Innovative Linux Package Managers
AppImage, Flatpak, and Snap
The traditional package management systems on Linux are now somewhat outdated, but AppImage, Flatpak, and Snap see some interesting new management systems enter the fray.
When Linux set off on its successful journey back in the 1990s, some innovative software management solutions also emerged. As early as in 1994, the Debian Package Manager dpkg was introduced, and the Red Hat Package Manager RPM followed suit in 1997. Since then, numerous other package management systems for various distributions have seen the light of day.
What they all have in common is that they not only maintain centralized software repositories with applications, but they also let users install, update, and uninstall applications in a largely trouble-free way. All of the popular candidates can handle dependencies and conflicts and keep the respective system in a consistent state. This is why individual installation routines for applications with a jumble of different dialogs, which are commonplace on other operating systems, do not exist on Linux.
At the same time, the known tools are flexible enough to include additional software archives beyond the repositories provided by the distribution developers and again offer the advantages of centralized package management. The built-in package managers on traditional Linux distributions work on the command line. However, graphical front ends such as YaST or Synaptic quickly emerged for less experienced users, helping them to handle software administration conveniently at the push of a button.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
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
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.