How to download Linux apps safely

Linux is hard to attack through drive-by installers, but you still want software from a source you trust. These habits keep you safe.

1. Prefer your distribution's repositories or Flathub — both build apps from source and sign them. Every app here links to its official Flathub page.
2. When a project only offers a download on its own site, get it from the official site (never a mirror you don't recognise) and prefer Flatpak or AppImage builds.
3. For an AppImage, make it executable (chmod +x App.AppImage) and run it; for a .deb/.rpm, install it with your package manager so dependencies are handled.
4. Check an app's Flatpak permissions with Flatseal if it asks for more access than it should need.

A note on scripts

Some projects suggest installing by piping a script into your shell (curl … | sh). Only do that for projects you trust, and read the script first if you can — it runs with your user's privileges.