Snappy (package management)

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Snappy
Basic data

developer Canonical
Publishing year 2014
Current  version 2.45.3.1
( August 3, 2020 )
operating system Linux
programming language Go
category Package management
License GPLv3 +
snapcraft.io

Snappy is a software distribution system and package management for Linux that works across all distributions . The system developed by Canonical supports transactional updates and rollbacks . It was developed by Canonical for Ubuntu and is now also available for other Linux distributions.

Difference to conventional package managers

With conventional package managers such as apt or rpm , the software developer does not need to take care of the system integration for the individual distributions himself; often only the source code is published. The packaging is usually done by the respective application administrators ("maintainers") of the individual Linux distributions. Depending on the Linux distribution, no more packages are updated to newer versions after the release of a distribution, which ensures stability, but delays the use of current package versions.

Snappy avoids the need for distribution-specific installation packages or repositories by the software developer directly creating and releasing his Snappy packages. They can then be downloaded and used directly by users of numerous different Linux distributions without waiting; the middle man "distribution" between developer and end user is no longer necessary. Another important difference is that conventional package managers check the dependency on other packages during installations and updates and thus integrate the software deeply into the overall system. In contrast to this, a Snappy package typically has all the files and dependencies required for the software with it and is therefore well decoupled from the rest of the system (" portable software "); This also minimizes the contact area for compatibility conflicts, but then security updates must also be imported separately for each Snappy package. The lack of system integration is noticeable in some applications, then dialogs do not match the set desktop themes, or existing proprietary hardware support cannot be used (graphics driver).

Supported Operating Systems

Different Linux distributions are supported:

Reception and criticism

The ArchLinux package maintainer Kyle Keen criticized the Snappy concept and in principle turned against software distribution by the application developers ( upstream developers) to the users. Linus Torvalds , on the other hand, advocated upstream packaging and uses it for his application Subsurface ( AppImage packages ).

The developers of the Linux distribution Mint criticize the fact that Snaps are exclusively delivered via a single Canonical app store, which is under the control of Canonical and whose code is proprietary. This gives Canonical the ability to set up back doors in Ubuntu. Linux Mint has been blocking the installation of Snap packages since the “Ulyana” version.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release 2.45.3.1 . August 3, 2020 (accessed August 15, 2020).
  2. ↑ a b Kristian Kißling: Snappy: Ubuntu Core with a new update system. Linux Magazin, December 10, 2014, accessed December 20, 2014 .
  3. ↑ 1.6. Publication life cycle. Retrieved October 31, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Upgrading packaged Ubuntu application unreasonably involves upgrading entire OS Bug # 578045 on bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu by John King (2010-05-10)
  5. ↑ Ferdinand Thommes: Canonical wants to make Snap a universal package system. In: pro-linux.de. June 15, 2016, accessed June 18, 2016 .
  6. ↑ Moritz Förster: Change of direction: Discussion about new Linux package formats. In: heise.de. heise open , June 22, 2016, accessed on June 23, 2016 .
  7. ↑ Linus Torvalds: This is just very cool . November 24, 2015. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved on November 24, 2015: “It [up-stream packaging] not only allows for a project to create a complex Linux application (in the case of subsurface, one that uses very recent library versions that many distributions don't even have available yet) that works on multiple distributions, you don't even need to really even install it. Download a file, mark it executable, and run it. "
  8. ↑ Linus Torvalds on the problems of distro packaging on DebConf 2014
  9. ↑ Open conflict: Linux Mint accuses Ubuntu of smuggling "back doors". derstandard.at, June 14, 2020, accessed on June 18, 2020 .
  10. ↑ heise online: Linux Mint 20: Desktop without snap packages. Retrieved June 28, 2020 .