How do I install SwiftPrep on Linux?

This guide walks you through downloading, installing, and launching SwiftPrep on Linux.

System Requirements

• Linux distribution with glibc 2.31 or later (Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 33+, Debian 11+)
• 64-bit processor (x86_64)
• 4 GB RAM minimum (8 GB recommended)
• 500 MB available disk space
• Internet connection for license activation and AI features
• WebKit2GTK and related dependencies (see below)

Download

1. Visit the SwiftPrep website at swiftprep.app
2. Click the Download button
3. Select Linux and choose your preferred package format:
   • .AppImage for universal Linux compatibility
   • .deb for Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions
   • .rpm for Fedora/RHEL-based distributions

Installation Steps

Option A: AppImage (Universal)

The AppImage works on most Linux distributions without installation.

Step 1: Make the AppImage Executable

Navigate to your Downloads folder:

cd ~/Downloads
chmod +x SwiftPrep-*.AppImage

Step 2: Run the AppImage

Double-click the AppImage file or run from terminal:

./SwiftPrep-*.AppImage

Optional: Integrate with Desktop

For application menu integration, consider using AppImageLauncher or manually create a .desktop file.

Option B: Debian/Ubuntu (.deb Package)

Step 1: Install Dependencies

Open a terminal and install required dependencies:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 libgtk-3-0 libayatana-appindicator3-1

Step 2: Install the Package

Navigate to your Downloads folder and install:

cd ~/Downloads
sudo dpkg -i swiftprep_*.deb

If you encounter dependency errors:

sudo apt --fix-broken install

Step 3: Launch SwiftPrep

Launch from your application menu or run:

swiftprep

Option C: Fedora/RHEL (.rpm Package)

Step 1: Install Dependencies

Open a terminal and install required dependencies:

sudo dnf install -y webkit2gtk3 gtk3 libappindicator-gtk3

Step 2: Install the Package

Navigate to your Downloads folder and install:

cd ~/Downloads
sudo rpm -i swiftprep-*.rpm

Or use dnf for automatic dependency resolution:

sudo dnf install ./swiftprep-*.rpm

Step 3: Launch SwiftPrep

Launch from your application menu or run:

swiftprep

First Launch

When you first launch SwiftPrep:

1. The application will initialize its local database
2. You will be prompted to sign in or create an account
3. If you have a subscription, it will be activated automatically
4. You will see the home screen with options to create your first campaign

For details on activating your subscription, see How do I activate my SwiftPrep license?.

Data Location

SwiftPrep stores all your campaign data locally on your computer at:

To access this folder:

cd ~/.local/share/dm-swiftprep

Or open in your file manager:

xdg-open ~/.local/share/dm-swiftprep

This folder contains:

• Your campaign database
• Imported assets and images
• Application configuration
• Local cache files

Required Dependencies

SwiftPrep requires the following system libraries:

Installing All Dependencies

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install -y libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 libgtk-3-0 libayatana-appindicator3-1 librsvg2-common

Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf install -y webkit2gtk3 gtk3 libappindicator-gtk3 librsvg2

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S webkit2gtk gtk3 libappindicator-gtk3

Troubleshooting

Missing Dependencies Error

Problem: Application fails to start with errors about missing libraries.

Solution:

1. Check which library is missing from the error message

2. Install the required package using your package manager

3. For WebKit2GTK issues specifically:

   Debian/Ubuntu:

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   sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37

   Fedora:

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   sudo dnf install webkit2gtk3

Permission Denied Error

Problem: Cannot run the application due to permission issues.

Solution:

1. For AppImage, ensure the file is executable:

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   chmod +x SwiftPrep-*.AppImage

2. For installed packages, check that the binary is in your PATH:

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   which swiftprep

Application Will Not Start

Problem: SwiftPrep fails to launch or crashes immediately.

Solution:

1. Run from terminal to see error messages:

   Copy

   swiftprep

   or for AppImage:

   Copy

   ./SwiftPrep-*.AppImage

2. Check for missing dependencies in the output

3. Ensure your display server (X11 or Wayland) is running

Graphics Issues on Wayland

Problem: Visual glitches or rendering issues when using Wayland.

Solution:

Try running with X11 compatibility:

GDK_BACKEND=x11 swiftprep

Or for AppImage:

GDK_BACKEND=x11 ./SwiftPrep-*.AppImage

Sandbox/AppArmor Issues

Problem: Application blocked by AppArmor or sandbox restrictions.

Solution:

For AppImage, try with sandbox extraction disabled:

APPIMAGE_EXTRACT_AND_RUN=1 ./SwiftPrep-*.AppImage

Cannot Find Data Directory

Problem: Cannot locate campaign data or configuration files.

Solution:

SwiftPrep follows the XDG Base Directory Specification:

• Data: ~/.local/share/dm-swiftprep
• Config: ~/.config/dm-swiftprep
• Cache: ~/.cache/dm-swiftprep

If $XDG_DATA_HOME is set, data will be at $XDG_DATA_HOME/dm-swiftprep.

Related Articles

• How do I install SwiftPrep?
• How do I activate my SwiftPrep license?
• How do I create my first campaign in SwiftPrep?
• How do I fix common installation problems?