VM Setup

Before we start installing Rust, GTK, or Flatpak, we need to prepare a clean development environment.

This tutorial assumes you are starting from a fresh Linux system.

The recommended approach is to use a Virtual Machine (VM).

What Is a Virtual Machine?

A Virtual Machine (VM) is a software-based computer that runs inside your real computer.

It allows you to:

Think of it as a separate computer running inside your laptop.

Using a VM ensures that:

For learning and evaluation purposes, this is extremely important.

If you already have Rust and GTK installed globally, you may skip some setup steps but using a VM is strongly recommended.

You can use any virtualization software such as:

For this tutorial, the recommended configuration is:

These values provide enough resources to build Rust projects and Flatpak packages comfortably.

Download one platform :

Install the operating system inside your VM.

During installation:

Once installation is complete, log in to your new system.

Before installing development tools, update your system:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Install essential build tools:

sudo apt install build-essential curl git pkg-config -y

Since this tutorial fetches data from an online API, verify that your system has internet access:

ping google.com

If this works, your network is configured correctly.

You may use any editor, such as:

For beginners, VS Code is often the most comfortable choice.

Example installation:

sudo snap install code --classic

install from your distribution’s package manager.