Streamlined application deployment with unified package management
Public Release: August 2025 (Approximately 3–4 weeks)
Early-Access Preview Notice
Source code is currently completing internal quality assurance and will be published on GitHub in August 2025.
This documentation reflects the finalized pre-release implementation – all described features are fully implemented and tested.
| Operation | Command |
|---|---|
Install .tar.gz/.tar.xz/.tar.bz2 (flat/nested) |
zenith install -auto <file.tar.gz> |
Install .AppImage |
zenith install -auto <app.AppImage> |
Install .deb, .snap, .flatpak |
zenith install -auto <package> |
| Install from URL | zenith install -auto <https://.../app.AppImage> |
| Remove applications | zenith uninstall <name> |
| List installed applications | zenith list |
| Update installer | zenith update |
- Permission-adaptive installation: Automatically installs to
/optwhen permitted, otherwise uses~/.local/zenith/appswithout requiring sudo privileges - Interactive installation prompts: Configure applications as terminal or GUI during installation (sets
Terminalproperty in.desktopfiles) - Flat tarball handling: Automatically creates container directories for archives lacking top-level folders
- User-space integration: Creates executable symlinks in
~/.local/bin(standard PATH location) - Icon management: Extracts application icons from AppImages/tarballs with fallback to default icon
- Centralized management: Maintains installation database in
~/.zenith/
# Install Zenith
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Celestialis1/Zenith/main/zenith.py \
| sudo tee /usr/local/bin/zenith > /dev/null && sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/zenith
# Install application
zenith install -auto ~/Downloads/seanime-2.9.0_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz
# Execute installed application
seanime| Location | Purpose |
|---|---|
~/.local/zenith/apps/ |
User-space application installations |
~/.local/bin/ |
Application binary symlinks (PATH accessible) |
~/.local/share/applications/ |
Generated desktop entries |
~/.zenith/ |
Configuration and installation database |
/opt/ |
System-wide installations (when permitted) |
- Python 3.7+ (standard library only)
- Recommended:
python-magicfor enhanced MIME type detection - No external dependencies
Yes.
AppImages are self-contained and require minimal setup. Zenith simply copies the file, sets execution permissions, and (optionally) generates a .desktop launcher with icon support.
.tar archives, however, require extraction and post-processing. Zenith:
- Detects whether the archive has a top-level directory or is flat
- Moves contents to a sandboxed location
- Searches for the main executable
- Optionally creates a launcher and icon
Some
.tarpackages may require manual tweaks if they lack a clear structure or launcher binary.
No, not by default.
Zenith is designed to install everything into user-space (~/.local/zenith/apps/) by default.
If sudo is available, it offers to install system-wide to /opt, but this is optional and permission-aware.
Yes. Zenith supports direct URL installation of any supported format:
zenith install -auto https://example.com/tool.AppImageIt automatically detects and processes the file after download.
Zenith attempts to extract an icon from the application. If none is found, it falls back to a generic icon. You can later replace or edit the icon manually in ~/.local/share/applications/.
- To remove:
zenith uninstall <app-name>- Zenith does not currently auto-update individual apps, but you can re-run the install with a newer version to overwrite an old one.
- To update Zenith itself:
zenith updateAll user-space installs go to:
- Apps:
~/.local/zenith/apps/ - Executables:
~/.local/bin/ - Icons/Desktop files:
~/.local/share/applications/ - Metadata:
~/.zenith/
Let me know if you'd like to include troubleshooting tips, advanced options, or developer notes as well.
MIT License - freely usable, modifiable, and distributable
Release Timeline
The public repository and production-ready install script will be available in August 2025.
This documentation represents the final pre-release specification.