feat: add experimental builds

Author: psadi

.github/workflows/ci.yaml

@@ -21,17 +21,27 @@ jobs:
       actions: read
       security-events: write
       contents: write
-    name: 👻 Build Ghostty (${{ matrix.arch }})
+    name: 👻 Build Ghostty (${{ matrix.arch }}) ${{ matrix.experimental == true && '(experimental)' || '' }}
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.runs-on }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
         include:
           - arch: aarch64
             platform: linux/arm64
             runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-arm
+            experimental: false
           - arch: x86_64
             platform: linux/amd64
             runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+            experimental: false
+          - arch: aarch64
+            platform: linux/arm64
+            runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-arm
+            experimental: true
+          - arch: x86_64
+            platform: linux/amd64
+            runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+            experimental: true
     container:
       image: ghcr.io/pkgforge-dev/archlinux:latest
     steps:
@@ -68,11 +78,13 @@ jobs:
             echo "tip" > VERSION
           fi
           ./build.sh
+        env:
+          EXPERIMENTAL: ${{ matrix.experimental }}
 
       - name: Upload AppImage Artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
-          name: ghostty-appimage-${{ matrix.arch }}
+          name: ghostty-appimage-${{ matrix.arch }}${{ matrix.experimental == true && '-experimental' || '' }}
           retention-days: 7
           path: /tmp/ghostty-build/Ghostty-*-${{ matrix.arch }}.AppImage*
 
@@ -124,6 +136,14 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: ghostty-appimage-x86_64
 
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: ghostty-appimage-aarch64-experimental
+
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: ghostty-appimage-x86_64-exprimental
+
       - name: Ghostty stable
         uses: svenstaro/upload-release-action@v2
         with:
@@ -152,6 +172,14 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: ghostty-appimage-x86_64
 
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: ghostty-appimage-aarch64-experimental
+
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: ghostty-appimage-x86_64-exprimental
+
       - name: Ghostty Tip ("Nightly")
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2.2.2
         with:

README.md

@@ -25,6 +25,21 @@ This repository provides build scripts to create a Universal AppImage for [Ghost
 1. Stable builds are based on upstream releases, with minor fixes and patches released as **version+1** tag(s).
 1. Daily nightly builds, based on the upstream [tip releases](https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty/releases/tag/tip), are built and released at **00:00 UTC every day** and are available as pre-releases in the [releases](https://github.com/pkgforge-dev/ghostty-appimage/releases/tag/tip) section.
 
+## 🧪 Experimental Builds
+
+> [!WARNING]
+>
+> Please read the following carefully before using them
+>
+> - These builds are available for both stable and daily nightly releases
+> - These builds use the experimental flag `-Dapp-runtime=glfw`
+> - They do not include bundled dependencies for Gtk and libadwaita
+> - Window decorations may not work on non-GNOME desktop environments (No CSD)
+> - Tabs and splits are not functional
+> - The terminal inspector does not work
+> - The build size is drastically reduced (around 20 MB) as 80+ dependencies are not bundled
+> - Please refer to the [**upstream warning notice**](https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty/blob/main/PACKAGING.md#build-options) for further info
+
 ## ⚙️ Installation
 
 <details>

build.sh

@@ -39,6 +39,18 @@ else
 	wget "https://release.files.ghostty.org/${GHOSTTY_VERSION}/ghostty-${GHOSTTY_VERSION}.tar.gz.minisig"
 fi
 
+if [ $EXPERIMENTAL == true ]; then
+	BUILD_ARGS="${BUILD_ARGS}  -Dapp-runtime=glfw"
+	LIBS2BUNDLE="
+    ./bin/ghostty \
+    /usr/lib/libEGL*"
+else
+	LIBS2BUNDLE="
+    ./bin/ghostty \
+    /usr/lib/libEGL* \
+    /usr/lib/gdk-pixbuf-*/*/*/*"
+fi
+
 minisign -V -m "ghostty-${GHOSTTY_VERSION}.tar.gz" -P "${PUB_KEY}" -s "ghostty-${GHOSTTY_VERSION}.tar.gz.minisig"
 
 tar -xzmf "ghostty-${GHOSTTY_VERSION}.tar.gz"
@@ -72,19 +84,19 @@ ln -s "share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/com.mitchellh.ghostty.png" .
 ln -s "share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/com.mitchellh.ghostty.png" .DirIcon
 
 # bundle all libs
-xvfb-run -a -- sharun l -p -v -e -s -k \
-	./bin/ghostty \
-	/usr/lib/libEGL* \
-	/usr/lib/gdk-pixbuf-*/*/*/*
+xvfb-run -a -- sharun l -p -v -e -s -k ${LIBS2BUNDLE}
 
 # preload libpixbufloader /w ld-preload-open as svg icons breaks
 # either on ghostty tab bar or gnome-text-editor while config edit or both :(
-mv ./shared/lib/gdk-pixbuf-2.0 ./
-cp -rv /opt/path-mapping.so ./shared/lib/
-cp -rv gdk-pixbuf-2.0/2.10.0/loaders/libpixbufloader_svg.so ./shared/lib/
+if [ $EXPERIMENTAL == false ]; then
+	mv ./shared/lib/gdk-pixbuf-2.0 ./
+	cp -rv /opt/path-mapping.so ./shared/lib/
+	cp -rv gdk-pixbuf-2.0/2.10.0/loaders/libpixbufloader_svg.so ./shared/lib/
+
+	echo 'path-mapping.so' >./.preload
+	echo 'PATH_MAPPING=/usr/lib/gdk-pixbuf-2.0:${SHARUN_DIR}/gdk-pixbuf-2.0' >>./.env
+fi
 
-echo 'path-mapping.so' >./.preload
-echo 'PATH_MAPPING=/usr/lib/gdk-pixbuf-2.0:${SHARUN_DIR}/gdk-pixbuf-2.0' >>./.env
 echo 'GHOSTTY_RESOURCES_DIR=${SHARUN_DIR}/share/ghostty' >>./.env
 echo 'unset ARGV0' >>./.env
 
@@ -97,6 +109,12 @@ if [ -z "$VERSION" ]; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
+GHOSTTY_APPIMAGE="Ghostty-${VERSION}-${ARCH}.AppImage"
+
+if [ $EXPERIMENTAL == true ]; then
+	GHOSTTY_APPIMAGE="Ghostty-Experimental-${VERSION}-${ARCH}.AppImage"
+fi
+
 cd "${TMP_DIR}"
 
 # create app image
@@ -115,7 +133,7 @@ echo "Generating AppImage"
 	--no-history --no-create-timestamp \
 	--compression zstd:level=22 -S26 -B8 \
 	--header uruntime-lite -i "${APP_DIR}" \
-	-o Ghostty-"${VERSION}"-"${ARCH}".AppImage
+	-o "${GHOSTTY_APPIMAGE}"
 
 echo "Generating Zsync file"
 zsyncmake *.AppImage -u *.AppImage