fix(release): .deb shows up properly in Linux software centres

[TonybynMp4]

The .deb ships no AppStream metadata, so Ubuntu App Center and GNOME Software list it as "t3code" by "Unknown publisher", with "License unknown" and a "T3 Code desktop build" placeholder description (#13976).

The build now generates com.t3tools.t3code.metainfo.xml and installs it at /usr/share/metainfo/ through deb.fpm. <pkgname> and <launchable> bind it to the installed package and launcher; without them, a software centre ignores the component. <name> follows the channel product name so it matches the launcher. The file carries the MIT license, T3 Tools as developer, and a release entry for the build. The staged package gets license: "MIT" and a Linux-only description, so the control fields and the .desktop comment lose the placeholder too. The Windows installer reads the generic description field, so that stays as is.

This only changes what software centres show once the package is installed. Previewing a downloaded .deb still shows only the control fields, since a full listing before install would need an apt repository publishing AppStream catalog data (DEP-11).

Verified on a locally built nightly .deb: appstreamcli validate --pedantic and validate-tree both pass, the control file now has License: MIT, and the metainfo is not packed into app.asar.

Before/after:

Closes #13976

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[macroscopeapp]

Approvability

Verdict: Not approved

Macroscope's review found this PR not approvable — This release-packaging change adds AppStream metadata and default Linux product copy, license, and release information that users see in software centres. The implementation is contained, but the default product presentation is being changed and warrants human review.

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📒 Files selected for processing (2)

• scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts
• scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts

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📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

The desktop artifact builder generates AppStream metadata for Linux packages and configures the package to install it at the system AppStream path. The staged package manifest uses the configured package name and declares the MIT license. Tests cover metadata fields, release dates, and package installation mapping.

Changes

Linux AppStream metadata

Layer / File(s)	Summary
Render and configure AppStream metadata scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts	Adds an AppStream metadata renderer and configures Linux packaging to install its output at the system path. The Linux package configuration uses shared synopsis and description constants.
Stage metadata and verify package output scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts, scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts	Linux builds write metadata beside the staged app using the app version and UTC build date. The staged manifest uses STAGE_PACKAGE_NAME and declares the MIT license. Tests check metadata fields, release dates, and the package installation mapping.

Priority: ⬇️ Low

Estimated code review effort: 2 (Simple) | ~10 minutes

Change: Bug fix · Severity of issue fixed: Low

Suggested reviewers: juliusmarminge

Merge Risk: ⚪ Minimal · up to d1c3d

The installed listing may still show “No details for this release.” That limited presentation gap does not need to block the Linux metadata change.

Security Architecture Review

Security architecture risk: ⚪ Minimal · up to d1c3d

The change adds Linux software-centre metadata without introducing a runtime endpoint or broader installation authority. Variable XML values are escaped, package identities remain aligned, and the installation destination is fixed. No material security risk was identified in the reviewed change.

Retained concerns
No architecture-level concerns identified.

Security review details

Security Blast Radius

• inferred — The added installed-state footprint is public listing metadata for the existing Linux package. The change does not grant callers a configurable system destination or add a runtime listener.

Trust Boundaries and Controls

• observed — The build version reaches the metadata renderer, where XML delimiters and quotes are escaped before interpolation. Installation is configured through a generated temporary source file and a fixed fpm destination, rather than a destination derived from metadata input.

Resilience and Maintainability Implications

• inferred — Repeated and concurrent invocations use separately allocated stage roots for the new metadata source, limiting shared-state collision exposure. A failed metadata write stops the sequential build before packaging. Cleanup after interruption and installed-package recovery still depend on external lifecycle implementations not verified in this assessment.

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 4 | ❌ 1

❌ Failed checks (1 warning)

Check name	Status	Explanation	Resolution
Docstring Coverage	⚠️ Warning	Docstring coverage is 50.00% which is insufficient. The required threshold is 80.00%. Docstring coverage is scoped to functions touched by this diff. Analyzed 2 functions across 2 files.	Write docstrings for the functions missing them to satisfy the coverage threshold.

✅ Passed checks (4 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly identifies the Linux .deb software-centre listing fix and matches the main change.
Description check	✅ Passed	The description explains the problem and changes, links the related issue, reports focused verification results, and includes before-and-after screenshots. It does not state maintainer approval or exp…
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	Issue [#13976] requires the installed .deb listing to show the product identity, icon, publisher, license, description, and release details. The PR summary reports generated AppStream metadata insta…
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	The reported source changes, package configuration, and tests support the AppStream listing required by [#13976]. The added tests cover the metadata installation path and component bindings. The PR su…

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Inline comments:
Review comments at @scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts:
- Line 3677: Update the AppStream releaseDate value in the release metadata to
use the release date from the nightly version or release process, rather than
DateTime.now; omit the date attribute when the release date is unknown.

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📥 Commits

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📒 Files selected for processing (2)

• scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts
• scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts

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[juliusmarminge]

Note

Grok responding on behalf of Julius.

Thanks for digging into this and for the detailed write-up in #13976. The same fix (AppStream metainfo installed at /usr/share/metainfo/ via deb.fpm, MIT license, and a real package description) just landed in #16597, which closed #13976, so I'm closing this one as superseded. If something from your version is still missing on main (for example the channel-specific <name> or the release entry), please open a follow-up issue and we can take a look.