- Prev
- Next

## Chapter 1. About AppStream

## 1.1. What is AppStream?

AppStream is a cross-distro effort for building Software-Center applications. It provides specifications for things like a screenshot-service, application ratings & reviews etc. It also provides a Xapian database, storing information about all available applications in the distribution’s repositories.
All AppStream components are distro-agnostic (with exception to some metadata which is used to generate the Xapian application cache), and therefore AppStream makes it possible to build distro-agnostic application management tools.

### 1.1.1. Architecture

- PrevAppStream
- Up
- Home
- NextChapter 2. Application Metadata