HTML2Linux Pro v2.0.0 - Release Devlog

The Problem

If you've ever built a web application and wanted to distribute it as a native Linux executable, you know the pain. Electron is bloated (100MB+ for a simple app), manually bundling with PyInstaller requires deep knowledge of GTK and WebKit internals, and most solutions still require users to install dependencies or deal with complex setup processes.

I needed a tool that could take any HTML/CSS/JavaScript project and turn it into a proper Linux executable with desktop integration - something that feels native, not like a wrapped browser.

The Solution

HTML2Linux Pro is a complete build system for converting web applications into standalone Linux executables. Think of it as a specialized packaging tool that handles all the complexity of GTK, WebKit2, PyInstaller, and Linux desktop integration for you.

What Makes It Different

No Electron Bloat Uses the system's WebKit2GTK instead of bundling Chromium. Your 5MB web app stays 5MB, not 150MB.

Proper Linux Integration Generates .desktop files automatically, handles XDG directories correctly, supports system icons, and follows Linux conventions. Your app shows up in application menus properly.

Distribution-Aware Auto-detects Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch, Zorin OS, and derivatives. The included installer knows how to set up dependencies for your specific distro.

Multiple Output Formats Single-file executable, directory bundle, AppImage, or source distribution. Choose what works for your users.

Technical Stack

Built on proven technologies:

PyInstaller for executable packaging

PyWebView with GTK backend for rendering

CustomTkinter for the GUI

Native GTK3/WebKit2GTK (no bundled browser)

Python 3.8+ with full typing support

Key Features

Build System:

GUI with real-time progress tracking

Full CLI for automation and CI/CD

Project save/load functionality

Git version integration

Build caching for faster iterations

Output Options:

Single executable or directory bundle

UPX compression support

Resource optimization

Custom icons and branding

Version info embedding

Developer Experience:

Comprehensive error messages

Detailed build logs

Dependency validation

System requirement checking

Template projects included

Development Journey

This started as a personal tool for distributing my own HTML-based utilities. After manually fighting with PyInstaller specs for the tenth time, I decided to build something that handles all the edge cases.

The trickiest parts were:

Making GTK imports work reliably in frozen executables

Handling WebKit2GTK 4.0 vs 4.1 across distributions

Creating a dependency installer that works on all major distros

Proper icon handling (Linux doesn't embed icons like Windows)

Version 2.0 represents a complete rewrite with:

XDG Base Directory compliance

Distribution detection system

Bulletproof dependency installer with auto-debugging

AppImage support

Enhanced security validation

Real-World Use Cases

I've used this to ship:

Development tools and utilities

Data visualization dashboards

Internal company applications

Educational software

HTML5 game prototypes

Users get a native-feeling application. No browser, no visible Python, just a double-clickable executable.

Performance

Startup time: Under 1 second on modern hardware Memory footprint: 30-50MB (vs 150-300MB for Electron) Build time: 30-60 seconds for typical projects Package size: Your assets + ~15MB overhead

What's Next

Future development plans:

Flatpak packaging support

Snap package generation

.deb and .rpm builders

Cross-compilation support

Auto-updater integration

More example templates

Try It Out

The release includes:

Pre-compiled executable (no Python required)

One-line dependency installer

Complete documentation

Example projects

Installation is literally:

sudo apt-get install libgtk-3-0 libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37

chmod +x HTML2Linux-Pro

./HTML2Linux-Pro

Whether you're building tools, games, or applications, if you know HTML/CSS/JavaScript, you can now ship native Linux software without the complexity or bloat of traditional solutions.

Feedback Welcome

This is v2.0 but there's always room for improvement. Bug reports, feature requests, and success stories are all appreciated. Let me know what you build with it.

Download HTML2Linux Pro and start shipping Linux applications today.

https://id01t.itch.io/html2linux-pro