fdroidcl

F-Droid desktop client. Requires Go 1.19 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
list (categories/users)  List all known values of a kind
repo                     Manage repositories
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

Config

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

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

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>

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.