Xamarin.forms: [Bug] Packaging GTK# application problem

[zejtin]

Description

I've followed this tutorial here for adding GTK to Xamarin.Forms project:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/xamarin/xamarin-forms/platform/other/gtk?tabs=windows

GTK# works nicely on Mac, Windows and Linux. The problem I have is with Publishing/Packaging application on Linux using latest MonoDevelop - it fails every time

Steps to Reproduce

1. Go to MonoDevelop on Linux
2. Right click the GTK# project => Tools => Create Package
3. Archive of Binaries
4. Select project and set build to Linux Release and archive tar.gz

Expected Behavior

Generate tar.gz package

Actual Behavior

Package creation failed

Basic Information

• Version with issue: 4.4.0
• IDE: MonoDevelop 7.8.4

[jsuarezruiz]

@zejtin Could you share more information about how are you packing it?.
I have done some tests using MonoDevelop 7.8.4:

[zejtin]

Sure thing, here are the steps:

[zejtin]

Just to add that the Archive of Sources works for me, but I am not looking for this, I'm looking for a way to publish application for further distribution, which I presume is Archive of Binaries but I might be wrong?

[knocte]

I think this is a MonoDevelop bug, not a Xamarin.Forms bug.

[zejtin]

Is there a way to do this packaging manually?

[knocte]

of course? just use the command line

[zejtin]

But what commands should be executed, do you have some link for reference? Is it possible to make deb/rpm files beside tar.gz?

[knocte]

Honestly speaking: welcome to the vast world of app packaging. Creating tar.gz via command line is easy; creating deb/rpms is not that easy (although many tools alleviate the pain, such as https://github.com/jordansissel/fpm ), but these days I wouldn't ever bother with that, the new way of packaging stuff (that is modern, cross-distro and secure via sandbox) is to use snap or flatpak. For an example of how to package mono apps with snap, take a look at this: https://gitlab.com/nblockchain/geewallet/-/blob/frontend/scripts/snap_build.sh ; for an example of how to package a mono app with flatpak, look for SparkleShare.

[zejtin]

Thank you very much for the links and detailed explanation! I'll let you know how it went :)

Btw I've opened issue on monodevelop for this bug if anyone stumbles upon this https://github.com/mono/monodevelop/issues/9643

[knocte]

Btw I've opened issue on monodevelop

Great, you can close this issue then.