how to bundle a Python + GTK app so that it can be installed using apt

To distribute a Python + GTK app installable with apt, you create a Debian package (.deb) and optionally host it in an APT repository.

Typical structure:

myapp/
├── DEBIAN/
│   └── control
├── usr/
│   ├── bin/
│   │   └── myapp
│   ├── share/
│   │   ├── applications/
│   │   │   └── myapp.desktop
│   │   ├── icons/
│   │   │   └── hicolor/256x256/apps/myapp.png
│   │   └── myapp/
│   │       └── app.py

1. Create the GTK app

Example:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import gi
gi.require_version("Gtk", "4.0")
from gi.repository import Gtk

class App(Gtk.Application):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()

    def do_activate(self):
        win = Gtk.ApplicationWindow(application=self)
        win.set_title("My GTK App")
        win.set_default_size(400, 200)

        button = Gtk.Button(label="Hello")
        win.set_child(button)

        win.present()

app = App()
app.run()

Save as:

usr/share/myapp/app.py

Make executable:

chmod +x usr/share/myapp/app.py

2. Create launcher script

File:

usr/bin/myapp

Content:

#!/bin/bash
exec python3 /usr/share/myapp/app.py

Make executable:

chmod +x usr/bin/myapp

3. Create desktop entry

File:

usr/share/applications/myapp.desktop

Content:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=My GTK App
Exec=myapp
Icon=myapp
Type=Application
Categories=Utility;
Terminal=false

4. Add icon

Place:

usr/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/myapp.png

5. Create Debian control file

File:

DEBIAN/control

Content:

Package: myapp
Version: 1.0
Section: utils
Priority: optional
Architecture: all
Maintainer: Your Name <you@example.com>
Depends: python3, python3-gi, gir1.2-gtk-4.0
Description: Simple GTK application
 A sample GTK desktop app written in Python.