Anyone else starting to favor Flatpak over native packages?
Anyone else starting to favor Flatpak over native packages?
I am currently using Linux Mint (after a long stint of using MX Linux) after learning it handles Nvidia graphics cards flawlessly, which I am grateful for. Whatever grief I have given Ubuntu in the past, I take it back because when they make something work, it is solid.
Anyways, like most distros these days, Flatpaks show up alongside native packages in the package manager / app store. I used to have a bias towards getting the natively packed version, but these days, I am choosing Flatpaks, precisely because I know they will be the latest version.
This includes Blender, Cura, Prusaslicer, and just now QBittorrent. I know this is probably dumb, but I choose the version based on which has the nicer icon.
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I have been for awhile. It also all exists in my home directory, so when I format my root and throw a different OS on, all my flatpaks are ready to go without installing any native packages. It's just a more consistent experience using flatpaks.
Whoa. I had not considered backing Home that way! That is slick.
Honestly, reinstalling or moving to a new distro is such a bear precisely due to the time setting up my environment and all the software. I KNOW I can script all this, or at least have a list of packages I use, but it does not really work when different package managers use different naming schemes.
Yeah as long as you at least copy your home user folder, then you're golden. I plan for my root to be wiped at any given time, so my important stuff lives in my home. That's why it's super nice with flatpaks! I believe if you install as user and system flatpaks, I think they both install in home? I'd stick to installing as a user for flatpaks if you can, it's the same end result anyways and I've never had an issue.
This has officially won me over. I am not a minimalist, nor do I have some principled view of package management. I care about computing, and I am all for anything that makes it easier. I am the kind of person who wants all the software I will ever think to use already installed. I see my computer like a library. It is a castle, not a tiny home. I don't give a shit about "wasted space." I can always buy more.
Containerization is awesome, and I will embrace it.
Just curious, what distro are you on right now?
I'm using Fedora, but thinking of swapping to Silverblue. If you're going full on containerization, I'd try Silverblue as an immutable system + containerized apps is definitely the future. Fedora/Silverblue is developed by Red Hat, who also develops flatpaks, so they all have some serious man power. But flatpaks are system agnostic so you can use whatever. I'd just recommend looking for immutable distros to future proof your system. Which flatpaks also has some of that built in too. I think the exact same way as you :)
Okay, I was between this and OpenSuse MicroOS. I guess it makes sense to use the distro by the company that makes the technology I want.
I was looking at trying MicroOS but I got the feeling it was for servers, but I haven't tried it so I'm guessing lol. I do know it's immutable though.
I will trial both I guess. See which I like more.
I am leaning towards Fedora just to have Pipewire and Walyand standard.
I am comfortable with any desktop enviroment as long as it is not KDE. I would rather use a mouseless tiling WM than that.
Then I'd try Silverblue. It's literally just Fedora Workstation but with their new immutable tech. It's incredibly stable once you install it and is built around having all your things running in containers. If shit fucks up, you can easily roll back to previous versions. Silverblue also has flavours in KDE and Sway. Since it's literally Fedora, it's also made by Red Hat and is what Fedora will eventually turn into.
I just remembered I have a lenovo gaming laptop that gets no love because it is huge and I stopped lugging it around when I inherited a MacBook Air.
Time to try it!
@mojo @DidacticDumbass As somebody who's not very knowledgeable about Linux, what is an immutable system?
I think what it means is that your OS layer is totally isolated from your User layer. So, installing software won't directly mess with your system, possibly breaking things.
Everything is isolated, so it is easy to add thing or roll back with practically no obstacles or consequences.