Steps to Install Flameshot On Linux: Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Arch Linux, Fedora, RHEL, etc.

Flameshot is a popular, free, and user-friendly screenshot tool. Although it is available for almost every platform, it is most suited for Linux, as you get both a GUI and CLI version. Using Flameshot on Linux allows you to take screenshots from within the command line interface, as well as make annotations. As such, it is a very powerful yet versatile tool for those who love mouse-free operations.

Flameshot is equally user-friendly as it has a very simple interface and is easy to use. Furthermore, being an open-source project, users can check the source code or even develop the app on their own. Being a versatile tool, Flameshot offers more than simple screenshots. You can also use it to make a detailed visual instructional or for highlighting important information, with the help of various annotation tools. Thus, Flameshot is a must-have tool for any Linux user. If you want to install Flameshot on Linux, just follow the guide we have provided below.

What Is Flameshot?

As mentioned above, Flameshot is an open-source screenshot app with lots of features to make your life simpler. It is not just a simple screenshot app. You can use the provided annotation tools to make your work much easier. While using Flameshot, users can capture the entire screen or custom select a particular area with ease, that too from within the command line. It also has a user-friendly GUI. Furthermore, the app has a ton of annotation tools such as options to add text, arrows, shapes, or highlight any part of the screenshot. Thus, it can also be used as a valid visual aid for most work.

Flameshot

Features Of Flameshot

Before we move on to the installation section, let us talk about the various features of Flameshot:

Highly customizable

First, the app is highly customizable. You can change the interface color, button layout and placement, keyboard shortcuts, destination folder, and much more, simply by accessing the configuration dialog from within the CLI.

In-app screenshot editing

Next, you can take screenshots and edit them within the app. You can add objects like a text box, arrows, other shapes, borders, or even highlight particular text. There are other options as well, such as a count number, a solid color box, and so on.

Simple & intuitive

You don’t have to worry when you’re using Flameshot. The app offers a very simple and easy-to-use user interface. Furthermore, you need to simply launch the app, drag the area you want to screenshot, and make any annotations on the go, that’s it.

Upload to online platforms

You can also use Flameshot to directly upload any screenshots you have taken to websites like Imgur. Furthermore, you can copy the URL and share it anywhere you want.

Command-line interface (CLI)

Lastly, the app also offers a CLI so that you can use it without exiting the terminal. You can use the command line interface to use Flameshot as the subject of key binds.

Install Flameshot On Linux

Now, let us start with installing Flameshot on Linux. There are several methods you can choose from. These are as follows:

Method 1. Install Flameshot Using Native Repositories

This method is distro-specific, and one of the easiest ones available. All you have to do is install Flameshot using your native package managers, as it is available with most distros. However, do remember that Flameshot only maintains the official version with AUR (Arch Linux), whereas the other packages are maintained via their specific distributors.

Arch Linux

To install Flameshot on Arch Linux, follow the steps below:

Step 1. First, install the required dependency:

pacman -S cmake qt5-base

Step 2. Now, install Flameshot:

pacman --sync flameshot

Debian/Ubuntu

The same process is true for Debian or any other distro listed here:

Step 1. Start by installing the dependencies:

sudo apt install libqt5dbus5, libqt5network5, libqt5core5a, libqt5widgets5, libqt5gui5, openssl, ca-certificates

Step 2. Then, install the app:

apt install flameshot

Fedora

sudo dnf install qt5-qtbase
dnf install flameshot

RHEL/CentOS

For RHEL or CentOS (version 9) you need to first enable EPEL and then use EPEL to install Flameshot:

Step 1. First, enable the EPEL repo:

For RHEL 9

subscription-manager repos --enable codeready-builder-for-rhel-9-$(arch)-rpms && dnf install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-9.noarch.rpm

On CentOS Stream 9

dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb && dnf install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel{,-next}-release-latest-9.noarch.rpm

Step 2. Now, install Flameshot

sudo dnf install flameshot

Older Version of CentOS

If you are running an older version of CentOS, then:

Step 1. You need to first enable the EPEL repository:

sudo yum install epel-release

Step 2. Then, update the package list:

sudo yum update

Step 3. Lastly, install Flameshot:

sudo yum install flameshot

NixOS

nix-env --install --attr nixos.flameshot

OpenSUSE

zypper install flameshot

Void Linux

xbps-install flameshot

Solus

eopkg install flameshot

Method 2. Using An AppImage To Install Flameshot

This method is also favored as it can be used with literally any Linux distribution.

Step 1. First, navigate to the folder where you want to install the app:

mkdir --parents ~/Applications/Flameshot
cd ~/Applications/Flameshot

Step 2. Now, delete any older AppImage of Flameshot:

rm Flameshot-*x86_64.AppImage

Step 3. After that, download the latest Flameshot AppImage

Step 3.1- For this, you can either download the TAR file from the official website.

Step 3.2- Or, clone it from Git:

curl --remote-name \
    --remote-header-name \
    --location $(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/flameshot-org/flameshot/releases/latest \
                | grep -Po 'https://github.com/flameshot-org/flameshot/releases/download/[^}]*\.AppImage' \
                | uniq)

Step 4. Once the download is done, execute it:

chmod +x Flameshot-*.x86_64.AppImage

Step 5. Now simply run the app:

./Flameshot-*.x86_64.AppImage

Method 3. Installing Flameshot via Snap

Although Flameshot is not yet available on Snap, it will soon, and when it does, you can install it using the following commands:

Step 1. First, install Snap on your device:

sudo apt install snapd

Step 2. Then, install Flameshot via Snap.

sudo snap install flameshot

Method 4. Using Docker To Install Flameshot On Linux

Next up, you can use Docker to create a Docker File for Flameshot and then use it to run the app:

Step 1. First, install Docker on your Linux device.

For Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io

For Fedora

sudo dnf install docker

For Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S docker

Step 2. Then, start the Docker service

sudo systemctl enable --now docker

Step 3. Since Flameshot doesn’t have an official Docker image, so you’ll need to run it from a container. Thus, use X11 forwarding for graphical applications to create one.

Step 3.1- First, install the dependencies:

sudo apt-get && apt-get install -y\
    flameshot \
    libx11-xcb1 \
    libxrandr2 \
    libxinerama1 \
    libxkbcommon-x11-0 \
    libglu1-mesa \
    && apt-get clean
# Entry point to run Flameshot
CMD ["flameshot", "gui"]

Step 3.2- Now, build the Docker Image

docker build -t flameshot-docker

Step 3.3- After that, set up X11 forwarding, so the Flameshot GUI can run on your local machine.

xhost +local:docker

docker run -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix flameshot-docker

Step 4. Now, use Flameshot normally.

Method 5. Install Flameshot Using Flatpak

Step 1. Install Flatpak on your device:

For Debian/Ubuntu

sudo apt install flatpak

For CentOS/Fedora/RHEL

sudo dnf install flatpak

Step 2. Then, add the Flathub repository:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Step 3. Lastly, install Flameshot from Flathub:

flatpak install flathub org.flameshot.Flameshot

Method 6. Compile Flameshot From Source

You can also compile Flameshot from the source code. All you have to do is:

Step 1. First, install the dependencies:

On Debian/Ubuntu

apt install g++ cmake extra-cmake-modules build-essential qtbase5-dev qttools5-dev-tools qttools5-dev libqt5dbus5 libqt5network5 libqt5core5a libqt5widgets5 libqt5gui5 libqt5svg5-dev