Hello Linux Geeksters. As you may know, Friends App is a simple social network aggregator, which has been created as a replacement for Gwibber. While it is already available for Nokia N9’s Harmattan and Ubuntu Touch, a while ago, it has been successfully ported to Jolla’s Sailfish OS MeeGo-based Linux systems.
In this article I will show you how to install Friends App on the first Jolla smartphone, used by default on Sailfish OS.
Installation method 1: From the GUI.
Since Friends App is available via OpenRepos.net, you can easily download the app and install it directly from the file manager.
Download Friends App
Installation method 2: In the geek way, via zypper.
Since Sailfish OS is pure openSUSE, you have to switch to developer mode, install zypper, add the repository and key, update the system and install Friends App. Like this:
# pkcon install zypper
# zypper ar -f http://sailfish.openrepos.net/Sfiet_Konstantin/personal-main.repo
# rpm --import http://sailfish.openrepos.net/openrepos.key
# zypper refresh
# zypper install harbour-friends
To uninstall friends, you have to install zypper (if you didn’t installed it already) and uninstall the app via zypper :
# pkcon install zypper
# zypper remove harbour-friends
For those who don’t know yet, Jolla is a project developed by former Nokia employees. The first Jolla smartphone is running on Sailfish OS, a modified Megoo Linux system, which is Android compatible, uses Wayland as the default display server , uses Nokia N9′s Maliit touchscreen keyboard and comes with interchangeable covers, allowing the users to easily switch them, in order to change the color/model of the phone and comes with impressive hardware specifications. Apps can be installed via the Jolla Store, which will provide both Jolla and Android apps, or via F-Droid, Yandex Store, Amazon App Store, Aptoide and 1Mobile Android Market.