This is a little bit advanced and probably only of interest to those of you who are thinking of Mint/Ubuntu.
I have on another thread pointed out why I don't use Ubuntu and Use Mint instead even though Mint is based on Ubuntu.
The reason is Ubuntu do their own 'proprietary' thing thinking they can do things better. This ranges from the init system to the desktop (which they have now dropped).
I have had concerns over Snaps and flatpak system of installing software for a while, but my worst fears have now come to pass with the Ubuntu Snap system.
Snap is a way of packaging software to contain all it's dependencies. So for instance rather than using a shared library for things like unzipping files it will include it's own version. The problem here is if the unzip library has a security bug and the unzip people patch it and roll out an update. You will have to wait for your snap provider to do the same. There is no guarantee that they will do this in a timely manner if at all.
That was my concern. My new concern is that under Ubuntu is now using snaps for system utilities and major applications. If you for example want to install chrome. The ubuntu repository will give you an empty package that has a requirement to install snapd the snap system. This will overwrite part of your apt install system behind your back and install the snap.
You might not think this is an issue. But Snap is a proprietary system. You don't have access to the code. No one else can set up a snap portal and you have no control over the data you send to the snap store. It is no better than the windows store in this regards. All the fight to move to opensource is undone in one move and you are back to relying on one source you have no control over and no say.
Clem Lefebvre, the founder of Linux mint has stuck to his principles of not just supporting open source principles but protecting the users and has removed the ability of applications to install the Snapd system behind your back in V20 of Mint. This is not the first time he has done something controversial in the name of the user, and he has in most cases got it right. I think he has this right as well.
It's a shame he supported Systemd. Would have been nice to have had a systemd free desktop.
blog.linuxmint.com
I have on another thread pointed out why I don't use Ubuntu and Use Mint instead even though Mint is based on Ubuntu.
The reason is Ubuntu do their own 'proprietary' thing thinking they can do things better. This ranges from the init system to the desktop (which they have now dropped).
I have had concerns over Snaps and flatpak system of installing software for a while, but my worst fears have now come to pass with the Ubuntu Snap system.
Snap is a way of packaging software to contain all it's dependencies. So for instance rather than using a shared library for things like unzipping files it will include it's own version. The problem here is if the unzip library has a security bug and the unzip people patch it and roll out an update. You will have to wait for your snap provider to do the same. There is no guarantee that they will do this in a timely manner if at all.
That was my concern. My new concern is that under Ubuntu is now using snaps for system utilities and major applications. If you for example want to install chrome. The ubuntu repository will give you an empty package that has a requirement to install snapd the snap system. This will overwrite part of your apt install system behind your back and install the snap.
You might not think this is an issue. But Snap is a proprietary system. You don't have access to the code. No one else can set up a snap portal and you have no control over the data you send to the snap store. It is no better than the windows store in this regards. All the fight to move to opensource is undone in one move and you are back to relying on one source you have no control over and no say.
Clem Lefebvre, the founder of Linux mint has stuck to his principles of not just supporting open source principles but protecting the users and has removed the ability of applications to install the Snapd system behind your back in V20 of Mint. This is not the first time he has done something controversial in the name of the user, and he has in most cases got it right. I think he has this right as well.
It's a shame he supported Systemd. Would have been nice to have had a systemd free desktop.