Ubuntu Delays Transition To Snap'ed CUPS Print Server

Since 2021 among other Snap'ing efforts for converting formerly Ubuntu DEB packages to Canonical's Snap sandboxed app packaging format has been the CUPS print server. The plan was to replace the Debian-packaged CUPS with the Snap-based CUPS for Ubuntu 23.10 but now that is being pushed back to next year.

The effort around the CUPS Snap has been to provide a complete printing stack for Linux and other Snap-supporting platforms. Yesterday Till Kamppeter announced they have decided to revert to the Debian-packaged CUPS printing solution until Ubuntu 24.10. Due to the CUPS Snap not being in good enough shape ahead of the Ubuntu 23.10 UI freeze and being past the feature freeze, the CUPS Snap had to be delayed. There is integration work with the GNOME Control Center that still needs to happen and the D-Bus support in Snapd needs to be finished up.

But due to Ubuntu 24.04 being a Long-Term Support cycle and not wanting to introduce the CUPS Snap that cycle without first vetting in a non-LTS release, this is delaying the CUPS Snap until at least Ubuntu 24.10 in one year from now.

For the future transition the first focus will be on the Ubuntu Core Desktop followed by the Ubuntu classic desktop. More details on the Ubuntu CUPS Snap delay via this Discourse post. At least there will be plenty of Ubuntu users happy by this change for one less Snap, especially one that would have otherwise been premature and prone to additional problems.