Flatpak integration with desktop systems

The Future of Flatpak

© Lead Image © Viktor Gmyria. 123RF.com

© Lead Image © Viktor Gmyria. 123RF.com

Article from Issue 230/2020
Author(s):

Flatpak's development may have been prompted by container development, but its future depends on the desktop.

Alternative systems for distributing software are on the rise. In 2018, everyone was talking about Flatpak and Snap. In addition, AppImage, which does not require any basic installation, offers completely self-sufficient packages.

Flatpak [1], developed by Fedora under the leadership of Alexander Larsson, is compatible with desktop applications. It lets you package software so that the same package works on all distributions. The only requirement is a matching Flatpak runtime environment.

Origins

Flatpak, which reached version 1.0 in mid-2018, is now considered mature enough for production use. The current version is 1.50. The origin of the format dates back to 2007, when Red Hat employee Larsson was experimenting with klik [2], AppImage's predecessor. However, he did not like some of the technical details. In the same year, he released Glick, which was based on FUSE [3], due to the lack of container APIs, which had not yet been invented.

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
Print Issues
Digital Issues
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Print Subs
Digisubs
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Flatpak and Snap

    The new container-inspired package formats Flatpak and Snap have landed in the territory occupied by conventional Linux package systems such as RPM and Dpkg.

    more »
  • Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled

    If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.

    more »
  • unsnap

    If you want to move away from Ubuntu's Snap package format, the unsnap script removes snaps from your computer and replaces them with Flatpaks where possible.

    more »
  • Parcel Service

    The traditional package management systems on Linux are now somewhat outdated, but AppImage, Flatpak, and Snap see some interesting new management systems enter the fray.

    more »
  • Systemd Flatpak Updates

    You can automate Flatpak updates without a package manager using systemd's services and timers.

    more »
comments powered by Disqus