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Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

jatan.blog

291–300 of 645 posts

Re: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

#291

So I run Kubuntu on my work laptop (X1 Carbon) and just upgraded to 20.04 last weekend. I had a vague idea there were different competing standards for "linux apps that work across distribution" but didn't know people had such a problem with snap. It just seemed like a useful tool for installing proprietary stuff that wouldn't normally be packaged by the distribution. I just checked and the snaps I have that aren't f…

It's insecure-by-default. ...which in my mind means it's not really even Linux (hyperbole).

How is it insecure-by-default?

Re: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

#292
post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's insecure-by-default. ...which in my mind means it's not really even Linux (hyperbole).

How is it insecure-by-default?

Because on an Ubuntu Server, it's auto-deploying updates that I haven't even tested.

Re: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

#293

> Snap applications auto-update and that’s fine if Ubuntu wants to keep systems secure. But it can’t even be turned off manually. OMG. Is this real? This is the exact reason I use Linux instead of Windows 10 or macOS. I am not a grandma who can't stay up to date on tech news. At the least there should be a toggle for power users. But no, you can only defer it. Am I the only one who doesn't like it when your already s…

...dumb question: Does this apply to Ubuntu Server as well??? Because if so, I'm sticking with 18.04.

only if you install your server applications using snap

Re: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

#294

> Snap applications auto-update and that’s fine if Ubuntu wants to keep systems secure. But it can’t even be turned off manually. OMG. Is this real? This is the exact reason I use Linux instead of Windows 10 or macOS. I am not a grandma who can't stay up to date on tech news. At the least there should be a toggle for power users. But no, you can only defer it. Am I the only one who doesn't like it when your already s…

We work at remote sites on cell connections. Part of the reason we moved to Ubuntu from Windows was the ability to control data usage, which is expensive. Automatic updates quickly become a significant slice of the bill when random decisions like these get pushed on users. Ubuntu was supposed to help prevent us from needing to chase this.

Re: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

#295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For a consumer, sure. In a business setting, it seems irresponsible to be to allow every random server to have an un-inspectable VPN.

It seems irresponsible to inject devices into your network that that indiscriminately MITM all traffic and can easily be configured to log passwords and auth cookies, no matter what setting you're in.

It's basically the TSA of corporate networks. They need to inspect traffic because they can't control what devices show up in their environments and what malware might ride along side legitimate traffic.

Re: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

#296

> Snap applications auto-update and that’s fine if Ubuntu wants to keep systems secure. But it can’t even be turned off manually. OMG. Is this real? This is the exact reason I use Linux instead of Windows 10 or macOS. I am not a grandma who can't stay up to date on tech news. At the least there should be a toggle for power users. But no, you can only defer it. Am I the only one who doesn't like it when your already s…

...dumb question: Does this apply to Ubuntu Server as well??? Because if so, I'm sticking with 18.04.

I was using the regular version for remote desktop VMs. I don't know about the server version.

Re: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

#297

> Snap applications auto-update and that’s fine if Ubuntu wants to keep systems secure. But it can’t even be turned off manually. OMG. Is this real? This is the exact reason I use Linux instead of Windows 10 or macOS. I am not a grandma who can't stay up to date on tech news. At the least there should be a toggle for power users. But no, you can only defer it. Am I the only one who doesn't like it when your already s…

Yeah, lol, looks like I'm no longer an Ubuntu user. Now I have to figure out how to force-disable this for server software and corporate Linux desktop users. Jesus.

Re: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

#298
post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In your own company you're free to do what you want. I can understand the reason for this. Now that most suppliers treat their devices as 'black boxes' and call home to install updates whenever they want, the security team no longer has visibility nor control over this. So much stuff runs Linux which we don't manage but still has to have full access to our network. And public repositories have been compromised and sp…

> In your own company you're free to do what you want. No, it's corporate MITM specifically which should be illegal.

Why? Companies need to control what goes in and what goes out.

Re: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

#299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My two cents, you don't have to agree but thought I'd just add a different perspective. I prefer my own package manager (pacman) over snaps for the following reasons: 1) I like to upgrade on my own schedule. I use my computer for work, and I cannot have things break in the middle of the day or in the morning, just as I get started with work. I usually save upgrades for when I less things to do, so that in case stuff…

My position is not that certain users would prefer to update on their own schedule. Of course there are. Or that new updates sometimes break things and that's a hassle. Of course they do and it is. The problem is if you want to distribute an important security update, what do you do? Ask everyone nicely to upgrade? How? Again, what % of users will manually update their software? Not a lot. For #2, that seems like a r…

I guess that, exactly yes, they should ask! The problem people have is that there is no way to turn them off, not that they exist. This is nothing to do with change and everything to do with taking control away from the user. For some users, yes, that may be beneficial. But without at the very least giving the option you're also alienating many more. I want to update my system when it's convenient for me to do so (particularly because I'm currently in a location with very poor internet), not when I'm in the middle of important work, at the whim of my operating system.

Edit: Apparently you can set a preferred schedule for the updates (from another comment)? That's still one more thing I need to think about, that I shouldn't have to. Just make it optional and everyone is happy.

Re: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS’ snap obsession has snapped me off of it

#300
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s beyond obnoxious. It’s your computer and there’s no way to disable it from mutating without file system hacks?

There is. Don’t install Ubuntu. Use Debian.

Google rebased their in-house workstation OS from Ubuntu to Debian a few years ago. https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-moves-to-debian-for-in-... I wonder if snaps a contributing factor.
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