Ubuntu 20.04 It is just around the corner. Within a week we will be able to officially start enjoying Linux 5.4 and the new versions of GNOME and Yaru, but not all the changes have been so clear. There is one that has been under discussion for about two months and that is that Ubuntu Software is going to be replaced by the Snap Store. If you use the Focal Fossa Daily Build, all your alarms will go off, but there is nothing to worry about.
Users were confused. In fact, my doubts are still not 100% dispelled, partly because the Ubuntu 20.04 instance that I have installed is the Daily Build in VirtualBox. A few moments ago I remembered the change of store type, so I have been willing to see it with my own eyes and I have started to worry: the only thing that appears are Snap packages; do not appears software from official repositories appeared. For that reason I have gotten into the official forums to finish calming down and explain a little what will happen from next week.
Ubuntu 20.04 abandons Ubuntu Software
Yes. The store that will be in Ubuntu 20.04 will cease to be Ubuntu Software to use the Snap Store. The new store is a Snap package and from it we can access all the Snap packages of snapcraft.io, but that's just a beginning that we could already enjoy in Ubuntu Software. So what is motivating and what does this change mean? The answer is simple: move on. Promote the use of Snap packages, which will improve these types of packages and their security, since the updates will be automatic and will take place in the background.
In the Ubuntu forum there were many doubts, but the most important is what would happen to the APT repositories. The answer to this question is nothing ... if you use Ubuntu. That is, in Ubuntu, the Snap Store will continue to be compatible with APT repositories, but the same store will only be able to access snapcraft.io in other distributions. The reason is that we want to respect the installation system of each distribution, so it is no longer worth manually installing the Ubuntu store in other distributions if we want to manage all kinds of packages from it.
Compatibility is complete with fwupd packages, so the Snap Store in Ubuntu will help us to install practically anything. But we remember: this will not be the case in other distributions, such as a Kubuntu that uses a Discover which, for me, is a better option.
A motivation to improve Snap packages
On the other hand, the Canonical team also wants boost the use of Snap packages. Some of the packages that will be included in Ubuntu 20.04 will be used in the Snap version. In addition, all that we have installed will be updated, finally, in the background, as we were promised now just 4 years ago. It is also intended to motivate developers to deliver their updates sooner, something that will improve security because they will go directly from the developer to the team where a software is updated.
According to Alan Pope, Firefox, Chrome or LibreOffice are the type of software that they intend to improve: they are developed by companies that launch security updates as soon as they are ready. If they have to go through Canonical's filters, it can take two days for security updates to arrive, which can take forever, especially on security flaws that they already know are being exploited. In any case, except surprise because in the Daily Build they remain the same, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa will continue to include the APT versions of Firefox and LibreOffice by default.
Part of the motivation will be achieved hiding certain software. For example, the Snap Store no longer offers two versions of a software as before. If we look for Firefox or Thunderbird, what appears, at least currently, is the version of snapcraft.io, but the APT does not appear as installed or as an option to install it. So it's easy to think that they want us to install the Snap package whenever possible.
Controversial movement?
Although in the Ubuntu forum it seems that everyone ends up satisfied with Canonical's explanations, I am not so calm. The changes scare me a little and we still have to wait to see if everything works according to their plans. If everything goes as it should, we will soon start enjoying the Snap packs as it should have been from the beginning. What do you think of this change?
Thank goodness I happened to be gnome.
I think it will be a serious error and if Ubuntu goes to SNAP then it should stop using Debian as a base, Ubuntu wants to shake everything but it is doing it wrong. Although I am using Ubuntu base, I stick with KDE Neon and I have Debian for backup.
Over there I read that snap applications are much slower and heavier. Is it true or is it a hoax?
Flatpak is faster and simpler.
It would be very good if we stop philosophizing about software packages and make life easier for the user, that installing a software is not a headache seeing what type of package it is, it is what Microsoft achieved a couple of clicks and the soft walking (beyond what is installed, that is to make life easier for the user)
Personally, if it is an apt, a flatpak, a snap, a .deb, it doesn't make me much of a problem, but when new to Linux, it drives it away.
It is a matter of making life simple for users, a situation that MS achieved, like it or not.
However, the forums debate philosophy about Linux. And so we are.
More and more distributions and more distributions.
Hello,
From my general point of view, not only for you, Ubuntu users these last 2 years already distrust the quality of the Snap packages from the store, so what to say, users of other linux distros there have access to snapcraft but discard it. I recommend that you investigate the confinement methods that Snapcraft imposes on app developers, most of them refer to packaging their apps at the strict (basic) level of confinement, that's why sometimes their apps don't even run on Ubuntu, on the other distros never. This method asks you to package together with your apps those technical dependencies for a standard linux system, a system that every time it is updated for security reasons does not correspond to the stable base system that the developer considered when packaging his app for Snap. Confinement methods to optimize your apps to progressive systems .. but they don't .. take more time .. this makes installing snap not work on all Linux systems. https://snapcraft.io/docs/reference/confinement
The ubuntu boss is a stubborn ... he doesn't recognize his own mistakes and loses users due to stubbornness. It already happened with Unity and now it will happen again with Snap. You should focus on Flatpak which is really good and easy to manage, and not Snap with its a thousand virtual drives and insulting wait times to open an app. And above with very little compatibility ... for example install gimp in snap and try to add custom brushes ... a kaos ... however with flatpak as simple as always.
Mark, that you did very well with Ubuntu, but a little humility would not hurt you, that you are driving away both users and developers with your arrogance of trying to impose any idea you have as if it were the best.
You wanted to impose Unity on me and from 14.04 I switched to Mint and I am still there, for stubborn Mark.
It is the reason why I left Ubuntu, I do not like at all the idea that they force me to use these snap packages, that the truth are the worst and on top of it slow. Why reinvent the wheel. Having so many packages, why not improve them? I hope the flavors do not adapt it and the other distros do the same. Luckily there are endless distros and I moved to Debian Plasma and wow, wonderful.
When the snap packages started popping up, and seeing that a couple of sites, like yours, were cheerfully showing it off, I started using them.
Before long, Ubuntu's boot began to slow down until it took 7 (yes, seven) minutes from when I gave the order to GRUB to start up with Ubuntu, until the first Ubuntu screen appeared.
I consulted and a person reviewed the machine for me, running a couple of commands (which I made the mistake of not writing down) and showed me the log of what happened at startup. Everything was going well until a line after another of snap software began to appear, with time indicating that it was all that was making my machine so slow.
I uninstalled everything I was able to uninstall from snap and reinstalled all of that with apt or the downloaded .deb file. I only left some programs that only had a snap version.
Now my machine takes less time, but I never managed to make it take as long as it took before knowing the snap. And every time I want to install something new from the store, and the same program appears more than once, I choose the version that is NOT snap.
If anyone knows what command / s to run to see the boot log again, I will appreciate it.
It is a problem that still persists, a month ago more or less I had two or three snap applications and yes, they delayed the botteo until the login screen was disastrous I had to delete snapd and everything related to snap yes, I had to do a clean installation KDE Neon because it was the shit I preferred the healthiest.
Claudio to see the boot log uses the dmesg command.
Well dmesg is related to drivers, I think the one you want is "journalctl -d"
Well, precisely the implementation through the nose of Snap and it was one of the reasons that made me migrate to Manjaro recently.
I do not know if it is my PC that is not of the latest generation or who knows, but a package installed by APT starts faster than a Snap. And I have tried a lot of packages, some are more noticeable than others (mediainfo-gui, Spotify ...)
More and more happy to have returned to the source: Debian. In my case, Debian Cinnamon in one and Debian Mate in another. My son has Ubuntu Mate on his. If all the flavors decide to implement Snap, then they will lose another user. Anyway.
It is the great unknown that you raise about the other flavors, so far Ubuntu would only be Ubuntu SNAP the rest should not follow that line because it would sink slowly and painfully, I at least do not recommend ubuntu long enough for anything to start in the user relationship (new) -GNU / Linux before it was for GNOME now it will be Gnome and Snap my excuses.
hi Sudaca Renegau, I wanted to ask you, I have a dell inspiron 1520 with ubuntu mate 18.04 and I am delighted. Debian Mate what do you recommend is similar to install? I am very new and I don't know if my laptop allows it and how to install it, thanks!