Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak
In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.
Anyone who has followed the rise of universal package managers like Snap and Flatpak is fully aware of the difference between the two technologies and how one is more distribution agnostic than the other.
I'm talking about Snap, which is driven by Canonical and happens to be the company behind Ubuntu.
Both Snap and Flatpak are great methods for installing software, especially proprietary applications that do not have ports to the more traditional package managers like apt and dnf. Snap and Flatpak make the installation of tools like Spotify, Slack, and Skype considerably easier.
Snap comes pre-installed with Ubuntu, the official Ubuntu spins, and many Ubuntu-based distributions. As well, some official spins also included Flatpak. The combination of apt, Snap, and Flatpak meant users had a plethora of applications to install.
Canonical has made the decision that Ubuntu spins are no longer allowed to ship with Flatpak installed. You can still install Flatpak on Ubuntu and any one of its spins from the standard repositories with the command sudo apt-get install flatpak -y.
This change affects all Ubuntu spins, including Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Studio, Ubuntu Unity, and Xubuntu.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.