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Why is Ubuntu so set on moving to Snaps. In my view they are a less sophisticated option than Apt packages.

  • They take up more space on your hard-drive. Which in my case is 200Gb SSD.
  • They really bite on Metered Data Connections (which is still a reality in much of the civilized world outside of Silicon valley).

Here's an example. If I download 6 Snaps I may be raking in as much as 6Gb of data download and about the same in storage. I run a 50Gb Internet package. Not because I'm to cheap to go uncapped mind you. But because that's all that's available.

Do the same thing with Apt I may download as much as 500mb and store maybe 1GB of data in the end.

So it's fair to say that I'd use my entire data allowance if I upgrade to Ubuntu20.04 and install all applications as Snaps.

That's a huge penalty to pay for developer convenience?

Codes216
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1 Answers1

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2020 Answer:

In your metered-data situation, it seems unwise of you to use Snaps.

Using Snaps is a choice that you have. Nobody is making you install snaps. In your situation, snaps are very easy to disable (sudo apt remove snapd).

"Ubuntu is set on moving to snaps" is a classic falsehood. (That means it's simply not true).

  • Deb packages have been packaged by Debian volunteers for over 20 years. Nothing has changed in the Debian world: Volunteers like you can continue packaging any license-compatible open-source software into debs.
  • Some Open Source developers have indeed decided to shift their effort from deb to snap. That represents a lack of volunteer interest at those upstream projects, not a nefarious plan or agenda. Volunteers like you can continue packaging the software into debs.

2022 EDIT:

While technically still true, two years later the 2020 answer has become misleading.

Several desktop components are now installed as snaps (more on the way), and those debs are no longer available in the Ubuntu repositories. Replacing snaps with debs today requires users to go outside Ubuntu to PPAs or upstreams, do some hunting, and take some risks.

This is still not nefarious, and still represents a lack of volunteers required for a healthy deb-packaging community.

user535733
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