If you’re an ubuntu user for quite some time, you could have been recently hearing about Snap or snap applications (snaps). But you’ve been wondering about what they are and why they are becoming the norm in installing software (and apps) in Linux, how many snap apps are available and how you could use them. That is is what this post we be about. So lets get started.
What are snaps?
Snaps is a containerize form of packaging application across a wide range of hardware platforms like desktop, mobile, cloud and IoT devices.
Snap is ..
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Simple to package, leveraging your existing tools
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Automatic updates for everyone
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Reach tens of millions of Linux systems
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Roll back versions effortlessly
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Integrate easily with build and CI infrastructure
The snap software package distribution system was developed by canonical (the company behind the development of ubuntu Linux distribution) and it has become a major way some popular desktops apps are installed on ubuntu. And many other Linux distribution also now supports snap packages.
It is a system that allows software packages to be “bundled” with their runtime libraries (dependencies) that is needed to run the application. All this happens without affecting app configurations of the rest of the system. This is because snaps are confined from the operating system (OS); and though they can communicate with the system and with each other.
The language of development is not a barrier. As it supports many major programming languages and frameworks like C/C++, Java, Python, Go, Node.JS, Electron, Ruby etc.
Snaps provide efficiently for developers using the platform with its automatic updates, and security features that ensure that they work with the latest versions of development apps.
Some snap APPS:
App users can benefit from the rich and powerful applications that are available to install with a simple click of a button from the snap store. Ranging from developer tools (e.g. Visual Studio Code, Android Studio, Sublime Text, Atom, node, Kotlin, Eclipse, powershell) to utilities (e.g. Telegram Desktop, VLC, Skype, Slack, Google Play Music Desktop).
At this rate the true universal Linux package system is closer to be achieved. And it is going a long way to increase the progression and unification of Linux experience in the desktop world.
Happy Linux’NG!
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