Why is Ubuntu moving to Snap packages?

Why Ubuntu dumping .deb packages and moving to .snap packages?

At least for now they are keeping .deb package for normal distributions. .deb is already the most popular packaging format out there.

This gives an idea about what the Snap package format is. But what will happen to the existing deb packages? Is there any clear advantage on moving to Snap? Is it worth the pain?

Solution 1:

Snap attempts to solve one of the fundamental problems with Linux as a desktop operating system: software availability and software distribution. Snap is not intended to completely replace debs, however. Snaps and Debs work alongside each other.

I am a Linux enthusiast and a project manager of a Linux application. While I love Linux systems as a whole, I can't stand the current state of package distribution. Universal App Formats like Snaps aim to solve this fundamental problem.

In Linux, packages are specifically built for a single version of a single distribution. With a lot of tweaking, it is possible to make one .deb package that runs on all Debian based systems, but this is complicated and limits developers. It's also not practical at times due to version locking of dependencies.

If I create a deb package for Ubuntu 20.04, it will only work on that version. I also have to make a different package for 16.04, 18.04, 20.10 and so on. I already have to make four packages just for Ubuntu. I also need to make one for every Debian version, every Fedora version and every openSUSE version. RPM is more flexible in this regard but the locked dependency issue still gets in the way.

This means if I want to release a new version of my application, I have to create over 20 packages to cover the majority of Linux distributions, and that still won't cover every distro. A second possibility is to wait for distribution maintainers to add your package to the distribution but this usually takes an absurd amount of time. Moreover, then the distribution maintainers decide which version their users get instead of the software developer.

With Snap, a single package runs on every version of every distribution that supports snap. See Installing snapd for a list of many distros that support it.

Additionally, with Snap, the developer publishes and maintains the package, instead of the distribution maintainer. So I as a developer can release new a version to all my users without having to wait on anyone else.

Essentially, everything I hate about Linux package distribution is solved by Snap. Though it's important to note that these core issues are also being solved by Flatpaks & to a degree by AppImages. The discussion for which format is better is highly debated and a much longer conversation than makes sense for this reply. For now, I will say that I am fine with running any of the universal formats since they all work differently and thus do not conflict with each other making it possible to run all 3 and traditional packages at the same time.

TL;DR

Linux package distribution is awful for both developers and users. Snaps, Flatpaks & AppImages are intended to solve this fundamental problem with Linux based systems.

This question is really about why the move but if anyone is interested in learning more about what Snaps are and how they work. I created this video to explain the structure in-depth.

Solution 2:

It's just simple. Snappy package contains all the required files, where .deb packages have dependencies to other packages.

The negative side is that snappy is bigger because it contains all the files. But the big advantage is that you don't get in trouble with other packages and if you remove this package, no other package will be affected by missing dependencies.

Solution 3:

Snappy Personal, their new approach to package management/updating that's designed to be faster, more reliable, transactional, and with stronger security.

Snappy for at least one of their desktop spins -- the plan is to switch Ubuntu's Desktop-Next spin from .deb over to Snappy Personal.

.deb will still there and a normal user can still use it regularly by the time converting the .deb to snappy.

Snappy will be used to unify the concept of package management among the ioT which is using snappy now as its core Os. moreover snappy provide a better way in updating and get rid of problem while update/upgrade since it use the concept of whole image which means the update will be just one piece and therefore no means of fail

Read those articles for more info:

http://www.webupd8.org/2015/04/ubuntu-desktop-to-eventually-switch-to.html

http://www.itworld.com/article/2914850/linux/is-ubuntu-moving-away-from-deb-packages-here-is-the-complete-story.html

There is also a QA video from ubuntu on air that answers a great many questions https://youtu.be/lHO8j8uo5Z4

Solution 4:

Consider moving to snappy Ubuntu Core today if you are thinking of creating something for others to use, in other words, a product.

The software is delivered in snaps, which given its traits, we can have confidence that installation and upgrades will work on every system as the original creator intended. Other traits are security, such as isolated execution and clean interfaces to talk to the system and configure the installed snaps.

To achieve such a thing, snaps differ a lot from are much different than a debian package:

• snaps live in an isolated system determined location while debian packages can spread files all over the place.
• there are no maintainer scripts for snaps.

Going back to the original question of to use or not to use, if you plan to replace your desktop with Ubuntu Core I suggest you stick with regular Ubuntu desktop. Ubuntu Core, I personally like to call, the nothing distro, because alone it is nothing, but provides a very good building block to offer something and this is why it is popular in IoT these days.