Is an application asking you to install its snap in devmode with no apparent reason a red flag?

I need to use Quirkos, which is shipped as a snap for download on the website. It is not available in any of the repos. In the Getting Started Guide, it says to install the snap via snap install --devmode quirkos-2.3.amd64.snap (page 3).

As this is just a qualitative data analysis tool, I see no reason why it should need to escape the sandbox in which snaps are usually running.

I am already a little wary installing a closed-source app that can only be downloaded from their website and provides no means of verification. Is it a red flag that the manual wants me to install the snap in devmode without justification?

Solution 1:

Many applications use --devmode early during the snap adoption process. As the developers get used to snaps, and as more features become available in snapd, and as the codebase evolves, the --devmode is usually dropped for exactly the reason you cite -- it scares customers.

Only the Quirkos developers can answer why they need --devmode. (Though a bit of Google-fu suggests that graphics support might be one blocker to proper confinement.)

To me, it does not suggest a security red flag. It does suggest that the developers are perhaps a bit understaffed -- but who isn't?