Ubuntu Talks Up Faster KDE Snaps, But Still Takes A While For Cold Apps To Launch

[jo-erlend]

Except the snap store is not free software..

It's a web server. You can use any web server you want.

[ssokolow]

It's a web server. You can use any web server you want.

Giving you the pieces and leaving you to try to re-integrate them yourself is a classic tactic for trying to comply with the letter of free/open-source software while defying the spirit of it.

That's why the GPLv2 has this passage:

The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for making modifications to it. For an executable work, complete source code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the executable.

...and the GPLv3 has this passage:

The “source code” for a work means the preferred form of the work for making modifications to it. “Object code” means any non-source form of a work.

[...]

The “Corresponding Source” for a work in object code form means all the source code needed to generate, install, and (for an executable work) run the object code and to modify the work, including scripts to control those activities. However, it does not include the work's System Libraries, or general-purpose tools or generally available free programs which are used unmodified in performing those activities but which are not part of the work. For example, Corresponding Source includes interface definition files associated with source files for the work, and the source code for shared libraries and dynamically linked subprograms that the work is specifically designed to require, such as by intimate data communication or control flow between those subprograms and other parts of the work.

Compare Flathub, which has "Powered by Linux Store Frontend v0.7.5 a8524a1" at the bottom of every page, and that links to a GitHub repository with a README that gives detailed instructions for setting up your own instance and hacking on the source.

[jo-erlend]

Giving you the pieces and leaving you to try to re-integrate them yourself is a classic tactic for trying to comply with the letter of free/open-source software while defying the spirit of it.

If you think that configuring your own snap store would require any kind of effort whatsoever, then you would never be able of run a Linux distribution anyway, so the whole point is moot. You simply do not understand this issue well enough to understand how absurdly pointless your argument is.

But there is nothing I can do to remedy this. Once a person has become addicted to defending their ignorance, you might as well talk to a chimpanzee.

[mppix]

It's a web server. You can use any web server you want.

Besides writing your own snap store (using any web server you want - thanks),
you also need to modify, recompile, and redistribute dedicated snap packages in all distributions.

Piece of cake. Lol

[mppix]

If you think that configuring your own snap store would require any kind of effort whatsoever, then you would never be able of run a Linux distribution anyway, so the whole point is moot. You simply do not understand this issue well enough to understand how absurdly pointless your argument is.

But there is nothing I can do to remedy this. Once a person has become addicted to defending their ignorance, you might as well talk to a chimpanzee.

This argument is false both ways. Capability to run an app store/package manager is not a necessary conditions to run a distribution. Also running a distribution is not a necessary condition to wanting to run an app store.

To respond in kind: only an ignorant person, who does not understand the issue well enough, would mix the two.

[jo-erlend]

This argument is false both ways. Capability to run an app store/package manager is not a necessary conditions to run a distribution.

Uh, yes, it is. Distributing software is absolutely a critical part of being a software distributor.

Also running a distribution is not a necessary condition to wanting to run an app store.

But nobody was talking about running an app store, but what it takes to run a centralized immutable Linux distribution. Because that is what the Snap distribution format is designed to be. Not to be an app store for traditional Linux systems. You have systems like Flatpak for that.

To respond in kind: only an ignorant person, who does not understand the issue well enough, would mix the two.

I do understand the difference between the two. I understand that the Snap distribution format is designed to run immutable Linux distros like Ubuntu Core.

[jo-erlend]

Besides writing your own snap store (using any web server you want - thanks),
you also need to modify, recompile, and redistribute dedicated snap packages in all distributions.

Piece of cake. Lol

A snap store is a very simple JSON API. It is a false claim that the snap distribution format enforces recompilation of packages in order to run your own distro. Ubuntu does that with Debian packages, but distros like Linux Mint does not do that with Ubuntu packages. The situation would be exactly the same; you could run your distribution in front of Canonical's store, like people do today. I have no clue where you got the impression that GPLv3 prohibits the sharing of software packages. It is not true.

If you did not want to run your distro entirely separate from Canonical, then you would probably want to use the snap proxy server.

[mppix]

Uh, yes, it is. Distributing software is absolutely a critical part of being a software distributor.

You tell me. Ubuntu largely relies on apt super cow power..

But nobody was talking about running an app store, but what it takes to run a centralized immutable Linux distribution. Because that is what the Snap distribution format is designed to be. Not to be an app store for traditional Linux systems. You have systems like Flatpak for that.

Great. Can you propose to replace snap with flatpak in ubuntu then?

I do understand the difference between the two. I understand that the Snap distribution format is designed to run immutable Linux distros like Ubuntu Core.

Great again. Please use it as such

[mppix]

A snap store is a very simple JSON API. It is a false claim that the snap distribution format enforces recompilation of packages in order to run your own distro. Ubuntu does that with Debian packages, but distros like Linux Mint does not do that with Ubuntu packages. The situation would be exactly the same; you could run your distribution in front of Canonical's store, like people do today. I have no clue where you got the impression that GPLv3 prohibits the sharing of software packages. It is not true.

If you did not want to run your distro entirely separate from Canonical, then you would probably want to use the snap proxy server.

Each individual statement here is correct and you are still telling a lie.

You really cannot build you own snapstore and no snap "client" package has support for anything but ubuntu's store.
People tried and this is well documented.

Not that it matters.. just use flatpak and you dont have to deal with this cr*p

[jo-erlend]

Great. Can you propose to replace snap with flatpak in ubuntu then?

No. I prefer the way the snap system is designed, but aside from that, it is an obvious impossibility since Ubuntu requires so much more than Flatpak could ever provide, which is why Ubuntu had to abandon that approach back in 2011 or so.

Ubuntu has always had full support for Flatpak. I don't understand why you are so desperate to enforce restrictions in the Linux world.