[SOLVED] How to install software for specific users only?

[TwoFistedJustice]

I wanted to have a user account dedicated to testing new-2-me applications so that if I decide not to keep it, it won't be mucking up my main user account. So I created one, did NOT give it administrative privileges and proceeded to use it to install a couple applications I was curious about. I had to enter my main admin password to install the applications, which I did using Muon. When I logged back into my main user account, both applications were accessible. I would like to have it so that when my second user account installs software, it doesn't affect my main account.

Can I do that? and how?

Ideally, removing the second user account would also remove the software.

[claydoh]

• Flatpaks, if installed with the --user option on the command line

• Appimages

• Compiling from source and installing to a custom location that user account has access too, and is added to the user's $PATH

Another option that might possibly be of some use is firejail but it doesn't really fit all your requirements.

But the way user accounts and application data work, if you play with an application, be it Firefox, or Kdenlive, or anything else, even Plasma, all settings and changes are specific to that user.
Simply deleting the related application config files and dirs in the user /home dir resets that app to its defaults, if one does not want to 'nuke' the entire account.

If you play with Plasma themes in one account, installing different themes and adding widgets, changing wallpapers, none of that is going to muck up your main account, you won't even have the theme files in your other account(s)
If you install Kdenlive normally, and change the program's layout and default rendering settings, nothing is changed in the other account.
So you are already pretty safe using a separate account as a playground, and is a common method to keep one's normal desktop setup and application settings safe and sane. Particularly if having a go with theming.
Installing software in a user-only fashion is not really necessary, but is possible, though it will depend on the availability of something as a flatpak or appimage.

If there are any specific examples of a program messing up the user account, we can give examples what to nuke specifically so you don't have to wipe the whole playground account.

[GreyGeek]

In addition to what Claydoh mentioned, a BTRFS snapshot is another excellent way to undo something you tried and didn't like. I do this all the time. Before I install an app I want to try out I create a snapshot (@yyyymmdd_before_someapp) and then play around with it. IF I like it I'll delete the snapshot. If I don't like it I'll use the snapshot to roll back to just before I installed that app.. (BTW, this is one, and perhaps the main, reason why I merged @home into @ and need to create only one snapshot)

[TwoFistedJustice]

Thanks guys!

[jlittle]

Installing applications can have a variety of effects on a system, beyond where it's installed and who has access to it. With the debian ideal, you can enable source repositories and quickly download everything needed, build, and install to a user specific location. Packagers do it all the time. But, in practice, there's usually complications...

So, I think you are asking for lightweight containers, such as, in theory, LXC. I must give it a try. I had a brief dabble with docker and found it too heavy, with most of the downsides of using a VM.