Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap • Hacker News Board

Re: Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap

#31

Post by seabird » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 3:09 PM UTC

edent wrote: post #6

turblety wrote: post #2

I really despise the idea/existence of app stores. Why can't a publishers website be their store front, then from that site, you can run (or "download"/"install" if you must) the app? Technically it looks like that would actually work [1]. They could host the `.snap` file. Although I'm sure snap will add friction to this (as in, not simple let you open and click "Install") from a downloaded snap file, as they probabl…

Because that doesn't solve the discovery problem. People want an easy way to find new things. Whether that's `apt search` or Google Play.

Do Linux users installing software actually have a "discovery problem"? The usual solution is to go to google.com and find in-depth information on the options available for a given class of software, with user reviews, notes on strengths and shortcomings, etc. I have never visited a store first on a desktop OS, and even average users of mobile OS' that I know will fire up Google first if they're actually trying to find the best implementation of X app. I don't know a single person that has anything good to say about the Windows app store.

The Year of the Linux Desktop isn't now, and it may never happen. Even if it does, I don't think any of the hypothetical "normie" Linux users would really care for it all that much. Trying to be the devil's advocate for things like the Snap store benefits a group of users that doesn't exist in any timeline at the expense of current users in this timeline.

Re: Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap

#32

Post by timtom39 » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 3:10 PM UTC

edent wrote: post #6

turblety wrote: post #2

I really despise the idea/existence of app stores. Why can't a publishers website be their store front, then from that site, you can run (or "download"/"install" if you must) the app? Technically it looks like that would actually work [1]. They could host the `.snap` file. Although I'm sure snap will add friction to this (as in, not simple let you open and click "Install") from a downloaded snap file, as they probabl…

Because that doesn't solve the discovery problem. People want an easy way to find new things. Whether that's `apt search` or Google Play.

Yea, don't bucket Linux users in with typical Google and Apple store users. I need no help "discovering" software through some companies arbitrary filter. I can use google, github, hacker news, etc.

Re: Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap

#33

Post by warent » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 3:11 PM UTC

This is really sad because I've become a huge Ubuntu fanboy in the last year, but this behavior is unacceptable. They need to fix their processes and be more dev friendly or they're going to lose allies.

Re: Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap

#34

Post by politelemon » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 3:12 PM UTC

This issue was also raised on their GitHub

https://github.com/snapcrafters/signal-desktop/issues/70

Re: Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap

#35

Post by dekhn » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 3:12 PM UTC

snap is garbage. For a while when it first came out, it had newer packages than Ubuntu. But then, over time, most of the packages went stale. Every snap I install requires --classic (which overrides the sandbox). I wish they would just kill it.

Re: Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap

#36

Post by biasedestimate » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 3:12 PM UTC

ilaksh wrote: post #30

Well, I have been using Ubuntu for many years. This kind of thing, centralizing packages and removing one without explanation etc makes me think I should move on. I suppose the alternative is to switch to Debian? Or maybe there is something totally different that is becoming popular that I don't know about yet?

Just switch to Mint, it is as stable / easy as Ubuntu and 100% snap free.

Re: Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap

#37

Post by pooper » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 3:12 PM UTC

sschueller wrote: post #10

To any app dev. If your app is only available via snap I will not be using it. Also certbot, shame on you for removing the Debian repository in favor of snap.

> Also certbot, shame on you for removing the Debian repository in favor of snap.

Yes, this deserves shaming.

> https://certbot.eff.org/instructions

> The Certbot snap supports the x86_64, ARMv7, and ARMv8 architectures. While we strongly recommend that most users install Certbot through the snap, you can find alternate installation instructions here.

Shame on you, certbot and EFF. Of all people, I expected better from you.

For my Fedora people, looks like we can directly install with `dnf`. Debian aptitude people should prefer the same.

  Available Packages
  Name         : certbot
  Version      : 1.30.0
  Release      : 1.fc36
  Architecture : noarch
  Size         : 44 k
  Source       : certbot-1.30.0-1.fc36.src.rpm
  Repository   : updates
  Summary      : A free, automated certificate authority client
  URL          : https://pypi.python.org/pypi/certbot
  License      : Apache-2.0
  Description  : certbot is a free, automated certificate authority that aims
               : to lower the barriers to entry for encrypting all HTTP traffic on the internet.

Re: Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap

#38

Post by cmeacham98 » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 3:12 PM UTC

ifeeltriedboss wrote: post #24

I wonder why Signal opposes flatpak so much. As far as I remember, they insist on sticking to .deb package only [1]. Seems like switching to Flatpak would benefit a lot of people now because of Steam Deck-induced Flatpak popularity [2]. 1. https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Desktop/issues/1639 2. https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/tiidh8/comment/i1em...

There is a Signal flatpak (https://github.com/flathub/org.signal.Signal), I'm unsure if the Signal devs are involved in it or not.

Re: Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap

#39

Post by siwatanejo » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 3:13 PM UTC

ilaksh wrote: post #30

Well, I have been using Ubuntu for many years. This kind of thing, centralizing packages and removing one without explanation etc makes me think I should move on. I suppose the alternative is to switch to Debian? Or maybe there is something totally different that is becoming popular that I don't know about yet?

As for me, I'll keep ubuntu but I'll start using flatpak instead of snap.

Re: Snap Store administrators removed signal-desktop from Ubuntu Snap

#40

Post by runlevel1 » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 3:13 PM UTC

sarnowski wrote: post #13

mort96 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another perspective: Canonical's IoT offering, Ubuntu Core, is based around the idea that Canonical provides the base operating system, and you provide your software as a snap, uploaded to Canonical's snap store, and you push updates to your IoT product by pushing an updated snap to the store. That has always rubbed me the wrong way, but "Canonical will just delete the snap and not respond to questions about why" was…

And last time I checked, they refused to let you use your own signing keys. Means you do not get end to end trust for your own bits but need to rely on Canonical that they don’t screw up - with the obvious effect of strong vendor lock-in as I cannot sign and run my own bits.

How does that work? I would have expected Canonical to just be the CA.