this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2024
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What the hell is a snap?
Canonical (Ubuntu)'s attempt at a software package format. Basically Flatpak but worse.
I've been using Ubuntu for years and I literally had no idea. Admittedly, I don't deal with servers or anything, so I guess some of the stuff coming from their package respositories could be "snap" format and I wouldn't really notice.
Actually yes, this is exactly the case. And they've done it in a really shady way if you ask me (or Clem, the main guy over at Linux Mint).
I've been using Fedora on a little tablet I've got, and it uses either .rpm packages or flatpaks. The GUI package manager lets you select which repository it pulls from (either .rpm, or Flapaks can come from Flathub or their own repo, and clearly displays this). If invoked from the terminal, the DNF package manager gets you .rpms, and Flatpak gets you, well, flatpaks.
Ubuntu uses the APT package manager with .deb packages, and Snap with snap packages. But sometimes if you do an apt-get install, it installs a snap instead. That's some Microsoft level bullshit.
Snaps are containerised software packages.
They include all of the dependencies for the software to work.
In my case, I use them when what I'm looking for is not available via apt but it is via snap.
Not all. There are common dependency snaps like several different simultaneous gnome versions.
True, but they're installed automatically.
That sounds like packages but worse.