How to extract an AppImage and add it to the Ubuntu Sidebar

In this post, we’ll guide you through extracting an AppImage and integrating it into the Ubuntu sidebar for easy access. As an example, we’ll use SavvyCAN, a CANBus reverse engineering tool.

Download the AppImage

Start by downloading the AppImage file for the application you want to install. For this guide, we’ll use the SavvyCAN-x86_64.AppImage. Once the download is complete, you’ll need to make the AppImage executable to run it. Use the following command:

chmod +x SavvyCAN-x86_64.AppImage

Resolve missing dependencies (if needed)

When you attempt to run the AppImage, you might encounter an error if a required library, such as libfuse.so.2, is missing. For example:

$ ./SavvyCAN-x86_64.AppImage

dlopen(): error loading libfuse.so.2

AppImages require FUSE to run. 
You might still be able to extract the contents of this AppImage if you run it
with the --appimage-extract option.

To resolve this, install the missing libfuse library using the following command (tested on Ubuntu 24.04):

sudo apt install libfuse2t64

After installing the library, you should be able to execute the AppImage by double-clicking it or running it from the terminal.

Extract the AppImage

For faster startup times and easier integration into the desktop environment, you can extract the AppImage. This also allows you to set it up as a regular desktop application with a sidebar shortcut.

To extract the AppImage, run the following command:

$ ./SavvyCAN-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-extract

This creates a directory named squashfs-root, which contains all the extracted files, including the AppRun file and (hopefully) the application’s icon.

Move the extracted files to a permanent location

Move the squashfs-root directory to a permanent location, such as /opt, and rename it for easier access:

sudo mv squashfs-root /opt/savvycan

Create a Desktop Entry

Many extracted AppImages include a *.desktop file, but you’ll need to verify and customize it. For SavvyCAN, here’s an example of a complete desktop entry file:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=SavvyCAN
GenericName=CANBus reverse engineering tool
Comment=Facilitates reverse engineering of canbus captures
Exec=/opt/savvycan/AppRun %F
Icon=/opt/savvycan/SavvyCAN.png
Terminal=false
Categories=Development;Electronics;IDE;
MimeType=text/x-application;
Keywords=embedded electronics;electronics;canbus;reverse engineering;
X-Desktop-File-Install-Version=0.27

Save this content as savvycan.desktop.

Install the Desktop Entry

Install the desktop entry file using the desktop-file-install command. This validates and moves the file to /usr/share/applications:

sudo desktop-file-install savvycan.desktop

After completing these steps, SavvyCAN should appear in your application list. You can also pin it to the Ubuntu sidebar for quick access.