To that end, there are certain websites I prefer to open as web apps. What does that mean? Simply put, the site will run in its own window (minus all of the web browser accoutrements, such as tabs, menus, and the like) and can be launched directly from your desktop menu. That might sound familiar to anyone who’s used the Chrome browser, as you can create a Shortcut to a site and have it open as its own window (Menu > More Tools > Create shortcut). Other browsers, such as Firefox, don’t include such a feature. Also: The 5 best browsers for privacy Because of that, you have to turn to a third-party piece of software that is capable of creating a web app out of any site with any browser. In Linux, that app is called Webapp Manager. This application is one of the many installed on Linux Mint, but can also be added to any Ubuntu-based distribution. Let’s get Webapp Manager installed and see how easy it is to create a web app from a site.
How to run websites as apps with ease in Linux
Requirements
The only thing you’ll need for this is a running instance of a Ubuntu-based Linux distribution and a user with sudo privileges. That’s it, let’s make some desktop magic.
Installing Web App Manager
Create your first web app
And that’s all there is to running websites as apps in Linux. If you want to separate certain sites from the standard web browser window, this is a great way to do it. sudo dpkg ~/Downloads/webapp_manager*.deb For example, say you want to create an app for Trello. For that you would type Trello for the name, https://www.trello.com for the Address, and Web as the category, then select the browser you want, and click OK. The favicon for the site you use should automatically determine the icon.
