fdroidcl

F-Droid desktop client. Requires Go 1.21 or later.

 go install mvdan.cc/fdroidcl@latest

While the Android client integrates with the system with regular update checks and notifications, this is a simple command line client that talks to connected devices via ADB.

Quickstart

Download the index:

 fdroidcl update

Show all available apps:

 fdroidcl search

Install an app:

 fdroidcl install org.adaway

Show all available updates, and install them:

 fdroidcl search -u
 fdroidcl install -u

Unofficial packages are available on: Debian and Ubuntu.

Commands

 update                   Update the index
 search [<regexp...>]     Search available apps
 show <appid...>          Show detailed info about apps
 install [<appid...>]     Install or upgrade apps
 uninstall <appid...>     Uninstall an app
 download <appid...>      Download an app
 devices                  List connected devices
 scan                     Scan for known fdroid apps on a device
 list (categories/users)  List all known values of a kind
 repo                     Manage repositories
 setups                   Manage setups
 clean                    Clean index and/or cache
 defaults                 Reset to the default settings
 version                  Print version information

An appid is just an app's unique package name. A specific version of an app can be selected by following the appid with a colon and the version code. The 'search' and 'show' commands can be used to find these strings. For example:

 fdroidcl search redreader
 fdroidcl show org.quantumbadger.redreader
 fdroidcl install org.quantumbadger.redreader:85

new: you can manage the repositories now directly via cli

usage: fdroidcl repo

List, add, remove, enable or disable repositories.
When a repository is added, it is enabled by default.

List repositories:

        $ fdroidcl repo

Modify repositories:

        $ fdroidcl repo add <NAME> <URL>
        $ fdroidcl repo remove <NAME>
        $ fdroidcl repo enable <NAME>
        $ fdroidcl repo disable <NAME>

new: you can manage automating installs using setups

usage: fdroidcl setup

List, add, remove, edit, and import/export setups.
Setups allow for mass installs onto an android device, excellent for backups.

List setups:

        $ fdroidcl setup                Show all setups
        $ fdroidcl setup list <NAME>    Show details about one setup

Modify setups:
        $ fdroidcl setup new <NAME>
        $ fdroidcl setup remove <NAME>
        $ fdroidcl setup apply <NAME> 
        $ fdroidcl setup add-app <NAME> <APP-ID> 
        $ fdroidcl setup rm-app <NAME> <APP-ID> 
        $ fdroidcl setup add-repo <NAME> <REPO-NAME>
        $ fdroidcl setup rm-repo <NAME> <REPO-NAME>

Export setups:

        $ fdroidcl setup import <FILENAME>
        $ fdroidcl setup export <NAME>

Config

You can configure what repositories to use in the config.toml file. On Linux, you will likely find it at ~/.config/fdroidcl/config.toml.

You can run fdroidcl defaults to create the config with the default settings.

Advantages over the Android client

• Command line interface
• Batch install/update/remove apps without root nor system privileges
• No need to install a client on the device

What it will never do

• Run as a daemon, e.g. periodic index updates
• Act as an F-Droid server
• Swap apps with devices

Caveats

• Index verification relies on HTTPS (not the JAR signature)
• The tool can only interact with one device at a time
• Hardware compatibility of packages is not checked

FAQ

• What's the point of a desktop client?

This client works with Android devices connected via ADB; it does not install apps on the host machine.

• Why not just use the f-droid.org website to download APKs?

That's always an option. However, an F-Droid client supports multiple repositories, searching for apps, filtering by compatibility with your device, showing available updates, et cetera.