large updates lately

[bluecoat58]

What is going on with these LARGE updates. Over 4gig this evening. That's crazy! The ISO isn't that big. It's Freedesktop Platform org.gnome.Platform, and KDE Application Platform. Have to tell that this flatpak junk isn't working. And, after that update there's 2 more! Both flatpaks and the same dl's again!!!??? What the heck? You dev's need to switch over to DEB or Arch. I never get this happening on Arch.

[denonom]

It's Freedesktop Platform org.gnome.Platform, and KDE Application Platform.

So we are talking about Flatpak packages, right? In terms of platform packages, usually just a fraction of the displayed size is downloaded to your computer. However, this "fraction" still could mean 1 GB or more.

Have to tell that this flatpak junk isn't working.

Then don't use it. For many others it seems to work fine - despite the larger space it uses on storage.

You dev's need to switch over to DEB or Arch. I never get this happening on Arch.

Ubuntu's package system is based on deb, so there is that. And since Flatpak is a platform-independent package system, it doesn't have anything to do which platform is used.

Is there a special need for Flatpak programs that is otherwise not satisfied with different options (official repository, PPA, deb package, AppImage, install script)?

I am asking this since I indeed don't use Flatpak, but still getting everything I want with other options.

Besides all this, your question is better suited for the Flathub forum, because Mint does not control how Flatpak updates from Flathub are conducted.

[Cosmo.]

You dev's need to switch over to DEB or Arch.

The same person:

Ubuntu is based on Debian. Which means that Mint is based on Ubuntu, which is based on Debian. Linux Mint is nothing more than a watered down Deb distro. ... We all know why the Mint team has released a Deb install, don't we?

What now?

[cfb]

I never get this happening on Arch.

If you had installed the same flatpaks on your Arch system, you would have seen exactly the same thing.

[Midnight True]

I never get this happening on Arch.

If you had installed the same flatpaks on your Arch system, you would have seen exactly the same thing.

Agreed. Moreover, OP is in arch which had the latest app support and AUR, why then use flatpak in arch?

[bluecoat58]

I never get this happening on Arch.

If you had installed the same flatpaks on your Arch system, you would have seen exactly the same thing.

I've never HAD to use a flatpak on Arch OR Deb. The rare package that isn't available, is almost always on the AUR. Arch doesn't use flatpaks for the DE environments.

[bluecoat58]

You dev's need to switch over to DEB or Arch.

The same person:

Ubuntu is based on Debian. Which means that Mint is based on Ubuntu, which is based on Debian. Linux Mint is nothing more than a watered down Deb distro. ... We all know why the Mint team has released a Deb install, don't we?

What now?

Yes, I'm aware of that ...and I'm waiting for the Mint team to go totally over to DEB. The Linux Mint team gives one of the best initial Desktop experiences in the industry. A mostly silky smooth ride, which I recommend to most starting out in Linux. However, today again it was a 1/2 Gig download for the desktop-flatpak updates. Personally find myself getting more and more from github and compiliing it.

[xenopeek]

[some unfriendly posts removed]

The default install of Linux Mint doesn't have flatpak apps installed. You can install flatpaks through Software Manager. Perhaps you did so without paying attention to where the app would be installed from. You can see with flatpak list --app which flatpak apps you installed. You can uninstall them if you want and install those apps through some other means (maybe there's a PPA, a .deb download, an AppImage or else as you suggest compile it from source).

flatpak uses delta updates and deduplication. That is, only new and changed files are downloaded and if the same file is in multiple flatpaks it is stored on disk only once. For the download size of updates flatpak basically gives a "worst case", not knowing beforehand how large the delta is precisely or how much can be deduplicated. Update Manager shows the size as reported by flatpak which in practice is too large and the downloads are usually much smaller. The Linux Mint developers are aware this causes some confusion among users and the wording in Update Manager will get some changes.

If you manually run flatpak update you can see the actual download size as the updates are downloaded. I did just that; of the estimated download size less than 8% actually needed to be downloaded.

[SMG]

However, today again it was a 1/2 Gig download for the desktop-flatpak updates.

What are you calling a "desktop-flatpak"?

As already indicated, Linux Mint does not use flatpaks for its desktops. You have the option to add more applications using flatpak, but that is an option you choose.

What can happen as a result of that choice is you may install an application which natively uses a different theme than the one you selected for your desktop. Flatpak will pull in a desktop theme flatpak to match the app's theme to your desktop theme, but that is done only because you installed the flatpak.

[Florian]

...

As already indicated, Linux Mint does not use flatpaks for its desktops. You have the option to add more applications using flatpak, but that is an option you choose.
...

Given the integration of flathub right into the software manager, I highly doubt this would be a conscious decision for the majority of flatpak installs. It's very easy to miss whether or not something comes from flathub, and sometimes the flathub application is the only one with a proper icon displayed, nudging the user into selecting that option.

I've seen many a user hopping in from a different distro failing to see this.

[SMG]

Moderator note: easyt50's question can now be found here Is there a way to remove getting the flatpak updates?. Please do not add new questions to someone else's topic; create your own topic.