Trying to use an AppImage I downloaded (not working as expected)

THX1138 · posted: 2017-09-22 01:29

I have an AppImage file that I would like to use. I would like to install it but I would settle for just being able to run it. When I try to run it, I get an error :

"No run action specified for files of this type (application/x-executable) - you can set a run action by choosing `Set Run Action' from the File menu, or you can just drag the file to an application.

Note: If this is a computer program which you want to run, you need to set the execute bit by choosing Permissions from the File menu."

I tried to set the execute bit (I guess it worked but there is no feedback on whether the operation worked) and then clicked on the AppImage file again. It wrote an empty file called 'D' to my home directory and nothing else that I can tell.

The AppImage can be downloaded from here:
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://sourceforge.net/projects/teleprompter-imaginary-films/"
linktext was:"https://sourceforge.net/projects/telepr ... ary-films/"
====================================
- I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me whether they can use it on antiX. Thanks!

rokytnji · posted: 2017-09-22 01:51

It's a bin file. Not a .deb package.

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://www.google.com/search?num=50&source=hp&q=run+bin+file+in+linux&oq=run+bin+file+in+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0l2j0i22i30k1l2.3216.8681.0.13752.17.16.0.0.0.0.244.2358.0j1j10.11.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..6.11.2354.0..0i131k1.0.kHNzo1-7jp8"
linktext was:"Link"
====================================

THX1138 · posted: 2017-09-22 02:06

I guess the version I have is not suitable for my processor? My CPU is 32-bit but the file name doesn't specify an architecture. There are other versions available at
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://sourceforge.net/projects/teleprompter-imaginary-films/files/v2.3.1/"
linktext was:"https://sourceforge.net/projects/telepr ... es/v2.3.1/"
====================================
but two of them mention"64". Could the .pacman version be suitable? I'm actually pretty sure I had the AppImage version running when I used Lubuntu (and of course it simply ran when I clicked on it!)

Code: Select all

sean@Teleprompter:~
$ /home/sean/imaginary-teleprompter-2.3.1.AppImage
bash: /home/sean/imaginary-teleprompter-2.3.1.AppImage: cannot execute binary file: Exec format error
sean@Teleprompter:~
$

Edit. I tried using the pacman version but the Archive Manager says"An error occurred while extracting files". What is the console command to use the built-in extraction utilities? I try searching online but everyone gives the commands for their preferred utility which I'd need to install first and I'd like to know what's already installed.

skidoo · posted: 2017-09-22 07:28

What you've described seems like the"right way" to go about using the appimage.
download, chmod +x, and execute
"No file associated with... sounds like you"clicked on it, in the context of a file manager" and the file manager is trying to"open" the appimage (and it doesn't know what to"OpenWith")

Do you remember the suggestion to troubleshoot by
"launching from a terminal emulator prompt, and watch for any error messages displayed"?

Supposing you downloaded via browser, and wound up with ~/Downloads/imaginary-teleprompter-2.3.1.AppImage
do this:
1) right-click it (in file manager), choose"Copy"

2) launch a terminal emulator, and"Paste" (will paste the pathstring of the file) and press Enter.

BTW, the creators of the teleprompter app display their email addresses here

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://github.com/ImaginarySense/Teleprompter-Core"
linktext was:"https://github.com/ImaginarySense/Teleprompter-Core"
====================================

and invite helprequests via email

IDEA:
In case you discover this"teleprompter" program cannot work on your system, some related search queries:
"Rapid Sequential Visual Presentation","tachistoscope","speedreader","speed reader"
Also, I would expect there's a tachistoscope plugin/addon available for LibreOffice, and for various other text editors.

THX1138 · posted: 2017-09-22 07:58

I did try opening the AppImage file with the terminal but it didn't work:

Code: Select all

sean@Teleprompter:~
$ /home/sean/imaginary-teleprompter-2.3.1.AppImage
bash: /home/sean/imaginary-teleprompter-2.3.1.AppImage: cannot execute binary file: Exec format error
sean@Teleprompter:~
$

I think that means it's designed for a different processor architecture.

I downloaded the .pacman version from here
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://sourceforge.net/projects/teleprompter-imaginary-films/files/v2.3.1/"
linktext was:"https://sourceforge.net/projects/telepr ... es/v2.3.1/"
====================================
but when I try to extract it the Archive Manager says"An error occurred while extracting files". What is the console command to use the built-in extraction utilities of antiX? I try searching online but everyone gives the commands for their preferred utility which I'd need to install first and I'd like to know what's already installed.

I'll also try contacting the makers of the program.

skidoo · posted: 2017-09-22 18:01

What is the console command to use the built-in extraction utilities of antiX?
[. . .]
need to install first and I'd like to know what's already installed.

Many (several) de|compression utilities are pre-installed. You can use the `apropos` console command to check, e.g.
apropos extract
apropos archive

.pacman files aren't aren't native to (usable in) debian ecosystem, and they aren't meant to be manually decompressed.

THX1138 · posted: 2017-09-22 18:08

Damn. Thanks. It's kind of no wonder that Linux isn't widely supported when it's divided into such small incompatible subsections :-(

masinick · posted: 2017-09-22 18:16

Just curious: Do you still have the Lubuntu image somewhere? - And did you run the Lubuntu instance of AppImage on the same physical system? Lubuntu, while certainly not identical to antiX, does generally share package formats, a similar file structure and package file formats, though Lubuntu uses different kernels, system libraries, and in general, similar, but unique and distinct software. Both Lubuntu and antiX base their code on upstream Debian code, which also generally comes from the software originally built, though it is occasionally modified either to fix defects or to slightly customize for specific environments.

I do not know of any antiX effort to modify anything, but at least on the surface, it would appear that if you got acquire the same exact program image that ran on Lubuntu, in 98% or more of the time, it ought to work. The other 2% are for cases when hardware peculiarities, system library differences, and things of that sort prevent software from working as advertised; that's not very common, but it's probably not the first time there's been some kind of conflict.

Have you seen any articles or comments about the image not working right under certain conditions? Anything else you can tell us about your situation that might be helpful?

We like knowing what your configuration looks like. Can you send the output of

inxi -F (or inxi -Fxz)?

apprentice · posted: 2017-09-22 22:04

THX1138 wrote: Damn. Thanks. It's kind of no wonder that Linux isn't widely supported when it's divided into such small incompatible subsections :-(

hi thx

imaginary-teleprompter-2.3.1.AppImage works on antix 17b3 64 bit
but you (need) to install zenity to get it to open from menu
otherwise it works fine from term

but...

i dont know if it is for both 32 and 64 bit and i cant test
maybe they -imaginary- can help with that

unless your lubuntu was 64 bit or you were using online version...

cheers

THX1138 · posted: 2017-09-22 23:33

The Lubuntu was a 32-bit version run locally on this 32-bit machine. I will attempt to repartition and install it again, hopefully without hosing my antiX installation.

This is the inxi output:

Code: Select all

$ inxi -F 
System:    Host: Teleprompter Kernel: 4.4.10-antix.1-486-smp i686 (32 bit)
           Desktop: IceWM 1.3.8
           Distro: antiX-16.2_386-full Berta Cáceres 15 June 2017
Machine:   Device: desktop System: WYSE product: V CLASS L v: Rev: 1.15
           Mobo: N/A model: CN900-8237R
           BIOS: VIA v: Rev: 1.15 date: 10/26/2007
CPU:       Single core VIA Eden (-UP-) cache: 128 KB speed: 800 MHz (max)
Graphics:  Card: VIA CN700/P4M800 Pro/P4M800 CE/VN800 Graphics [S3 UniChrome Pro]
           Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 driver: vesa
           Resolution: 1024x768@61.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.5, 128 bits)
           GLX Version: 3.0
Network:   Card: VIA VT6102 [Rhine-II] driver: via-rhine
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full
           mac: 00:80:64:70:ee:b3
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 32.5GB (16.2% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: 512MB_ATA_Fla size: 0.5GB
           ID-2: USB /dev/sdb model: JumpDrive size: 32.0GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 8.1G used: 2.6G (34%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb1
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 0.51GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-3: swap-2 size: 2.15GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sdb2
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 59.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 198 Uptime: 20:52 Memory: 222.5/971.4MB
           Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 2.3.21 
sean@Teleprompter:~
$