Getting started
Apptrope is a cross-platform desktop app that runs any R or Python web app you point it at, in a real native window. It resolves each app’s dependencies into its own isolated environment automatically, so there are no global installs and no version conflicts. This page walks you through installing Apptrope, launching it for the first time, and running your first app.
Install
Apptrope is a download-only desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Grab the installer for your platform, then run it like any other app.
| Platform | Download | How to install |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | .dmg |
Open the .dmg, then drag Apptrope into your Applications folder. |
| Windows | .msi or .exe |
Run the installer and follow the prompts. |
| Linux | .deb, .rpm, or .AppImage |
Install the .deb/.rpm with your package manager, or mark the .AppImage executable and run it directly. |
Pick the single file that matches your operating system, download it, and open it. That is the whole install.
First launch
Open Apptrope the way you open any other app on your system. When it starts, you land in the workbench: the Run bar at the top, your app Library below it, and tabs for the apps you have open.
The Apptrope workbench. The Run bar is where you paste an app source. The Library holds every app you have run.
You do not need R or Python already installed. When Apptrope needs a toolchain an app doesn’t have, it provisions one into an isolated environment for you.
Run your first app
There are two quick ways to get an app going.
Use the Run bar
- Paste an app source into the Run bar at the top of the window. It accepts:
- a local folder path to an app on your machine,
- a Git URL (GitHub, gist, GitLab, or Bitbucket), or
- a gist link.
- Press Run.
Or drag a folder in
Drag a folder from your file manager and drop it onto the Apptrope window. That seeds the Run bar with its path. Then press Run.
Either way, Apptrope figures out what kind of app it is, resolves its dependencies into an isolated environment, and opens the running app in its own tab.
What happens on first run
The first time you run an app, Apptrope resolves and locks its dependencies:
- R apps have their packages resolved and locked with
rv. - Python apps have their packages resolved with
uv. - If no system R is present, a portable R toolchain is provisioned for you.
Every app gets its own isolated environment, so nothing you run touches your global setup or another app’s versions. The first run does the resolving. Every run after that reuses the resolved environment and starts faster.
Your apps are saved automatically
Every app you run is added to the Library automatically, with no separate “save” step. From the Library you can search your apps, reopen one in a new tab, and see per-app details. You can run several apps side by side, each in its own tab with its own environment.
That’s the core loop. Paste or drop a source, press Run, and the app opens in a native window while landing in your Library for next time. From here you can explore per-app logs, environment variables, and sharing.