diff --git a/scripts/appImageLinter.sh b/scripts/appImageLinter.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..64186d56e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/appImageLinter.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Checks AppDir for maximum compatibility with AppImage best practices.
+# This might evolve into a more formal specification one day.
+
+set -e
+
+HERE="$(dirname "$(readlink -f "${0}")")"
+APPDIR="${1}"
+
+fatal () {
+  echo "FATAL: $1"
+  exit 1
+}
+
+warn () {
+  echo "WARNING: $1"
+}
+
+which desktop-file-validate >/dev/null
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ] ; then
+  fatal "desktop-file-validate is missing, please install it"
+fi
+
+if [ ! -e "${HERE}/excludelist" ] ; then
+  fatal "excludelist missing, please install it"
+fi
+
+if [ ! -d "${APPDIR}" ] ; then
+  fatal "${APPDIR} is no directory"
+fi
+
+if [ ! -e "${APPDIR}/AppRun" ] ; then
+  fatal "AppRun is missing in ${APPDIR}"
+fi
+
+if [ ! -e "${APPDIR}/.DirIcon" ] ; then
+  fatal ".DirIcon is missing in ${APPDIR}"
+fi
+
+DIR_ICON_MIME=$(mimetype $(readlink -f ${APPDIR}/.DirIcon) | awk '{print $2}')
+
+if [[  ! "$DIR_ICON_MIME" = "image/png"  ]] ; then
+  warn "Icon is not in PNG format. It should be so that it can be used as a thumbnail"
+fi
+
+if [ ! -x "${APPDIR}/AppRun" ] ; then
+  fatal "AppRun is not executable" // This seems to generate false alarms? https://travis-ci.org/AppImage/AppImageHub/builds/266084511#L539
+fi
+
+NUM_DESKTOP=$(ls "${APPDIR}"/*.desktop 2>/dev/null | wc -l)
+if [ ${NUM_DESKTOP} != 1 ] ; then
+  fatal "No .desktop file or multiple desktop files present"
+fi
+
+num_keys_fatal () {
+  while IFS='=' read key val
+  do
+      if [[ $key == \[*\] ]] ; then
+        # in a new section; confirm we saw the key once in [Desktop Entry]
+        if [[ "${raw_section}" == "[Desktop Entry]" ]] ; then
+          local seen_key="seen__${section}__${1}"
+          if [[ "${!seen_key}" != "1" ]] ; then
+            fatal "Key $1 is not in .desktop file exactly once in section $raw_section"
+          fi
+        fi
+        local raw_section=$key
+        local section="${key//[\[\]\- ]/_}"
+      elif [[ $key == "$1" ]] ; then
+        local seen_key="seen__${section}__${key}"
+        printf -v "$seen_key" %s "$(( $seen_key + 1 ))"
+      fi
+  done < "${APPDIR}"/*.desktop
+
+
+  # in case there is only one section
+  # check for existence of key in [Desktop Entry]
+  local seen_key="seen__${section}__${1}"
+  if [[ "${section}" == "[Desktop Entry]" && "${!seen_key}" != "1" ]] ; then
+    fatal "Key $1 is not in .desktop file exactly once in section $raw_section"
+  fi
+}
+
+desktop-file-validate "${APPDIR}"/*.desktop
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ] ; then
+  fatal "desktop-file-validate did not exit cleanly on the .desktop file"
+fi
+
+num_keys_warn () {
+  while IFS='=' read key val
+  do
+      if [[ $key == \[*\] ]] ; then
+        # in a new section; confirm we saw the key once in [Desktop Entry]
+        if [[ "${raw_section}" == "[Desktop Entry]" ]] ; then
+          local seen_key="seen__${section}__${1}"
+          if [[ "${!seen_key}" != "1" ]] ; then
+            warn "Key $1 is not in .desktop file exactly once in section $raw_section"
+          fi
+        fi
+        local raw_section=$key
+        local section="${key//[\[\]\- ]/_}"
+      elif [[ $key == "$1" ]] ; then
+        local seen_key="seen__${section}__${key}"
+        printf -v "$seen_key" %s "$(( $seen_key + 1 ))"
+      fi
+  done < "${APPDIR}"/*.desktop
+
+
+  # in case there is only one section
+  # check for existence of key in [Desktop Entry]
+  local seen_key="seen__${section}__${1}"
+  if [[ "${section}" == "[Desktop Entry]" && "${!seen_key}" != "1" ]] ; then
+    warn "Key $1 is not in .desktop file exactly once in section $raw_section"
+  fi
+}
+
+# num_keys_fatal Name # This is not a valid test since [Desktop Action ...] sections can also have Name=
+# num_keys_fatal Exec # This is not a valid test since [Desktop Action ...] sections can also have Name=
+# e.g, https://github.com/CDrummond/cantata/blob/master/cantata.desktop.cmake
+num_keys_fatal Icon
+num_keys_fatal Categories
+# num_keys_warn Comment
+
+# Find the relevant appdata.xml file;
+# according to ximion, usr/share/appdata is a legacy path replaced by usr/share/metainfo
+APPDATA=$(ls "${APPDIR}"/usr/share/metainfo/*appdata.xml 2>/dev/null | head -n 1) # TODO: Handle more than one better
+if [ -z "$APPDATA" ] ; then
+  APPDATA=$(ls "${APPDIR}"/usr/share/appdata/*appdata.xml 2>/dev/null | head -n 1) # TODO: Handle more than one better
+fi
+if [ -z "$APPDATA" ] ; then
+  warn 'No appdata file present. Please provide one in the AppImage as per the instructions on https://www.freedesktop.org/software/appstream/docs/chap-Quickstart.html#sect-Quickstart-DesktopApps'
+else
+  if [ ! -z $(which appstreamcli) ] ; then
+    appstreamcli validate-tree "${APPDIR}"
+  else
+    echo "Skipping AppStream validation since appstreamcli is not on the \$PATH"
+  fi
+fi
+
+
+BLACKLISTED_FILES=$(cat "${HERE}/excludelist" | sed '/^\s*$/d ; /^#.*$/d ; s/\s*#.*$//')
+for FILE in $BLACKLISTED_FILES ; do
+  if [ ! -z $(find "${APPDIR}" -name $FILE) ] ; then
+    warn "Blacklisted file $FILE found"
+  fi
+done
+
+echo "Lint found no fatal issues"
+exit 0
+
diff --git a/scripts/appimageBuild.sh b/scripts/appimageBuild.sh
index 34cfe0235..da80ff212 100755
--- a/scripts/appimageBuild.sh
+++ b/scripts/appimageBuild.sh
@@ -26,27 +26,11 @@ if [ -d $LINUXAPP ]; then
 	if [ -d $APPIMAGE_SKEL_DIR ]; then
 		if [ -n "${ICESTUDIO_BUILD_ID}" ]; then
 			echo "${BLUE}Populating appimage skeleton${NC}"
-			cp -r ${APPIMAGE_SKEL_DIR} ${DISTDIR}
-			sync
-			echo "!-----------"
-			ls
-			echo "!-----------"
+			rsync -aH ${APPIMAGE_SKEL_DIR} ${DISTDIR}
 			if [ -n "${BUILDDIR}" ]; then
-				ls ${LINUXAPP}
-	
-				echo "!-----------"
-				ls -ld  ${BUILDDIR}
-	
-				echo "!-----------"
-				ls -ld "${BUILDDIR}/usr/bin"
 
-				rsync -avH "${LINUXAPP}"/* "${BUILDDIR}"/usr/bin/
-				pwd
-				echo "?-------------"
-				ls
-				sync
+				rsync -aH  "${LINUXAPP}"/* "${BUILDDIR}"/usr/bin/
 				perl -pi -e  's/\{\{icestudioBuildId\}\}/$ENV{"ICESTUDIO_BUILD_ID"}/g' "${BUILDDIR}"/Icestudio.desktop
-				sync
 				cd $DISTDIR
 		
 				echo "${BLUE}Downloading appimage tool${NC}"