before, we gave you a great post about the current state of 4 interesting and useful apps called "Station, WebCatalog, Rambox and Franz". Which are a great method or way to manage our possible WebApps from any operating system, easily, quickly and centrally.
However, in it we mention that a simpler and more specific alternative is the use of "WebApp Manager and Nativefier", so you don't have to manually make a shortcut that works as a WebApp. And for this reason, today we will talk about these 2 software developments to delve more into its use and usefulness.
Station, WebCatalog, Rambox and Franz: what is their current status?
But, before starting this post about the 2 applications for the creation of WebApps called "WebApp Manager and Nativefier", we recommend one previous related post with said scope, for later reading:
WebApp Manager and Nativefier: 2 apps to create WebApps
About WebApp Manager and Nativefier
What is WebApp Manager and how is it used?
Given the, WebAppManager It is a very small and simple app, there is not much to say about it. Therefore, it can be briefly described as a specific application for creating and managing web applications. which, fue Developed by the Linux Mint team for your own distribution, but it can work on other compatible Distros based on Debian/Ubuntu. And for its installation, its .deb file In the next link.
Once downloaded and installed in the traditional and customary way for each one on your Linux Distribution, all you need is run it via Application Menu to proceed to generate a WebApp.
Screen shots
As seen in the following screenshots:
- Find and run WebApp Manager via applications menu
- Initial screen with 2 examples of WebApps already generated with it. In the upper left part, it has a small menu of options in the form of 3 vertical points, in the center of the lower part it has 4 icons to generate, delete, edit and execute the WebApps produced and listed.
- Pressing the New WebApp button (+ sign) to generate a WebApp displays this window where the displayed fields must be filled out and configured.
- Shortcuts included in the application
- About WebApp Manager
- A good example of creating a WebApp is the following that I have done, to generate a WebApp that works as a ChatBot in the style of ChatGPT called AI Miracles through the cloud service called Character.AI. Which, besides being a lot of fun, is something very interesting and a great free alternative to ChatGPT ChatBots for GNU/Linux. So, if you want to know more about this example I invite you to try Miracles AI and see a YouTube video about her. And, as noted in the following screenshots:
What is Nativefier and how is it used?
Unlike WebApp Manager which is a graphical application (GUI), Nativefier is a Terminal application (CLI). and can be described as a tool to easily generate a “Desktop Application” for any website with a minimum of complications. And, for that, makes use of technology packing of electron (which, in turn, uses Chromium) in order to build an executable of the operating system used, regardless of whether it is Windows, macOS and Linux.
For your installation, according to your official website on GitHub, it is only necessary to execute the following commands in a GNU/Linux Distro based on Debian/Ubuntu:
sudo apt install nodejs npm
sudo npm install nativefier -gIf everything has gone well, it will only be necessary build a WebApp from any URL (Website, web application, web service, or other online elements) by executing the following command, replacing our Example URL (blog.desdelinux.net) for the desired:
nativefier blog.desdelinux.netAnd if everything has gone well, we can already build a shortcut to said application, through the graphic application "menulibre", "alacarte" or other similar available on said GNU/Linux distro used.
Note that, Nativefier when building the requested WebApp it will create a folder inside the path “/home/myusername/” and whose name will correspond to the indicated website, that is, “/home/myusername/websitename”.
And within it, will be located the executable that must be executed by the direct access, which will have the same name as the generated folder “websitename”.
Screen shots
As seen in the following screenshots:
Summary
In summary, if you are not willing for multiple reasons to use large and complex WebApps management applications, such as, Station, WebCatalog, Rambox and Franz, Without a doubt, the best options to consider are "WebApp Manager and Nativefier". Since, these are small, fast and easy to obtain, install and manage, and also, they are kept updated by their developers. Finally, if anyone already knows or has implemented any of these 2 apps discussed today, it will be great to hear about your experience with them, via comments.
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