Installation Overview¶
RustyLens offers several installation methods. Choose the one that fits your workflow:
| Method | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
install.sh |
Most Linux users | Auto-detects distro (Arch / Ubuntu / Fedora), downloads distro-native binary |
| AppImage | Any distro, no root needed | Portable, bundles all GTK4 libs; use install.sh -A |
| Flatpak | Sandboxed install | Includes all 128 language packs; use install.sh -F |
| Build from source | Developers / contributors | Requires Rust toolchain |
Quick decision guide¶
I want the simplest install:
→ Use install.sh --minimal. It auto-detects your distro and installs a native binary.
My distro is not Arch, Ubuntu/Debian, or Fedora:
→ Use install.sh -A --minimal. The AppImage bundles all libraries and runs on any glibc-based distro.
I want full sandboxing (Flatpak):
→ Use install.sh -F. This installs the Flatpak bundle directly from GitHub Releases. All 128 Tesseract language packs are included.
I want to contribute or build custom: → Follow the Build from Source guide.
System requirements¶
- OS: Linux x86_64
- Display: Wayland or X11 with GTK4 support
- Native binary: glibc 2.38+, GTK 4.12+, libadwaita 1.5+, leptonica, libtesseract
- AppImage / Flatpak: no system OCR libraries needed (all bundled)
macOS and Windows
Experimental macOS and Windows builds are published in releases but are not the primary focus. See the Releases page for download links.