The Web-App Manager tool makes it possible to open websites as web apps with Firefox. This feature has been available to Chrome for some time, but not Firefox. With that said, how do you install and use the Linux Mint Web-App Manager on a distribution other than Linux? Let me show you. This is great for services and other sites that you might use frequently but not enough to leave as pinned tabs or bookmarks in Firefox.
Requirements
The one caveat to this tool is that it’s only available for Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions. So, you’ll need a distribution that uses the apt package management system and a user with sudo privileges. Ready to rock? I thought so.
Installing Web-App Manager
1. Add the required repository
The first thing we’ll do is add the necessary repository. Log in to your Linux desktop and open a terminal window. To add the repository, issue the command:
2. Update and install
Next, we must update the apt with: Finally, we can install the app with: Once the installation completes, you can add your first site as an app.
Adding sites as apps
1. Open the app
Locate Web-App Manager from your desktop menu. When the app opens, you’ll be greeted by a very easy-to-use interface (Figure 1).
2. Add a site
To add a site, click + and configure the site as needed in the resulting window (Figure 2). Give the new web app a name, add the URL for the website in question, change the icon (if needed), select a category, and select your browser (it’s not just available for Firefox but to all installed browsers on your system), and select if you want to include a navigation bar and/or private/incognito mode. Once you’ve configured the site, click OK to save it.
Opening sites defined by the Web-App Manager
To open one of your newly-defined sites, all you have to do is browse your desktop menu and look for the name you’ve given the site. Open the site, and you’ll see it looks like a basic desktop application (Figure 3). And that, my Linux-loving friends, is all you need to open a website as an app with a user-friendly Linux Mint tool. You’ll seriously appreciate this handy application if you’re a fan of simplicity and efficiency.
