Flatpak as extension-building platform

[Tristan Croll]

The following bug report has been submitted:
Platform:        Linux-6.8.0-40-generic-x86_64-with-glibc2.35
ChimeraX Version: 1.9.dev202409092337 (2024-09-09 23:37:56 UTC)
Description
Question (or possible RFE) regarding the new flatpak ChimeraX distributions: does this (or is it theoretically possible for it to) contain the compiler toolchain you use to build ChimeraX distributions? If it did, it would significantly lower the barrier to third-party bundle developments that include any compiled code. At the moment I'm doing Linux builds in a CentOS 8 Singularity container that needs to be rebuilt every time I update to a new ChimeraX version or daily build. Not incredibly arduous once I got it worked out, but took a fair bit of learning to get there in the first place.

OpenGL version: 3.3.0 NVIDIA 535.183.06
OpenGL renderer: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070/PCIe/SSE2
OpenGL vendor: NVIDIA Corporation

Python: 3.11.4
Locale: en_GB.UTF-8
Qt version: PyQt6 6.7.1, Qt 6.7.1
Qt runtime version: 6.7.2
Qt platform: xcb

XDG_SESSION_TYPE=x11
DESKTOP_SESSION=ubuntu
XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP=ubuntu
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=ubuntu:GNOME
DISPLAY=:1
Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
Model: XPS 8950
OS: Ubuntu 22.04
Architecture: 64bit ELF
Virtual Machine: none
CPU: 20 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700
Cache Size: 25600 KB
Memory:
	               total        used        free      shared  buff/cache   available
	Mem:            31Gi       7.2Gi       287Mi       771Mi        23Gi        22Gi
	Swap:          2.0Gi       1.0Mi       2.0Gi

Graphics:
	0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GA104 [GeForce RTX 3070 Lite Hash Rate] [10de:2488] (rev a1)	
	Subsystem: Dell GA104 [GeForce RTX 3070 Lite Hash Rate] [1028:c903]	
	Kernel driver in use: nvidia

Installed Packages:
    alabaster: 1.0.0
    appdirs: 1.4.4
    asttokens: 2.4.1
    babel: 2.16.0
    beautifulsoup4: 4.12.3
    blockdiag: 3.0.0
    blosc2: 2.7.1
    build: 1.2.1
    certifi: 2024.8.30
    cftime: 1.6.4
    charset-normalizer: 3.3.2
    ChimeraX-AddCharge: 1.5.17
    ChimeraX-AddH: 2.2.6
    ChimeraX-AlignmentAlgorithms: 2.0.2
    ChimeraX-AlignmentHdrs: 3.5
    ChimeraX-AlignmentMatrices: 2.1
    ChimeraX-Alignments: 2.14
    ChimeraX-AlphaFold: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-AltlocExplorer: 1.1.1
    ChimeraX-AmberInfo: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Arrays: 1.1
    ChimeraX-Atomic: 1.58.7
    ChimeraX-AtomicLibrary: 14.1.6
    ChimeraX-AtomSearch: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-AxesPlanes: 2.4
    ChimeraX-BasicActions: 1.1.2
    ChimeraX-BILD: 1.0
    ChimeraX-BlastProtein: 2.4.7
    ChimeraX-BondRot: 2.0.4
    ChimeraX-BugReporter: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-BuildStructure: 2.13
    ChimeraX-Bumps: 1.0
    ChimeraX-BundleBuilder: 1.3.4
    ChimeraX-ButtonPanel: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-CageBuilder: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-CellPack: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Centroids: 1.4
    ChimeraX-ChangeChains: 1.1
    ChimeraX-CheckWaters: 1.4
    ChimeraX-ChemGroup: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-Clashes: 2.3
    ChimeraX-ColorActions: 1.0.5
    ChimeraX-ColorGlobe: 1.0
    ChimeraX-ColorKey: 1.5.6
    ChimeraX-CommandLine: 1.2.5
    ChimeraX-ConnectStructure: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-Contacts: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Core: 1.9.dev202409092337
    ChimeraX-CoreFormats: 1.2
    ChimeraX-coulombic: 1.4.4
    ChimeraX-Crosslinks: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Crystal: 1.0
    ChimeraX-CrystalContacts: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-DataFormats: 1.2.3
    ChimeraX-DeepMutationalScan: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Dicom: 1.2.4
    ChimeraX-DiffPlot: 1.0
    ChimeraX-DistMonitor: 1.4.2
    ChimeraX-DockPrep: 1.1.3
    ChimeraX-Dssp: 2.0
    ChimeraX-EMDB-SFF: 1.0
    ChimeraX-ESMFold: 1.0
    ChimeraX-FileHistory: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Foldseek: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-FunctionKey: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Geometry: 1.3
    ChimeraX-gltf: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Graphics: 1.4.1
    ChimeraX-Hbonds: 2.5
    ChimeraX-Help: 1.3
    ChimeraX-HKCage: 1.3
    ChimeraX-IHM: 1.1
    ChimeraX-ImageFormats: 1.2
    ChimeraX-IMOD: 1.0
    ChimeraX-IO: 1.0.3
    ChimeraX-ItemsInspection: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-IUPAC: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Label: 1.1.11
    ChimeraX-LinuxSupport: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-ListInfo: 1.2.2
    ChimeraX-Log: 1.2
    ChimeraX-LookingGlass: 1.1
    ChimeraX-Maestro: 1.9.1
    ChimeraX-Map: 1.3
    ChimeraX-MapData: 2.0
    ChimeraX-MapEraser: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-MapFilter: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-MapFit: 2.0
    ChimeraX-MapSeries: 2.1.1
    ChimeraX-Markers: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Mask: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-MatchMaker: 2.1.6
    ChimeraX-MCopy: 1.0
    ChimeraX-MDcrds: 2.7.1
    ChimeraX-MedicalToolbar: 1.1
    ChimeraX-Meeting: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-MLP: 1.1.1
    ChimeraX-mmCIF: 2.14.2
    ChimeraX-MMTF: 2.2
    ChimeraX-Modeller: 1.5.17
    ChimeraX-ModelPanel: 1.5
    ChimeraX-ModelSeries: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Mol2: 2.0.3
    ChimeraX-Mole: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Morph: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-MouseModes: 1.2
    ChimeraX-Movie: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Neuron: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Nifti: 1.2
    ChimeraX-NMRSTAR: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-NRRD: 1.2
    ChimeraX-Nucleotides: 2.0.3
    ChimeraX-OpenCommand: 1.13.5
    ChimeraX-OrthoPick: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-PDB: 2.7.6
    ChimeraX-PDBBio: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-PDBLibrary: 1.0.4
    ChimeraX-PDBMatrices: 1.0
    ChimeraX-PickBlobs: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Positions: 1.0
    ChimeraX-PresetMgr: 1.1.2
    ChimeraX-PubChem: 2.2
    ChimeraX-ReadPbonds: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Registration: 1.1.2
    ChimeraX-RemoteControl: 1.0
    ChimeraX-RenderByAttr: 1.5
    ChimeraX-RenumberResidues: 1.1
    ChimeraX-ResidueFit: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-RestServer: 1.3
    ChimeraX-RNALayout: 1.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibMgr: 4.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibsDunbrack: 2.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibsDynameomics: 2.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibsRichardson: 2.0
    ChimeraX-SaveCommand: 1.5.1
    ChimeraX-SchemeMgr: 1.0
    ChimeraX-SDF: 2.0.2
    ChimeraX-Segger: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Segment: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Segmentations: 3.2.0
    ChimeraX-SelInspector: 1.0
    ChimeraX-SeqView: 2.13
    ChimeraX-Shape: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Shell: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Shortcuts: 1.2.0
    ChimeraX-ShowSequences: 1.0.3
    ChimeraX-SideView: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Smiles: 2.1.2
    ChimeraX-SmoothLines: 1.0
    ChimeraX-SpaceNavigator: 1.0
    ChimeraX-StdCommands: 1.18.1
    ChimeraX-STL: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Storm: 1.0
    ChimeraX-StructMeasure: 1.2.1
    ChimeraX-Struts: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Surface: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-SwapAA: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-SwapRes: 2.5
    ChimeraX-TapeMeasure: 1.0
    ChimeraX-TaskManager: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Test: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Toolbar: 1.2.3
    ChimeraX-ToolshedUtils: 1.2.4
    ChimeraX-Topography: 1.0
    ChimeraX-ToQuest: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Tug: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-UI: 1.40.1
    ChimeraX-uniprot: 2.3.1
    ChimeraX-UnitCell: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-ViewDockX: 1.4.4
    ChimeraX-VIPERdb: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Vive: 1.1
    ChimeraX-VolumeMenu: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-vrml: 1.0
    ChimeraX-VTK: 1.0
    ChimeraX-WavefrontOBJ: 1.0
    ChimeraX-WebCam: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-WebServices: 1.1.4
    ChimeraX-Zone: 1.0.1
    colorama: 0.4.6
    comm: 0.2.2
    contourpy: 1.3.0
    cxservices: 1.2.3
    cycler: 0.12.1
    Cython: 3.0.10
    debugpy: 1.8.5
    decorator: 5.1.1
    distro: 1.9.0
    docutils: 0.21.2
    executing: 2.1.0
    filelock: 3.15.4
    fonttools: 4.53.1
    funcparserlib: 2.0.0a0
    glfw: 2.7.0
    grako: 3.16.5
    h5py: 3.11.0
    html2text: 2024.2.26
    idna: 3.8
    ihm: 1.3
    imagecodecs: 2024.6.1
    imagesize: 1.4.1
    ipykernel: 6.29.5
    ipython: 8.26.0
    ipywidgets: 8.1.5
    jedi: 0.19.1
    Jinja2: 3.1.4
    jupyter_client: 8.6.2
    jupyter_core: 5.7.2
    jupyterlab_widgets: 3.0.13
    kiwisolver: 1.4.7
    line_profiler: 4.1.3
    lxml: 5.2.2
    lz4: 4.3.3
    MarkupSafe: 2.1.5
    matplotlib: 3.9.2
    matplotlib-inline: 0.1.7
    msgpack: 1.0.8
    ndindex: 1.8
    nest-asyncio: 1.6.0
    netCDF4: 1.6.5
    networkx: 3.3
    nibabel: 5.2.0
    nptyping: 2.5.0
    numexpr: 2.10.1
    numpy: 1.26.4
    OpenMM: 8.1.1
    openmm-cuda: 8.1.1.11.8
    openvr: 1.26.701
    packaging: 23.2
    ParmEd: 4.2.2
    parso: 0.8.4
    pep517: 0.13.1
    pexpect: 4.9.0
    pillow: 10.4.0
    pip: 24.2
    pkginfo: 1.11.1
    platformdirs: 4.3.2
    prompt_toolkit: 3.0.47
    psutil: 6.0.0
    ptyprocess: 0.7.0
    pure_eval: 0.2.3
    py-cpuinfo: 9.0.0
    pycollada: 0.8
    pydicom: 2.4.4
    Pygments: 2.18.0
    pynmrstar: 3.3.4
    pynrrd: 1.0.0
    PyOpenGL: 3.1.7
    PyOpenGL-accelerate: 3.1.7
    pyopenxr: 1.0.3401
    pyparsing: 3.1.4
    pyproject_hooks: 1.1.0
    PyQt6-commercial: 6.7.1
    PyQt6-Qt6: 6.7.2
    PyQt6-WebEngine-commercial: 6.7.0
    PyQt6-WebEngine-Qt6: 6.7.2
    PyQt6-WebEngineSubwheel-Qt6: 6.7.2
    PyQt6_sip: 13.8.0
    python-dateutil: 2.9.0.post0
    pytz: 2024.1
    pyzmq: 26.2.0
    qtconsole: 5.5.2
    QtPy: 2.4.1
    qtshim: 1.0
    RandomWords: 0.4.0
    requests: 2.32.3
    scipy: 1.14.0
    setuptools: 72.1.0
    sfftk-rw: 0.8.1
    six: 1.16.0
    snowballstemmer: 2.2.0
    sortedcontainers: 2.4.0
    soupsieve: 2.6
    Sphinx: 8.0.2
    sphinx-autodoc-typehints: 2.2.3
    sphinxcontrib-applehelp: 2.0.0
    sphinxcontrib-blockdiag: 3.0.0
    sphinxcontrib-devhelp: 2.0.0
    sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp: 2.1.0
    sphinxcontrib-jsmath: 1.0.1
    sphinxcontrib-qthelp: 2.0.0
    sphinxcontrib-serializinghtml: 2.0.0
    stack-data: 0.6.3
    superqt: 0.6.3
    tables: 3.10.1
    tcia_utils: 1.5.1
    tifffile: 2024.7.24
    tinyarray: 1.2.4
    tornado: 6.4.1
    traitlets: 5.14.3
    typing_extensions: 4.12.2
    tzdata: 2024.1
    urllib3: 2.2.2
    wcwidth: 0.2.13
    webcolors: 24.6.0
    wheel: 0.43.0
    wheel-filename: 1.4.1
    widgetsnbextension: 4.0.13