Canonical Helps Push Snap Universal Linux Package To Other Distros

[IInuyasha74]

Canonical announced that it has helped to push out the Snap universal software package to numerous other Linux distros to ease the spread of Linux software.

Canonical Helps Push Snap Universal Linux Package To Other Distros : Read more

 

[lighteater12]

So this is basically the google play store and the dalvik of Ubuntu and other Linux distros.

 

[General-Mayhem]

No, this is a distribution package, not an app store. This is more akin to microsoft installer, or instalshield on windows.

 

[IInuyasha74]

Yes or Microsoft's dotNET framework is a good comparison as well.

Essentially, Snap itself is just a framework. It is a package that needs to be installed, but unlike some other frameworks it is not reliant on any other software to actually function. I suppose it is probably reliant on some for the installation of Snap itself, otherwise it would be an OS, but after that it is completely self contained.

 

[bloodroses]

This is what I found out about what snap is:

'A snap package is a single binary that contains all its dependencies. That means developers no longer have to build a package for each Linux distribution and each version, and instead, they can use a single, unmodified package, and distribute it across all the platforms that support snaps.'
http://www.webupd8.org/2016/06/snaps-become-universal-linux-packages.html

Anyone that remembers the days of Red Hat's RPM hell will definitely appreciate this. I've had dependency hell issues on occasion with Debian based distros as well. I'm actually kind of surprised they took this long to implement something like this as the only downside I can see to going this route is a larger download and more space on the hard drive; which high speed internet and TB+ drives handle with ease anymore.

 

[captaincharisma]

No, this is a distribution package, not an app store. This is more akin to microsoft installer, or instalshield on windows.

well then, i guess there is hope now that you don't have to go into terminal most of the time to install an app that isn't in software manager

 

[ddpruitt]

So basically Ubuntu is back at it again. They break the existing package systems, then claim to "Fix" their own mess, and finally push this disaster on others.

I've used every other distro there is, this isn't a problem for anyone else. This is a problem with Ubuntu because of the fact they can't follow the standards. There are other systems that will maintain the dependencies, won't download extra junk to install one program, and will maintain separate versions of libraries. The module system, alternatives system, etc.

These all work I can't see why everyone is praising Canonical for once again creating bugs and security problems in a system that, for the most part, just works.

 

[Micheal Ethan]

Open source software vendor Canonical, the company behind the popular Ubuntu distribution of Linux, is to push its Snap packaging system to other distributions of Linux. The shift will enable developers to build applications that can run seamlessly across different distributions of Linux. Canonical developed the Snap package format for its Snappy Ubuntu Core build of Linux, along with an accompanying "Snappy" mechanism for delivering updates to the operating system and application code. A key feature of the mechanism is that it is transaction, meaning that updates can be applied easily and just as easily rolled back if required.