this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2025
9 points (80.0% liked)

Pop!_OS (Linux)

5607 readers
2 users here now

Pop!_OS is an operating system developed by System76 for STEM and creative professionals who use their computer as a tool to discover and create. Unleash your potential on secure, reliable open source software. Based on your exceptional curiosity, we sense you have a lot of it.

Unleash your potential

Whether this is your first experience with Linux, or your latest adventure, all are welcome to discuss and ask questions about Pop!_OS and COSMIC. Keep the discussions friendly though, and remember to assume good intentions whenever you reply. We're all here because we have a shared love for Linux and open source software.

System76 Logo

Support us by buying System76 hardware for you or your company! Or by donating on the Pop!_OS website through the "Support Pop" button. Pop!_OS and COSMIC are fully funded by System76 hardware sales. All systems are assembled in the USA. With your support, we'll work to push the Linux desktop forward with COSMIC.

Links

Guides

Hardware

Recommended

Community Rules

Follow the Code of Conduct

All posts on pop_os must adhere to the Pop!_OS community Code of Conduct. https://github.com/pop-os/code-of-conduct

Be helpful

Posts to pop_os must be helpful. When responding to a user asking for help, do not provide tongue-in-cheek responses like "RTM" or links to LMGTFY. Linking to direct sources that answer the asker's question is fine, but it's advised to provide some explanation as to how you got to that source.

Critique should be constructive

We within the Pop!_OS community welcome helpful criticism or ideas on ways to improve. However, basic "It's bad" or other simple negative comments don't help anyone fix anything. When voicing a complaint about something, try to point out ways the complaint could be improved or worked around, so that we can make a better product for it.

This rule applies to both Pop!_OS and its projects as well as other products available from third-parties.

Don't post malicious "advice"

It can be funny to joke about malicious commands, however this is not the venue for it. Do not advise users to run commands which will lock up their systems, steal their data, or erase their drive. Examples of this include (but are not limited to) fork bombs, rm, etc.

Posts violating this rule will be removed, even if the post is clearly in jest. Repeated offences may lead to a ban. You may understand that the command isn't serious, but a new user might not.

No personal attacks

Posts making a personal attack on any user will not be tolerated.

No hate speech

Hate speech of any kind will not be tolerated. Any violations will be removed, and are grounds for a ban.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Hey All, I've hear lots of people talk positively about Flatpaks, but every app I've installed through Flatpaks simply won't work. They'll install and initially run ok, but the second you use the app either it just doesn't do what it is supposed to do or I get weird permission issues. Uninstalling then using the deb package or other direct installs gives me apps that actually work. And it seems the Pop Shop no longer gives me any identification of whether the app is a deb or flat pack.

Anything I can look into on the system to see if there is something on my end that needs changed? The more I hear Pop is heading down the Flatpak road, the more I'm thinking of hopping off the train.

top 15 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

I've never had an issue with flatpak. But if you do I recommend installing flatseal which can manage permissions for any flatpak app and give extra permissions if some are missing by default.

Keep using flatpak. Pop OS Deb packages are often updated slowly or just out of date permanently, and flatpak are very rarely out of date. (see lutris for my latest example)

It's good to sandbox apps. Not every app needs that much access to your system, it's great for privacy and security.

I also don't use the pop shop anymore. It's slow and bloated. I just use the flatpak or apt commands. Very simple and quick.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

No use using flatpak if the installed apps won't run properly. Be nice if they did, but they don't.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The first part of my comment was about flatseal. Have you tried that?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Currently, any flatpak apps that don't work properly are installed with other means, so I don't have any non-working apps . If I run into that again, I'll give it a try.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Installed with other means, meaning what? Flatseal is all about managing flatpaks that are already installed. Has nothing to do with installing them.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

The Deb installs mostly. Example, when I installed Lutris, it wouldn't allow me to install games on the extra NVMe drive I have in the system. I uninstalled Lutris and installed the deb version from the Pop Shop (when you COULD do that) and it allowed me to install games where I liked. Just chalked it up to a Flatpak problem. Now I have Lutris installed, use it without issues, and I'm not going to try and solve Flatpak issues by re-installing it. It's not worth my time.

I'm not looking for specific app help. Just had so many issues with different apps installed with Flatpak that I figured there might be something in the system or Flatpak itself that I needed to look into. I'll use Flatseal the next time I have an issue to see if that helps.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It’s not worth my time.

Did you not make this post asking how to fix Flatpaks? This is the answer.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Not the individual apps, no. Figured it might be something more systemic with Flatpak itself or my system. Was expecting to be pointed to logs to investigate.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

This might not be systemic, but it's something many flatpak apps deal with. I would generally recommend everyone using flatpaks also have flatseal.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

Another commenter recommended Flatseal. I now have it installed and I'll give it a shot when I run into an issue.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

What Flatpaks did you have issues with?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Calibre
Discord
Filebot
Lutris
OpenRGB
Proton Mail
ProtonUp-QT
Spotify

Only apps installed that I haven't had issues with flatpak:
Handbrake
Shortwave
Tor
Putty

Likely a few more that I uninstalled in frustration. And I'm not 100% sure about Handbrake. I stopped using it for the Blu-ray rips, and stuff that interacts with the filesystem tend to break the most in flatpaks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

Strange. Discord, ProtonMail, ProtonUp-Qt, and Spotify should all work perfectly. Except maybe some drag and drop issues for Discord and ProtonMail? And Discord's activity status is blocked from tracking you. What issues did you have specifically?

I can see OpenRGB having issues given that tries to talk to the hardware itself, did you install the udev rules?

Handbrake has access to all your files by default so that shouldn't be an issue.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 days ago

download comsic store it works way better

pop shop is trash, always has been.