[SOLVED] flatpak?

[biged46us]

What is flatpak and how does it compare to software manager?

[Flemur]

"Flatpak is a next-generation technology for building and distributing desktop applications on Linux
Delivery truck2" (actual copy/paste from https://flatpak.org/ "What is flatpak")

http://docs.flatpak.org/en/latest/basic-concepts.html

"Basic concepts
Flatpak can be understood through a small number of key concepts. It is useful to be familiar with these before learning about how to use Flatpak from the command line, or using it to build applications.

Runtimes
Runtimes provide the basic dependencies that are used by applications. Each application must be built against a runtime, and this runtime must be installed on a host system in order for the application to run (Flatpak can automatically install the runtime required by an application). Multiple different runtimes can be installed at the same time, including different versions of the same runtime."
Etc. , etc.

Sorry! Just having some fun with the typical, awful software documentation.

A "Flatpak" of a program, say firefox or gimp, consists of that program and some or most of the libraries it needs to run, so you don't get stuck with missing libraries or need to install more stuff.

Your first program might use lots of disk space, (IIRC, "audacity" flatpak took 800MB, almost another whole OS!). Adding more programs will use less space for each one. I think they're also "sandboxed" in some way.

"through a small number of key concepts" LOL

[biged46us]

This might help as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... DVCITRWGgs

[Flemur]

This seems to be a good write-up
https://www.ostechnix.com/linux-package ... s-flatpak/
"Linux Package Managers Compared – AppImage vs Snap vs Flatpak"

[michael louwe]

What is flatpak and how does it compare to software manager?

.
Basically, flatpak(= a Red Hat Inc-Fedora initiative) and Snap(= a Canonical Inc-Ubuntu initiative) in desktop Linux OS will most likely become like the UWP apps in M$ Store of proprietary(= closed-source) Win 8/10 and like the exclusively-configured apps in proprietary(= closed-source) Google Play Store and Apple App Store of mobile OS.

Ideologically, they are mostly a means for the company/developers to impose control over their users, ie on how they install apps/programs by default.

Remember, Red Hat and Canonical are for-profit companies = user-unfriendly wrt profit-making & cost-cutting.

[biged46us]

Thanx that is good to know. In other words stay with the Software Manager to avoid those trappings...the reason I'm moving over to Mint in the first place.

[michael louwe]

Thanx that is good to know. In other words stay with the Software Manager to avoid those trappings...the reason I'm moving over to Mint in the first place.

.
It's likely that Canonical Inc will eventually do away with Gnome Software Manager and replace it with the Snap Store in Ubuntu = LM's Software Manager will follow suit, ie be gone and left with only Snap Store. If the LM Team does not want to follow suit, they will have to abandon Ubuntu.

[biged46us]

Good grief.

[Moem]

Thanx that is good to know. In other words stay with the Software Manager to avoid those trappings...the reason I'm moving over to Mint in the first place.

Not exactly. The Software Manager offers normal and Flatpak versions of some software. In other words, look closely which version you are installing if you wish to avoid Flatpak.

As for Michael Louwe and his hobby horses... let's just say that not everyone here is as bothered as he seems to be. There is no reason to take any one member's statements as gospel unless it's Clem himself.

[michael louwe]

As for Michael Louwe and his hobby horses... let's just say that not everyone here is as bothered as he seems to be.

.

Developers at Canonical have begun committing to a new Snap Desktop Store. The first code commits were only last week, so it's not yet something for end-users to get all excited about but presumably they'll be aiming for it to be in good shape by next year's Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page= ... tore-Start - Ubuntu Has Started Work On A New Desktop Snap Store - 25 June 2019
(The github.com/ubuntu/snap-store page has now disappeared. Wonder why.)

https://itsfoss.com/snap-store/ - Brief: Ubuntu has updated its Snap Store website making it more useful for the users by adding developer verification, categories, improved search. - 16 July 2018
.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevang ... d5975d5448 - Canonical's Linux Snap Store Adds 11 Distro-Specific Installation Pages For Every App - 14 June 2019

[michael louwe]

Good grief.

Remember, last year Google Inc abandoned her inhouse-developed Ubuntu-based Goobuntu and transitioned to her new Debian-based gLinux for most of her internal operations on workstations.

Maybe Google should be selling gLinux computers instead of Chromebooks.

[Pjotr]

The Software Manager offers normal and Flatpak versions of some software. In other words, look closely which version you are installing if you wish to avoid Flatpak.

It's even possible to remove the Flatpak infrastructure completely:
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... t.html#ID6
(item 6)

Finally: there's no need for alarmist doom prophecies. In fact, those are counterproductive. For the time being, the traditional repo system is in place and doing its job as usual.

If, and I stress if, the traditional repo system would ever be abandoned in favour of Snaps and/or Flatpaks, we'll see what our options are then. It's a complete waste of time to start doing all sorts of panicky things now, just because some doomsday prophet is spawning horror prophecies (with a fitting long beard, torn clothes and a hollow booming voice, no doubt).