Ubuntu Details Initial Plans For Immutable Linux Desktop With Ubuntu Core & Snaps

[lumks]

The use case of packaging system services and drivers. Is that something that can be done with Flatpak? I haven't seen any command line app packaged as Flatpak, let alone system services or drivers.

CLI-Apps are possible. It just sucks to work with them later on, because you basically run them via

flatpak run org.example.cli

System services, udev rules and drivers - the system management stuff, is not possible as this would require native running parts that hook into the real operating system, while flatpak can only run inside a sandbox.

[CochainComplex]

I'm a big believer of security via obscurity ...

I knew you are one of the last Win 3.11 users ;P

[Estranged1906]

Will this be a rolling release Ubuntu then? Or do they still stick with the 24.04, 26.04, 28.04... base for the "gadget", "kernel" and "base"? What about the desktop environment, will it stay at the LTS GNOME/KDE version?

[Malsabku]

Flathub has you overed for all 3 cases already.

For these 3 applications there are also snaps.

[MadWatch]

Does that means no more PPA? Does that means application developer will FINALLY stop distributing their app with repositories and will have to distribute them as snap or flatpak instead?

[Estranged1906]

I also wonder if DEBs will still work if needed, because sometimes stuff just isn't available as a SNAP.

[patrick1946]

The use case of packaging system services and drivers. Is that something that can be done with Flatpak? I haven't seen any command line app packaged as Flatpak, let alone system services or drivers.

I am using flatpak for GUI apps and distrobox/toolbox for legacy apps and command line. The advantage of distrobox is that my development system is independent of my base system. So there no updates problems anymore because I can update my development system individually.

[skeevy420]

Does that means no more PPA? Does that means application developer will FINALLY stop distributing their app with repositories and will have to distribute them as snap or flatpak instead?

No, but only because we can't do everything with Snaps or Flats or AppImages or ???. Critical system components can't be done with those app distribution methods. Critical non-kernel system components have to be part of the base system, not loaded by the base system. By critical system components I mean things like an up-to-date Mesa, if you use an NVIDIA GPU, if your wireless driver ships as DKMS, etc.

Think of Snap/Flat as like Steam or Epic games for Linux apps. You don't go to Steam, Epic, Snap, or Flat for AMDGPU-Pro. You go there for SuperTuxKart and Gedit.

[MadWatch]

No, but only because we can't do everything with Snaps or Flats or AppImages or ???. Critical system components can't be done with those app distribution methods. Critical non-kernel system components have to be part of the base system, not loaded by the base system. By critical system components I mean things like an up-to-date Mesa, if you use an NVIDIA GPU, if your wireless driver ships as DKMS, etc.

I agree. This is why I said "application developers" and not "system component developers".

[Malsabku]

I also wonder if DEBs will still work if needed, because sometimes stuff just isn't available as a SNAP.

I guess the immutable system will be based on DEB, like openSUSE Aeon and Fedora Silverblue is based on RPM. Not long ago, there was a news here, that Ubuntu is currently implementing a snapshot function in Debian APT. Given the nature of snapd, more features of the core system could be realised via snap, than it would be possible with a flatpak system.

EDIT: Heres the link:
Debian's APT 2.7 Packaging Tool Begins Rolling Out "Snapshots" Support - Phoronix