OpenTag on Linux¶
Choose a package for your distribution and processor, use the desktop file manager deliberately, and distinguish application-runtime dependencies from optional notification-area support. Keep one copied album for the first run.
Choose an actual published package¶
The published v0.2.13 release contains these Linux assets:
Scroll the download table sideways on a narrow screen to read complete filenames.
| Processor | Package choices |
|---|---|
| x64 / x86-64 | OpenTag-v0.2.13-linux-x64.AppImage, OpenTag-v0.2.13-linux-x64.deb, OpenTag-v0.2.13-linux-x64.rpm |
| arm64 / AArch64 | OpenTag-v0.2.13-linux-arm64.AppImage, OpenTag-v0.2.13-linux-arm64.deb, OpenTag-v0.2.13-linux-arm64.rpm |
Choose DEB or RPM when that package format suits your distribution, and let its package manager resolve the declared dependencies. Choose the matching AppImage when you want that distribution format. A source archive is not one of these runnable desktop packages.
The packages are unsigned. The release build uses Ubuntu 24.04 for each Linux architecture; that build environment does not qualify every older distribution, container, desktop session or CPU. Read a newer release's own notes before assuming its requirements and filenames are unchanged.
Verify and open the package¶
Compare the downloaded file's hash with SHA256SUMS from the same release. For the x64 AppImage, run this in the folder containing it:
Change the filename for a DEB/RPM or arm64 download. Compare every hex digit with the exact asset's entry. This checks integrity against that release, not a publisher signature or every dependency on your system.
For a DEB/RPM, open the package in your distribution's installer and review
its proposed changes. The actual v0.2.13 x64 DEB package is named open-tag,
version 0.2.13, architecture amd64. It declares these runtime packages:
Those are that DEB's declarations, not package names to paste unchanged into every distribution. A missing WebKitGTK/GTK dependency is an application startup problem, separate from an unsupported audio file after the window opens. The package's dependency list alone does not establish older-system binary compatibility.
For an AppImage, use your file manager's executable-permission control, then open it. The corresponding terminal steps for the x64 example are:
The official AppImage quickstart explains the file-manager and terminal routes. If launch reports missing runtime/FUSE support or system libraries, use distribution-appropriate help for that exact message. The AppImage being executable is not proof that all of its runtime needs are met. You do not need Rust/Node just to run a published package.
Use the file manager and command line¶
The inspected x64 DEB installs an OpenTag application entry whose command
is opentag. Its entry does not declare file MIME associations or a %F
file-argument placeholder. Do not assume a double-clicked audio file is
registered to open in OpenTag. Use File → Add files…, Change directory…,
or drop copied files/folders into its window.
A plain window drop replaces the list; holding Ctrl adds to it. File → Open in file manager reveals files/the current folder through desktop integration. Play uses the system's associated application. Availability and behavior depend on the desktop session and file manager; a file path can load successfully even when a reveal/default-player action is unavailable.
For the DEB's installed executable, this terminal example opens an existing copied folder. Replace the example location with your own:
For an AppImage, use its actual filename/path as the executable instead.
The quoted argument preserves spaces and requests a folder load, not
unattended tagging. Recognized requests from another desktop launch are
forwarded to the existing instance. See the command-line reference
for /add, absolute paths, pending-edit decisions and load order.
Shortcuts, focus and the status area¶
Shared Primary shortcuts use Ctrl on Linux. Application shortcuts only work if the desktop/window manager delivers them to OpenTag. If a chord is intercepted, choose its visible menu command before changing the task. Text fields and AltGraph keep their text-entry behavior.
| Chord | Focus | OpenTag result |
|---|---|---|
Ctrl+D |
File list | Change directory |
Alt+T |
Text field | Extended tags |
AltGraph+T |
Text field | Text entry |
Ctrl+Tab |
File list | Next pane |
Delete |
File list | Remove rows from list |
Ctrl+Delete |
File list | Move files to Recycle Bin or trash |
A plain Delete removes rows and keeps disk files. Trash and permanent filesystem deletion are separate operations; read the command label. Ctrl+S writes selected pending tag edits, while actions/renames have their own Apply/write boundaries.
Both Options → General → Notification area choices begin off. Always show icon in notification area keeps an icon available; Minimize to notification area can hide the minimized window/taskbar entry. The tray menu's Show OpenTag, or clicking the icon, restores it.
The implementation needs an AppIndicator library and a compatible desktop status area. It probes Ayatana/AppIndicator availability before creating the icon and reports an error if unavailable. Installing a library is not proof that your desktop displays indicators; inspect the actual result. The window is hidden for this option only after icon setup succeeds. Use the window and normal menus if notification-area support is unavailable.
Mounted paths, labels and writes¶
Open audio through its current mounted path. A familiar device label does not prove that it is mounted at yesterday's path, writable or still online. Keep the source available until a write finishes and inspect any file error. For a failed write, try one copied file in a known writable local folder before assuming the metadata format is at fault.
%_volume% is optional information about the path's volume label, not a
mount command or a stored audio tag. Linux lookup consults the mount table
and known device labels; missing/unavailable labels can give empty text.
If you add a display-only column, this format gives a visible fallback:
A reported Music Drive label displays Music Drive; an empty/missing label
displays Unlabeled. This display choice does not mount the drive, assign a
label, grant access or repair an audio file. The label cache can lag a
mount/label change; inspect the actual path and reload when diagnosing it.
Literal backslashes in filename formats still separate folders on Linux. Tag-derived slashes have a separate replacement policy. Case and naming rules depend on the actual filesystem, including a mounted external volume; portable filename guidance is a component policy, not a guarantee for every destination.
Credentials and per-user configuration¶
The optional system-keychain choice uses Secret Service for the Discogs token. Its availability in a build does not guarantee an unlocked, working credential service in every Linux session. Inspect errors and saved-location status instead of assuming a headless/container session has the same store as your interactive desktop. The token is excluded from normal configuration backups and is not displayed as returned secret text.
Use File → Open configuration folder to locate this user's actual settings. An AppImage does not automatically create a portable profile beside itself. Save configuration… saves supported settings, not pending metadata or music backups. Close the old app after finishing pending work before updating the executable/package. The update check opens release information; it does not perform a package-manager or AppImage replacement for you.
Report a useful Linux problem¶
Include the release filename, architecture, distribution/version, desktop session and exact error. State whether failure happens before the window, only with a file, or in file-manager/tray/credential integration. Package metadata, source and isolated model checks support these instructions; they do not claim native launch/write tests on every distribution or session.