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After a Long Time, Ubuntu Shows Some Respect to Deb Packages (itsfoss.com)
submitted 1 week ago by cm0002@europe.pub to c/linux@programming.dev
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For years, many Ubuntu users have felt that traditional .deb packages were being gradually sidelined in favor of the Snap ecosystem.

It started quietly. Double-clicking a downloaded .deb file would open it in Archive Manager instead of the installer. Then came controversial changes. Apps like Chromium, Thunderbolt and Firefox began defaulting to Snap packages, even when users tried installing them via the apt command in the terminal.

It continued further as Ubuntu introduced its new Snap Store. In Ubuntu 24.04, it ignored .deb packages completely. Double-clicking a .deb file would open the App Center, but wouldn’t actually install the package and just hang there. That behavior was later reverted after I highlighted it through It's FOSS.

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[-] definitemaybe@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Except for when sandboxing is better, like for server-type things that need to "just work" and won't directly interface with anything else on the system.

Like, a WiFi mesh network controller has no need to access anything on the system at all and users will only interact with it by a web portal. Docker (or an alternative) is perfect for that.

[-] Eggymatrix@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 days ago

Agreed, but how many requests do you see for support for people understanding mesh networking enough to set a server up in docker? Those are the people that use it and need it, and surprise they use docker, not flatpack or snap.

I am talking about non powerusers, non it personnel that are installing steam or gimp via snap or flatpack and then flood support threads with their problems. In those cases sandboxing is fucking stupid.

this post was submitted on 28 Mar 2026
109 points (100.0% liked)

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