this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2023
186 points (94.3% liked)

Linux

49521 readers
830 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I've been involved with Linux for a long time, and Flatpak almost seems too good to be true:
Just install any app on any distro, isolated from the base system and with granular rights management. I've just set up my first flatpak-centric system and didn't notice any issues with it at all, apart from a 1-second waiting time before an app is launched.

What's your long-term experience?

Notice any annoying bugs or instabilities? Do apps crash a lot? Disappear from Flathub or are unmaintained? Do you often have issues with apps that don't integrate well with your native system? Are important apps missing?

(page 3) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Most apps worked out of the box. It feels like gimp is a little bit (very tiny) slower at starting. For OpenTTD i had to manually add the x11 access in flatseal. And for osu! it is the only way i can play the current version, and that just works.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I haven't figured out an easy way to install a specific version of an app, which means that when an app update is broken I'm out of luck until a fix is released, so I'll install the snap of the app until then (Spotify is a recent example). Don't like that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

some things only work properly using Flatpak - Steam/CS:GO and Shotcut video editor, other things don't work well at all - VSCodium so it depends i guess. i use Arch/Gnome/AMD gpu

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

The couple of apps I use through flatpak has not had any issues as far as I can tell. Other than maybe being a little slow to get pushed to the newest version.

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

most flatpaks are awesome, it's my preferred way to get apps. except for steam and syncthing. for some reason no amount of fuckery in flatseal can get flatpak-steam to correctly recognize my game drive or flatpak-syncthing to actually sync files from certain locations. for everything else tho flatpaks rock

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Flatpaks are sandboxed to user space. I use Flatseal which allows you to grant flatpaks additional permissions. I used it to allow the flatpak version of syncthing to sync files that it otherwise lacked read/write permissions for.

That solution has worked really well for me and resolved my main frustration with flatpaks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

yeah I mentioned I used flatseal lol. Ive tried giving it specific narrow permissions and I've tried just enabling everything and giving it full perms but nothing works great the way other versions of syncthing and steam just work

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Syncthingy works great? Try either Flatseal or KDEs flatpak permission settings to add the directories you are missing. As long as all packages use Portals, either they are completely unisolated or they break in those ways. I prefer the second option and add the needed directories

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I just had to switch my work computer from Arch to Ubuntu becusse they want MDM on all computers now, and flatpaks are litetally the only reason i can tolerate it.

I now prioritise getting stuff from flatpaks, then the repos, and if they dont exist i use Distrobox to export any app thats only on the AUR for example.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I've been using Flatpak applications for a year (I think) and it's been wonderful. There are a few bugs here and there but overall way less headaches.

I can run my mature, rock solid Debian system and sell have the freshest builds of desktop software that I use.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

For recent machines it works fine, but on older machines it feels slower than non-encapsulated software.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I try to limit the apps i install from flathub cuz limited space.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

They work great on linux tablets such as PineTab2 and rooted Samsung Galaxy tablets running PMOS. Often, games work better via Flatpak than from the distro’s package manager.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Generally speaking, it has been a great experience for most apps I use. The only exception is Steam, it runs well, but sometimes I run into a few issues.

  • This might be due to me using an NVIDIA GPU, but after I do a graphics update, my game (Team Fortress 2) doesn't launch until I reset Steam.
  • I like joining a third party MvM servers through the website (potato.tf), sometimes joining the game causes a second instance of Steam to launch for some reason...
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Positive to the extent that it's my preferred. For graphical apps only, not sure I need to say that.

GitHub priority selection didn't seem to work, but I select that as a default.

Stable, a few bugs and the user mode addition/ removal is a bonus. I don't try to install low scored apps. I Gnome-Software and then Google for reviews.

Custom install of Fedora 38/Gnome.

[–] corsicanguppy 1 points 1 year ago

It attempts to copy binaries onto a system on a manner that avoids the single source of truth used for regular installables. So it invites dependency hell.

Is this the one that seems to need a binary running constantly in the vast in-between times when no installation is taking place? That would be a risk.

Never used it. I worked in OS security and don't need that stress either at work or home.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Starting delay for first time, then smooth sailing. But Flatpak has a major con over Snap - sandboxed system integration of programs.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (6 children)

I avoid it like the plague. It's fat and slow, and the Arch repos + the AUR have just about everything anyway (I use Arch btw, in case you're wondering). I'll sooner build from source than touch anything flatpak.

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

It's fat and slow

With modern hardware neither of those really are an issue. You can get a 1 TB nvme ssd for €50 and 2 TB for less than a 100. That should lend you plenty of storage and speed

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I still find it noticeable 🤷 I do have an nvme ssd, and while 50 eur is negligible to you or me, not everyone is so lucky, + there's no reason to create e-waste when your older hardware is working fine.

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›