Niruvi is a desktop application for installing, managing, updating, and building AppImage applications on Linux. It combines a clean Qt6 interface with robust safety features and a powerful AppImage builder that supports both traditional packages and local project folders.
AppImage is a portable application format for Linux — just download, make executable, and run. Niruvi makes this workflow smarter:
- Install AppImages with desktop integration — automatic
.desktopentries, launcher icons, and optional shortcuts. Your apps appear in your system menu just like native software. - Build AppImages from DEB packages, RPM packages, tar archives, or even a local project folder — no packaging expertise needed.
- Keep your apps up to date with automatic update checking and SHA256-verified downloads.
- Remove apps cleanly when you no longer need them — no leftover files, no orphaned desktop entries.
- Drag-and-drop install — drop an
.AppImagefile onto the window to start installation - Desktop integration — automatic
.desktopentries, desktop shortcuts, and XDG icon theme support - Search and sort — quickly find apps by name, sort by name or version
- Right-click context menu — Run, Update, Uninstall, Open Folder, and toggle Desktop Shortcut
- Portable folders — optional
.homeand.configfolders keep app data self-contained - CLI mode — headless install via
--installfor scripting and remote environments
- Multiple source formats — build from DEB, RPM, tar archives, or a local project folder
- Post-build verification — automatically checks ELF header, executable permissions, and runs a version test to confirm the AppImage works
- Static analysis security scanner — examines AppImage contents for suspicious patterns, setuid binaries, and known malicious filenames without executing the unpackaged code
- SHA256 verification — every downloaded update is hash-verified before installation
- Backup and rollback — previous versions are backed up before updates and restored on failure
- Atomic writes — registry and metadata are written atomically to prevent corruption
- Input sanitization — all user-provided values are sanitized before being used in generated scripts
- No telemetry — Niruvi does not collect usage data, call home, or share any information
- Health checks — apps with no updates for 60+ days are flagged in the app list
- Multi-fallback execution — automatically tries FUSE → namespace → temp extraction if a method fails
- GPU diagnostics — OpenGL and Vulkan device info shown in each app's info dialog
- Pre-launch hooks — place executable
.hookscripts in~/.config/niruvi/hooks/to run before app launch. Hooks receiveAPP_NAMEandAPP_DIRenvironment variables.
- Built-in help system — press F1 for comprehensive documentation on all features
- Error report dialog — detailed, human-readable error messages with step-by-step fix suggestions
- Build summary dialog — post-build results with file size, validation status, and quick tips
- Report Issue page — one-click access to the GitHub issues page with diagnostic information
- Python 3.10+
- PyQt6 ≥ 6.5
- Linux with FUSE (for AppImage extraction)
- appimagetool — included in the
asset/directory for building AppImages
Optional dependencies:
PyQt6-Multimedia— enablesQSoundEffect-based sound effects; without it Niruvi falls back to a subprocess audio player (pip install ".[multimedia]")librsvg(rsvg-convert) — better SVG icon conversionunsquashfs— enables static security scanning without executing AppImagesClamAV(clamscan) — optional malware scanning
Download the latest Niruvi-x86_64.AppImage from the releases page, make it executable,
and run:
chmod +x Niruvi-x86_64.AppImage
./Niruvi-x86_64.AppImageThe first time you run it, Niruvi will prompt you to install it. After installation, it appears in your application menu.
git clone https://github.com/putinservai-cyber/niruvi.git
cd niruvi
pip install .
niruvigit clone https://github.com/putinservai-cyber/niruvi.git
cd niruvi
python3 niruvi.pyniruvi # Launch the main window
niruvi MyApp.AppImage # Launch and open an AppImage for installationniruvi --install MyApp.AppImage # Install silently (no GUI)
niruvi --uninstall AppName # Remove an installed application
niruvi --version # Show the current version| Key | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+I |
Install an AppImage |
Ctrl+R |
Refresh the installed apps list |
Ctrl+B |
Build an AppImage |
Ctrl+U |
Uninstall selected app |
Ctrl+D |
Show app info/details |
Ctrl+O |
Open app's install folder |
Ctrl+Q |
Quit Niruvi |
F1 |
Open the built-in help system |
- Open Tools → Build AppImage or click the Build button
- Select Package file as the source type
- Choose a DEB, RPM, or tar archive
- Set the app name and version (auto-detected if left empty)
- Click Build AppImage
- Open Tools → Build AppImage
- Select Project folder as the source type
- Browse to your project directory
- Niruvi analyzes the folder — file count, size, and detects entry points
- The folder contents are copied directly into the AppDir
- If no
AppRunexists, Niruvi auto-creates one based on detected executables
Settings are stored in ~/.config/niruvi/settings.json. Open File → Settings to adjust:
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
install_dir |
~/Applications |
Where installed apps are stored |
build_output_dir |
~/Applications |
Default output directory for built AppImages |
create_desktop |
true |
Create a .desktop entry on install |
create_shortcut |
false |
Create a desktop shortcut on install |
portable_home |
false |
Create a .home folder for app data |
portable_config |
false |
Create a .config folder for app settings |
icon_in_theme |
true |
Install app icons to the XDG icon theme |
check_updates |
true |
Automatically check for Niruvi updates |
The installed-app registry is stored in ~/.config/niruvi/registry.db
(SQLite with per-row HMAC integrity checks; legacy registry.json files are
auto-migrated on first run).
Niruvi takes security seriously:
- Static analysis only — the security scanner examines AppImage contents by extracting the embedded filesystem image directly, without executing the AppImage binary. This means potentially malicious code never runs during the scan.
- SHA256 verification — all update downloads are verified against their expected hash before installation. If the hash doesn't match, the download is rejected.
- Backup and rollback — before any update or overwrite, the current version is backed up. If the update fails, the previous version is automatically restored.
- Input sanitization — all user-provided values (app names, version strings, file paths) are sanitized before being embedded in generated scripts, preventing injection attacks.
- No telemetry — Niruvi does not collect any usage data, send analytics, or communicate with any server except for explicit update checks and the GitHub issues page.
niruvi/ # Core application package
├── __init__.py # Package exports
├── __main__.py # Entry point for `python -m niruvi`
├── _version.py # Version string
├── main.py # CLI entry point and argument parsing
├── launcher.py # Headless sandbox-aware app launcher (--run)
├── app/ # Background services
│ ├── background_updater.py # Background update checker thread
│ ├── health_check.py # App health monitoring (staleness, FUSE check)
│ ├── self_install.py # Self-installing AppImage logic
│ ├── self_update.py # GPG-verified Niruvi self-update
│ ├── store.py # App store catalog
│ ├── tags.py # App category tags
│ ├── update_sources.py # Update source resolution (GitHub/GitLab/direct)
│ └── virustotal.py # Opt-in VirusTotal scanning
├── build/ # AppImage builder
│ ├── page.py # Build worker thread, package extraction
│ └── appimage_builder.py # AppDir assembly
├── core/ # Business logic (no UI)
│ ├── broker.py # Sandbox permission broker daemon
│ ├── hooks.py # Pre-launch hook system
│ ├── manifest.py # AppDir manifest validation
│ ├── plugins.py # Plugin event system
│ ├── repair.py # App repair / re-integration
│ ├── sandbox.py # Shield/firejail/bwrap sandbox backends
│ ├── scanner.py # Static security analysis (no execution)
│ ├── verification.py # SHA-256 / GPG / desktop-file verification
│ └── worker.py # Extraction/download QThread workers
├── desktop/ # XDG desktop integration
│ ├── appimage_assets.py # Asset extraction from AppImages
│ ├── appimage_metadata.py # ELF/AppImage header parsing
│ ├── desktop_utils.py # .desktop entries, icons, MIME handlers
│ ├── icon_utils.py # Icon format conversion
│ ├── installation_registry.py # SQLite registry (HMAC-signed rows)
│ └── zsync.py # Delta downloads via zsync/HTTP Range
├── installer/ # Generated install scripts
│ ├── junest.py # JuNest container path validation
│ ├── sanitize.py # Shell-injection-safe string sanitization
│ └── scripts.py # Install script template generation
├── ui/ # PyQt6 widgets/dialogs
│ ├── manager.py # Main window (Niruvi)
│ ├── settings.py # Settings dialog
│ ├── wizard.py # Install wizard
│ ├── build_wizard.py # Build wizard
│ ├── store_dialog.py # App store dialog
│ ├── self_installer_wizard.py# Self-installer wizard
│ ├── uninstall_dialog.py # Uninstall wizard
│ ├── update_wizard.py # App update wizard
│ ├── app_info_dialog.py # App info / GPU diagnostics
│ ├── help_dialog.py # Built-in help system
│ ├── report_dialog.py # Error report / build summary
│ └── toggle_switch.py # Toggle switch widget
├── utils/ # Shared helpers
│ ├── http.py # Verified SSL HTTP helpers
│ ├── integrity.py # HMAC signing/verification
│ ├── qt_compat.py # Qt/AppImage platform-path shims
│ ├── sound_manager.py # Sound effect playback
│ ├── styles.py # Theme stylesheets
│ └── theme_engine.py # Dark/light theme switching
tests/ # Test suite (229 tests)
asset/ # Build assets
├── appimagetool-x86_64.AppImage
├── niruvi.desktop
├── niruvi.png
├── niruvi.svg
├── screenshot/ # Application screenshots
└── icons/ # Phosphor icon theme (52 icons)
To package Niruvi itself as an AppImage:
./build-appimage.shThis creates Niruvi-x86_64.AppImage in the project root.
Copyright © 2026 putinservai-cyber.
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
Niruvi incorporates the following open-source components:
- PyQt6 — licensed under the GNU GPL v3
- appimagetool — licensed under the MIT License
Niruvi is developed and maintained by a single developer in their spare time. It is free and open source (GPL-3.0), with no ads, no telemetry, and no paywalls. If the project saves you time or you simply enjoy using it, please consider supporting the work:
- ☕ Buy me a coffee — ko-fi.com/putinservai
- ❤️ Become a GitHub Sponsor — github.com/sponsors/putinservai-cyber
Donations help cover hosting, code-signing keys, appimagetool tooling, and development time. Every contribution — however small — is genuinely appreciated. You can also support the project by:
- ⭐ Starring the repository on GitHub
- 🐛 Reporting bugs via Help → Report Issue or the issue tracker
- 🌐 Translating the app or improving the documentation
- 💻 Contributing code — see CONTRIBUTING.md
Thank you! 🙏