Install Craft Anything on Linux

Install path

1. 01

   1 · Download the x86_64 AppImage

   Use the file ending in linux-x86_64.AppImage. aarch64 has its own AppImage, deb, rpm, Flatpak, and tarball. RISC-V is a tarball (and, on current releases, deb and rpm). Do not run an ARM file on an Intel PC.

2. 02

   2 · Allow it to run

   Mark the AppImage executable. From a terminal in that folder: chmod +x on the file, then start it.

3. 03

   3 · Or install a package

   Debian and Ubuntu can use the .deb. Fedora, RHEL, and openSUSE can use the .rpm. Flatpak installs with flatpak install --user and the file from the release. The .tar.gz unpacks anywhere.

4. 04

   4 · Command line from the AppImage

   Run the AppImage with --cli and a subcommand, or symlink the AppImage to the name craft-anything-cli. Example: the mcp subcommand serves tools to an MCP client.

Libraries, only if you compile

The AppImage and the distro packages are built already. The apt line in the project README — libxkbcommon, Wayland, X11, and GTK development packages — is for compiling the desktop app on Debian or Ubuntu, not for launching a release. Install those packages only when cargo is building the workspace.

Updates

The project says the AppImage can update itself with AppImageUpdate, using the .zsync file published next to it. If that tool is not installed, download the next release’s AppImage the same way you downloaded this one. Flatpak and deb or rpm updates are a new file from a later tag, not a store listing this guide controls.

This site is not official. We do not host installers. Downloads go to GitHub Releases for storytold/craft-anything. Examine only software you own or are allowed to examine.

Desktop session, not a container by default

Craft Anything expects a graphical session with the libraries the published AppImage already bundles. You do not need the Debian build-depends line to launch a release. You do need a working display, and you need execute permission on the AppImage. Wayland and X11 both appear in the project notes; if a window never appears, try the other session type only after you confirm the file is x86_64 or aarch64 as appropriate. Snap, Distrobox, and Flatpak sandboxes that hide the home Documents folder can confuse the default project path. If the app opens but cannot write a project, pick a folder you own under Settings → General.

CLI from the AppImage

The same file that opens the window also serves craft-anything-cli when you pass --cli. A symlink named craft-anything-cli pointing at the AppImage is the shortcut the project documents. doctor, mcp, and a one-shot run with --clean-room or --deep all go through that CLI. A source cargo install is optional and does not replace the AppImage for people who only want the published binary. After the CLI prints a version, continue to Setup for the agent. Linux users who also keep a Windows partition still download a separate MSI; one AppImage does not cover both operating systems.

Steam Deck and other handhelds

A Steam Deck in Desktop Mode is an x86_64 Linux PC for this install. There is no separate Deck asset. Other handheld PCs that run desktop Linux can use the same AppImage when their CPU matches. This page does not invent Gaming Mode, controller profiles, or store listings. If chmod +x fails because the download landed on a noexec mount, move the file to your home directory and try again. Keep the AppImage on a POSIX filesystem. FAT SD cards often drop the executable bit after a reboot, which looks like a broken download. For package-manager users, install the .deb or .rpm from the same tag as any CLI you already copied, then skip a second AppImage unless you want a portable copy. Flatpak --user keeps the app in your home without root. After the window opens, the Linux session is done; Setup is the next page, not another distro package.

FAQ

Permission denied on the Craft Anything AppImage?

It is not executable yet. chmod +x the file you downloaded, then run it again.

Steam Deck?

Use this x86_64 AppImage in desktop mode. See the Steam Deck page. There is no separate Deck package.

Where is the 32-bit Linux build of Craft Anything?

The published Linux files are x86_64, aarch64, and a RISC-V tarball. This guide does not describe an i686 build.

Do I need Rust to install Craft Anything on Linux?

Not for the AppImage, deb, rpm, Flatpak, or tarball. Rust is only for compiling the workspace.