The Linux Crash Course - What are "snap" Packages?

[@andynl6443]

No to Canonical Snap bcs proprietary backend. Yes to Flatpak bcs the free open source Linux way forward.

[@d3stinYwOw]

That's the only thing 'against' snaps, but to be honest - they complied when launchpad was proprietary, and nobody now cares. They've learned that lesson. Additionally, their scope is different from flatpak. :)

[@DavidEsotica]

I'm running a couple snaps on my server. It works perfectly fine. It's how Canonical goes about it behind the scenes especially on the desktop that's so annoying.

[@bertnijhof5413]

You don't have to type the sudo command, it is taken care of the snap command, it will also prompt for the password. You missed the very important "snap revert" function, to rollback a bugged snap in a second or so :) It will block that version of the snap for updates.

[@sussusamogus7831]

Thank you so much for this series Jay, I've watched and made notes on every single video of it, it really helped me

[@mcury85]

27 minutes passed so fast.. thanks jay, we appreciate the good work.

[@mohammedalhabib4867]

Jay, as you may know many organizations run Ubuntu in their industrial IoT devices. Snaps play a huge role in Ubuntu core and IoT devices. Hence, due to Canonical's commitment to provide full support, including packages, and security patches to their customers, snap packages are here to stay. That's one of the main reasons Canonical must continue to use snaps.

[@esra_erimez]

This is the video I've been waiting for. Well done & thank you.

[@CraftGodsOfficial]

Thank you jay you have been amazing in sharing your wealth of knowledge.. get some rest this weekend...do a hot towel steam & rest those eyes bro ...dont forget about you..#recharge🙌🏽♌💗

[@patrickvanreeth7355]

Automatic updates are one of the reasons why I switched from Windows to Linux ... If for some reason I need to install snap, the updates would be held back for a few days at least (let the early adopters test them first) BIG thanks for suggesting that option !

[@burgermeister7244]

I agree completely. My main problem with Windows since 2015 is the way Microsoft forces updates down your throat. One of the neatest things about Linux is that I update when (and only if) I want to. I think that's the main thing people hate on snaps/Ubuntu for.

[@michaelwright2986]

I use Flatpaks, and the virtue (mostly it's a virtue) of getting a more recent version is attractive. My understanding was that a rational cause of objection to Snaps was that they were slower to start than a regular package--at least on the first running. Is that true? If it is, does it still hold? Universal packages are obviously incompatible with the Unix philosophy of building everything up from small components; but since I just want a system better than Windows and Mac OS, I don't care if Microsoft Word would come in a universal package. But I can see it would be important for some people. The question of Canonical taking things in a proprietary direction at first looks a bit over excited: but when we see what Red Hat is doing, maybe it's a reasonable fear that predatory late-stage capitalism will get its teeth into Linux.

[@advaitc2554]

"predatory late stage capitalism" I love it, perfect description of what's going on. 😊

[@FeelMetalMan]

there's no such thing as predatory late stage capitalism, in opposition to non-predatory early capitalism. Companies in some sectors have always tried to annex or get rid of the smaller competition, they become big but often fall, or their toast is eaten by new ones.

[@michaelwright2986]

@@FeelMetalManI didn’t mean predating on their competitors, but predating on their consumers.

[@FeelMetalMan]

@@michaelwright2986 I think for, let's say Windows for exaggeration purposes, to be predatory the customer shouldn't have others options and the service would have to be very questionable, if the customer is aware they would change to OSX or Linux as many people do, if unaware or indifferent they still have a great tool for which they probably didn't pay for or paid 10€ and that makes their lives much better with very little trade-offs.

[@michaelplaczek9385]

I found it very useful on Servers, but a pain on the Desktop

[@Necropheliac]

You say “unless you compile it from source or something…” like there’s something wrong with that. In my opinion compiling from source is usually a good option over package management. It’s an especially great option when you want to install a separate version of a program and not get tangled with the system installed version. You can configure it with a -prefix= option usually, and have a bespoke version of the program installed within your user directory. Why not compile from source?

[@15secondsdrawings]

Seen in yt ad Watching from India..

[@GeorgeMulak]

Very nice explanation, thank you

[@Romek_S]

Is this a Cool Retro Term you are using here or something else?

[@GourmetSaint]

I run one vm with Ubuntu purely for the Nextcloud snap. So much easier to install manage than the “raw” alternative. If Nextcloud was available as a Flatpak, I might try that though. I don’t like being reliant on a single corporation for anything.

[@citywitt3202]

What about the docker container or do you mean the desktop app?

[@tomaszgasior772]

Flatpak is intended to be used for desktop applications only. CLI utilities and server services should not be distributed as Flatpak.

[@burgermeister7244]

Jay you started off by saying that there were basically three types of packages: snaps, flatpaks and app images. But you only covered two of them (snaps and app images). I was hoping to get a broad view of the three and their similarities and differences.

[@charmquark0]

Use case for not having quick updates: I run a Ubuntu VM, and snap updated pycharm by itself( which I did not know off).. it was a horrible experience it kept crashing when a specific piece of code ran. So much time wasted in trouble shooting the code.

[@johndroyson7921]

My experience was during the transition. I had a bunch of packages installed with flatpak, only to find that they were nerfed with the latest Ubuntu distro and all my customizations were gone.

[@bertnijhof5413]

You could have rolled back that update in a second by typing "snap revert pycharm" :)

[@charmquark0]

Thanks, I did not know that.@@bertnijhof5413

[@advaitc2554]

Great video. Thanks. Would love to see a comparison video pros and cons between snaps, flatpaks and app imaged. Cheers! 😊

[@DaveSomething]

Snap packages are like Wandering Traders, except traders at least give you leads when you kill them.

[@esphilee]

Viewers should find out about *Flatpak* .

[@ifell3]

I actually liked the snap store when I tried it on a distro. The reason I liked it is because i felt it removed everything if I disliked the software. So say I recently installed 5 different media players using synaptic plus all its dependancies. When I've chosen one and delete tge other four, will synaptic delete those other dependacies? I feel it might not but does it know nothing else is currently using them? Where snaps feel like it may install the same package multiple times, they are all in their little box. I might be completely wrong and if I am please tell me.

[@haydenc2742]

Kinda like what "docker" is to specific server applications, snap is an executable "docker" for specific applications?

[@Andy.N-_-]

Always well presented and interesting .. Thanks again

[@joseph9915]

Is the "hold=forever" new? I was sure that snap used to force updates after a set time?

[@johndroyson7921]

Snaps have definitely been refined but I'm averse to them because of the history. That being said, this is a really good course series and I have to commend you for the excellent content.

[@hmm_think]

Can I have snap repository server like satellite local repository on which I can have control?

[@Staniola]

Great video. Thanks !

[@tonywise198]

6 months on, at least Canonical are going to vet the Snaps with humans. Relying on the Snap because of who provides it was the reason for a lot of rubbish and malware. Personally - I won't touch them with a 10ft barge-pole, and they are not all that popular with other Distros.

[@sonopro1]

It's not the format but the ideology that goes with it, the one that is imposed on ordinary users. It goes against the GNU license. Imposing a "proprietary" software format like MS and the other on users is dangerous for the libertarian and sharing spirit of the eco-system on our side of the force. To accept this restriction is to embark on a very slippery and dangerous slope towards the concentration of decision-making power in the hands of a few, introduced once again under the guise of "user-friendliness".

[@13thravenpurple94]

the terminal is so beautiful 😍 got aliens vibe 😍 how to set this terminal please? 🙏

[@jimmyrichards5595]

I don’t know if it’s Cool Retro Term using the 3278 emulator setting with the ghosting/burn-in setting turned off, and FPS set to 60 or something, but it might be! Search for Cool Retro Term But it’s probably just a custom color scheme for a more normal type of terminal.

[@raulrrojas]

cool retro term

[@limbsjones]

I love your t-shirt!!!!

[@solurajan]

What distro would you suggest to flash in laptop?

[@solurajan]

@@hrmf32 what about Linux mint?

[@solurajan]

@@hrmf32 why though?

[@1over137]

The controversial aspect is that 100% Linux owes it's stability to not being a binary compatible OS. Compatibility is decided at compile time with all packages being compiled "against" each other to create one throughout bred, pure gene'd system. That is a distro. It's then broken up into packages. However ALL of those packages are from the same master system and they were all compiled by it together. All those binaries and libraries are firmly coupled through ldd and strongly coupled via libc. Binary compatibility support will do nothing buy lower stability and install a massive amount of duplicative and different versions of libraries and dependencies. This is exactly what causes Windows to be less stable. That and poor user and memory management.

[@1over137]

Pure source master system is distro's day job. It's where they put their effort and money per release and for every package update. You can obviously see why Canonical would like to decouple applications out of their "distro" stack into a more "decoupled" application container format. They can just push more and more applications out of the distro and expect the community to create snaps. Also, Canonical are not impressing anyone. Making snaps for the system you administer, the architecture you administer, on the distro you create, is hardly a good and fair demonstration of the technology. I want to see Canonical releasing their snaps on Windows 11.

[@xm6250]

1:40 am laughing way to hard at this...

[@k.chriscaldwell4141]

Snap packages are the scorpion in the frog and the scorpion.

[@k.chriscaldwell4141]

You are wise.

[@JimmyArogen]

Why are snap packages so slow to start compared to normal packages?

[@ChrisJackson-js8rd]

"ubuntu community" i hope im not included in that lol why not just package them up as container images tho? at least then there would be clear benefits to the user

[@AxelWerner]

Snaps are evil. Especially when forced to users with a crowbar by canonical. They also break functionality.

[@malcolmanderson6735]

That's the nice thing about Linux. If you don't like a feature, you can always pick a distro that doesn't use that feature. Then you can let the people, who do like the feature, live in a judgement free zone.

[@syedsabeera8799]

​@@malcolmanderson6735o

[@LionHeart1104]

Flatpak is best

[@TheOnlyEpsilonAlpha]

I don‘t mind using snap packages, and i don‘t get why people are so upset about it. It‘s a package format which is good for every linux out there. And as you mentioned it by yourself: there are several universal packages formats out there, because there is the need for it. What kinda annoys me is the -classic flag to be honest, yeah it‘s about security and yada yada yada but in the end: If you want to use certain software you need to set it anyway. So i don‘t get the need for it tbh, it seems obsolete. Because when you curious about security of a certain why you then install the software anyway? You know what i mean? Even on freaking windows i don‘t install or run software which i don‘t trust (which is ironic based on how snitchy windows is by itself, i know but i mean applications not OS). But what‘s the point of that classic flag then? 17:45 sry, but that is my point: People _will_ include that option habitually simple for the fact: Does Neovim install without that option? No? Then the common linux user will optimize that and alias the snap command with that flag already included. It's like i said: I don't see the point in that flag at all 25:42 The critic points are weird from that people: - People won't need to use it, no matter how much control canoncial has or not has about the technology doesn't matter imo. - Welp ofc they want to make to successful to have it as an achievement on their belt, like every other dev of software which want to achieve something does. - I don't get the last point about they don't have a choice in that regard: I googled and the first result was how to install a specific version and you showed how to hold packages, i don't see where something is "forced" in that regard Sry but that are dumb arguments, from that people, not from you. Those are the "we don't want something to change" people, that is their real point. But if that's their real opinion, why use modern technology, why not go into a cave and live like our ancestors? Technology changes and it's good that it does, not accepting the changes will get people disconnected. See containers for example, also some kind of "software package", and it's a very powerful one imho. People should not deny other technologies because they simply don't know them. 26:25 My opinion on snap.. i had first contact with it when i installed microk8s for exploring kubernetes in the long run and the first thing i was wondering about: "What's the point of --classic?" and that didn't changed :D because mircok8s won't install without it, and i wanted to use that software so bug me with that was and is pointless. But it worked, AND when i think about it: It worked without that "update" i need to make before installing something in apt

[@cbcowart933]

Some of us are old enough to realize that this SNAP thing is the APP thing all over again. Yeah, look how easy it is, APPS are nothing more than spyware built into your favorite software. Canonical is doing what Windows, Google, Apple, etc did back in the day and look who controls EVERYTHING??? Sure you can do whatever you want with your PC or phone ... if your a coder, but everyone else is stuck with the 'only' choices. LINUX is all about choices, so if you like Snaps then go for it, I don't add too much to the standard package so it works fine for me as is. That is the main point, YOU and I decide who censors us or not. History is important in all aspects of life, learn from others mistakes and of course your own.

[@dreamsneezer8668]

Biggest peeve of any OS is any sort of “we know this is best and what you want so we just did it for you, oh and we’re not going to notify you about it either”

[@Waltaere]

Leeearn 😃

[@onelegbird420]

I dont like them because they don't work with custom cursors. Lol

[@LoganKaval]

He did not even say Debian.

[@ajaysivaramakrishnan7283]

29 %

[@thecasualreviewer2148]

11:11

[@Kermit2k]

I miss the old days where tech was judged for it's specs not because user "feelings".

[@LackofFaithify]

LoL, really? What old days were those? AC vs DC? Betamax vs VHS? Firewire? Anything involving GNU? Nintendo vs Sega? If you truly believe there was a time (in any part of human history in any field or topic) that any decisions were made purely on merit or in anyway separate from feelings, you are an idiot of immense proportions.

[@thecasualreviewer2148]

8:39

[@esphilee]

The author has *failed* to mention a single word about *Flatpak* . Another universal packages that come with many Linux distribution. This video is more like an advertisement for *Snap* . Credibility in the drain.

[@MrHasie]

He writes Ubuntu books.

[@MiningForPies]

It’s a video about snaps. What an odd, an rather disturbing, comment.

[@MiningForPies]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWK6g5x_ZtOebrMsi=85P94fbLHTPQpI3f there you go. Although if I look through the comments am I going to see you whinging about the lack of comments on snaps 🤔

[@sussusamogus7831]

Flatpak is mentioned in the video

[@manleyfgc7981]

He literally did mention flatpaks near the beginning of the video. The video is literally about how snap works lol. What is wrong with you? Lmao

[@sotecluxan4221]

!