PhotoCraft Linux: installation prerequisites and troubleshooting

Does PhotoCraft run on Linux?

Official releases provide Linux x86_64 and aarch64 desktop files in several formats. Availability is an upstream fact, not proof that your distribution, GPU and desktop session work. This page covers prerequisites and documented failures; the download page holds the full file list.

Check the CPU and runtime first

Choose x86_64 for 64-bit Intel / AMD, or aarch64 for ARM64. The releasing document states glibc 2.35 or newer for the main native Linux builds; the RISC-V tarball has a separate glibc 2.39 requirement. X11 / Wayland, graphics and font libraries are also runtime requirements. Flatpak supplies libraries through its freedesktop runtime and still needs a working host graphics session. Do not treat an AppImage as independent of all system libraries.

Choose a package for your distribution, including Arch

Use the official AppImage, tarball or Flatpak bundle when you do not need distribution-specific packaging. The official .deb is for Debian / Ubuntu-family package managers; .rpm is for the listed RPM distributions. For Arch, this guide points to the official portable formats or Flatpak, not an unverified AUR or third-party build. Match both the CPU and version on the download page; follow your distribution’s package instructions rather than forcing a .deb or .rpm onto Arch.

Install the official Flatpak bundle

After installing Flatpak using your distribution’s instructions, download photocraft-0.8.2-linux-x86_64.flatpak from the official release. The following example is for x86_64 and assumes the terminal is in the file’s folder; replace the filename with the actual aarch64 file for ARM64. Flatpak may offer to install the freedesktop runtime. Review that prompt. These commands follow upstream documentation and have not been executed by this site.

flatpak install --user photocraft-0.8.2-linux-x86_64.flatpak
flatpak run ai.storyteller.photocraft

If drag and drop fails on Wayland

The README documents missing native Wayland file drag and drop. Use File > Open, or copy an image in the file manager and paste with Ctrl+V. If XWayland is available and you specifically need drag and drop, the upstream Flatpak command below requests X11 instead of Wayland. It is a targeted workaround, not a fix for every launch or rendering error.

flatpak run --nosocket=wayland --socket=x11 ai.storyteller.photocraft

Understand AppImage desktop integration

According to the README, first launch registers a launcher and icon under ~/.local/share. Set PHOTOCRAFT_NO_DESKTOP_INTEGRATION=1 when launching if you want to skip that registration; see the official releasing document for the exact files and removal instructions. This is a local user-directory change, not an installer-free guarantee of no changes.

Check a small non-sensitive document

Confirm the expected version launches in your desktop session, open a non-sensitive copy, check fonts and basic editing, and save a separate output you can reopen. Record the distribution, CPU, package format, session and GPU alongside the result. A launch alone does not establish PSD compatibility or production readiness.

Stop and capture the actual failure

If the architecture is wrong, required runtime is missing, or the app crashes or renders incorrectly, stop using the working document. Keep the error text and environment details and consult the official README / releasing notes. Do not replace system glibc, disable platform protections or install an unrelated library bundle just to bypass an error. Any distribution-specific dependency change needs its own diagnosis.