How to Install Musescore 3.6 in Linux Mint

• May 12, 2021 - 10:11

I want to install Musescore 3.6 in Linux Mint 19.3 Cinnamon 64bit but I can't make any sense of the directions in the Handbook (it assumes I know certain things that I do not know). Due to my learning disabilities, I need simple, complete, step by step directions on how to do this. Can anyone here supply those directions or direct me to a set of them?

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• May 12, 2021 - 11:16

Never mind. I went digging around on the "interwebz" and found out about Appimage Launcher, a program that will integrate appimages into the system. Even then, I had to do a lot of digging around to find all the steps to download, install, and use it to integrate Musescore into the system. The only downside is no icon in the menu or panel.

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• Jun 1, 2021 - 19:31

Which step where I encountered difficulty? All of them.

I'm still fairly new to Linux Mint (19.3 Cinnamon 64 bit). I also have various learning disability (ADHD being the big one) so I need complete, simple, step by step directions to do anything.

Edit: More details:

I'm on a different computer now. At the time I first attempted to install the apimage, I was using my older backup computer while the computer I'm currently using was in the shop for warranty repair.

After downloading it to my Downloads folder, I went into the file's properties and enabled executing it. When I tried to run it, it would start but then freeze before fully opening up. I had to go into the System Monitor to stop the process.

After that happened a couple of times, I dragged the file from my Downloads folder to the desktop. Then it would run when I double clicked it (weird).

The next part is where I get completely confused:

"You will need to change directory (cd) to wherever the AppImage is saved in your system, for example:

cd ~/Desktop
./MuseScore*.AppImage [option...]

Or give the path to the AppImage:

~/desktop/MuseScore*.AppImage [option...]

Use the "--help" and "man" options to get more information about the available command line options:

./MuseScore*.AppImage --help   # displays a complete list of command line options
./MuseScore*.AppImage man      # displays the manual page (explains what the options do)"

I have no earthly idea what any of that means. For starters, what the heck is [option..]? I don't want the program on my Desktop; I want it out of sight like other programs are except in the Menu and the Panel.

And please don't tell me to refer to help or man pages; I've never been able to understand those.

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• Jun 2, 2021 - 13:55

So are you saying you haven't used the terminal app on your computer before? That would be something to maybe find documentation for elsewhere, as this is a feature of your computer, not of MuseScore. But once you figure out how to open the terminal app on your computer, you type the commands given and hit "Enter" (or it might be labeled "Return") on your keyboard.

The instructions are actually giving you more information that you need in case you want to do anything else special, but if you don't know what any of that means, then probably you don't want to do anything special. So you literally do the following:

  1. In the terminal window, type "cd ~/Desktop" (without the quotes).

  2. Then type "./MuseScore*.AppImage install"

Assuming you already downloaded the AppImage to your desktop, that's literally all there is to it. The rest is just explanation of other possibilities that might be appropriate for some people in some situations, and it does assume you are familiar with common Linux concepts like terminals and folders and options - those aren't anything unique to MuseScore but are common on all Linux systems. Anyhow, if you don't have any special reason to deviate from the simple normal path, then you do exactly what I wrote above and nothing more. Well, maybe one more thing - I'd recommend removing that file from your desktop when done. Then it doesn't clutter your desktop, and also, the next time you update MuseScore, you won't have two versions sitting there and causing confusion. The install process will already copy the AppImage to a different folder, so you don't need the copy on your desktop anymore.

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• Jun 2, 2021 - 19:55

Well, although I do appreciate your reply, it was also insulting and a bit arrogant.

First, I never said I had never used the terminal app before. Where did you get that idea? I use it quite frequently. Although I still consider myself to be a beginner in Linux Mint, despite having been using it as my sole daily driver for almost a year and a half, I'm not a stranger to computers. I have built my own and was eventually able to become very proficient in Win 7 (and XP before that). Did it not occur to you maybe the directions in the manual were not clear to all people? This is literally a command given in the directions:

 ./MuseScore*.AppImage [option...]

How was I (or anyone else) supposed to know that...

  [option...]

...was not part of the command? Or that adding options was not mandatory? What's obvious to you may not always be obvious to others.

I asked for complete, simple, step by step directions and explained why I needed them (and I'm sure other people as well could benefit from them). Instead, you insulted my intelligence, chewed me out for not meeting your standards of computer knowledge, then you first told me to enter and run two commands into the terminal, then add afterwards that you were assuming I had already put the appimage on the desktop. I had to read your response several times before I picked up on needing to put the appimage onto the desktop first. Would it have been too difficult for you, or someone else, to have written something like this?

  1. After downloading the Musescore appimage, move it to the desktop by using cut and paste, copy and paste, or drag and drop.
  2. In a terminal window (CTRL + ALT + t), type (or copy and paste) "cd ~/Desktop" (without the quotes), then hit ENTER (btw, I already know how to open a terminal window; I put its icon on the Panel).
  3. In the same terminal window, type (or copy and paste) "./MuseScore*.AppImage install" (without the quotes), then hit ENTER.
  4. You are done.

Giving explanations of the reasons for certain steps is good but should not be mixed in with the steps, resulting in steps that are scattered around and are not necessarily in order. Since you are an educator, I shouldn't be having to tell you any of this. One of the best best pieces of advice I ever received for writing reports over my 50 year working years came from an otherwise useless boss I overheard telling someone to, when writing a report, assume the person that will be reading the report is an idiot, a rather inelegant way of saying to never assume the recipient of the report already knows all details pertaining to the report. That advice served me well for when I wrote reports and also when I was assigned to train new employees (which was frequently).

Again, thank you for your reply. Despite my complaints, I was able to eventually get Musescore installed. You provided me with information I was unable to find elsewhere on the "Interwebz" (you have to love Bushisms).

BTW, when I performed your second step, the appimage I had put on the desktop disappeared, making your recommendation to remove it redundant. Also, when I tried putting these commands, one at a time...

./MuseScore*.AppImage --help

./MuseScore*.AppImage man

...into a terminal, I kept getting this error message:

bash: ./MuseScore*.AppImage: No such file or directory

Apparently, the writer of those directions was assuming people already knew something they may or may not have known. Or maybe the directions were just wrong in the first place?

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• Jun 2, 2021 - 20:52

Yep, seriously ;-). I'm using the AppImages years ago without any problems, but I'm curious, at which step other user struggle. Again, feel free to edit this handbook section for users, where you think, it's not clear enough and where you're you've an idea for a better explanation (the application, handbook, all that lives and grows first of all with the community/from volunteers). Serously.

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• Jun 6, 2021 - 19:51

Again, go back and read my post where I explained what was confusing.

I just love it (/sarcasm) when people tell me to do something but don't tell me how to do it. Besides, I don't know enough about MuseScore to be qualified to edit the manual. Another reason is I'm still learning how to use Mint plus I haven't a clue how a terminal command in Mint would work in another distro.

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• Jun 2, 2021 - 22:02

> "How was I (or anyone else) supposed to know that... [option...] ...was not part of the command? Or that adding options was not mandatory? What's obvious to you may not always be obvious to others."

Because that is how optional arguments to terminal commands are usually notated; this is not a MuseScore thing, but a terminal usage thing.

So don't feel insulted when we then think you don't really have experience with using the terminal, as this convention is used in pretty much any command for which you ask help using --help in it.

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• Jun 7, 2021 - 12:50

Apparently you missed where I said I never could understand man pages. The link you gave for Linux did nothing to help with my confusion on man pages; it was like reading a foreign language. I've seen others on a Mint forum admit they had trouble understanding them as well.

I do not use Mac OS so why would I encounter anything like in the second link.

I used XP and Win 7 before I became fed up with Microsoft's despicable practices and switched to Linux around a year and a half ago and never saw anything like what was in that third link.

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• Jun 7, 2021 - 12:59

No I didn't miss it; but if you for understandable reasons have avoid 90% of the resources on command line usage out there, then it might skew your image of how those command are usually notated.

That was what you were questioning; and that (and only that) is what I replied to. That style of notating command line commands is common. If you just choose to ignore that fact, then that's fine too; but don't go calling me out on a fact.

Further EDIT: "... and I've seen dozens of them... " was the part of your reply that tipped me off. dozens of examples that carefully avoid the standard way don't outweigh the millions of examples that confirm it.

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• Jun 3, 2021 - 13:38

I'm sorry, I was not trying to sound insulting. I was simply taking you at your word when you said "I have no earthly idea what any of that means", after posting some command-line instructions like "cd ~/Desktop". I assumed you literally did not know about things like the "cd" command, so I tried to start from the very beginning and explain everything as you explicitly asked me to, with "complete, simple, step by step directions". No insult intended, I was simply volunteering a considerable amount of time in an effort to help. I'm glad it did help, and I'm sorry you found that help insulting somehow.

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• Jun 6, 2021 - 20:26

Again, let emphasize again that appreciate your help and I do understand you are a volunteer here. Thank you! However you are still missing the point about the step by step directions.

Where yours missed the mark somewhat was, while rewriting the commands to not include the unneeded appended text was spot on, you added in the following body of text (by that time, my mind was shutting down because it can't handle too much input at once) that you said you were assuming I had already put the appimage on my desktop (granted, I had stated that earlier). At that point, your directions were no longer step by step because the steps were out of order. Many people would find that difficult to follow (in my case, it's because of my learning disorders).

One mistake I may have made in the directions I proposed was I said nothing about enabling executing in Permissions. I forgot I had already enabled executing in permissions in the appimage before copying it over to the desktop so I don't know if that was a necessary step before installing the appimage or not (another reason why I do not feel qualified to edit the manual).

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• Feb 5, 2023 - 16:50

Many thanks!
It was messy to install the 3.6.2 version in place of 2.x or 4.x
This way works:
0. Download the AppImage on your Desktop.
1. In the terminal window, type "cd ~/Desktop" (without the quotes).
2. Then type "./MuseScore.AppImage install"
(Pay attention to the name of the AppImage downloaded on your desktop. Here e.g. is "MuseScore.AppImage". It can be something like "MuseScore-3.6.2.548021370-x86_64.AppImage")
mlig

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• Jun 2, 2021 - 20:49

I'm not sure what you are asking here. After installing the Appimage via the Terminal, it behaves like any other Linux Mint program. It shows up, complete with icon, in the Menu and, after I added it, the Menu's Favorites. Also, it shows up on the Panel, complete with icon, after I add it there (right clicking on Musescore in the Menu gives options to add it to the Menu's Favorites and/or Panel).

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