Oh Snap!

[tinker123]

I was not aware of Ubuntu Snap until I read this very short article today

https://betanews.com/2019/09/19/ubun...5-snaps-linux/

Do I correctly understand what Snap is?

Instead of downloading an rpm, deb, etc an linux os would download a snap, a zip file in a format any distro can handle.
Once downloaded the native package manager would unzip it and distribute the files per the eccentricities of the particular distro?

Thanks.

[Frogs Hair]

If using a current version of Ubuntu the terminal is handy for locating and installing snaps. Snap packages pose a security concern for some users, but have had no problems. Some default packages are now snap and to locate them use the snap list command. https://snapcraft.io/store

snap find

snap find package-name

sudo snap install package-name

sudo snap remove package-name

 snap list

[Dennis N]

You don't download them manually; they are installed by the snap manager, which is already installed and ready to go. First thing to install is the snap-store so you can browse the available packages.

snap install snap-store

note that sudo isn't needed here!

[deadflowr]

snaps are not zips.
snaps are their own file structure.
snaps require snapd to be installed.

snaps have their own package management system.

[mastablasta]

it is kind of like portable apps in windows. not really but they act similarly. self contained and for that reason you can have multiple versions of same app on linux.

similar stuff: flatpack, appimage, zero install...

[Shibblet]

I personally like the idea of Snaps. They are supposed to be completely self-contained, and require no additional dependencies.

[deadflowr]

I think appimages are the only format that are truly (or at least as close to as possible) self-contained.
Snaps and flatpaks both require runtimes outside of the snaps.

[1fallen]

I think appimages are the only format that are truly (or at least as close to as possible) self-contained.
Snaps and flatpaks both require runtimes outside of the snaps.

+1 I'm glad you added that.
The key idea of the AppImage format is one app = one file. Every AppImage contains an app and all the files the app needs to run. In other words, each AppImage has no dependencies other than what is included in the targeted base operating system(s).

AppImage format is ideal for upstream packaging, which means that you get the software directly from the original author(s) without any intermediaries, exactly in the way the author(s) intended. And quickly.

[Skaperen]

the snaps i've seen are too small to be completely self-contained.

what does "self-contained" mean? that it runs with nothing else needed? not even a kernel? as in a VM? oh wait, it needs a VM?

[mastablasta]

what does "self-contained" mean? that it runs with nothing else needed? not even a kernel? as in a VM? oh wait, it needs a VM?

it's sand box. stuff inside doesn't affect the OS. yes it seems it does have some overhead.

kind of similar like jail in BSD or similar but not the same as sand box in Comodo security suite (on windows).

i wonder, could you then use Ubuntu 12.04 with latest stuff packed in appimage?