Despite the fact that most come with a variety of programs pre-installed that meet the needs of the user, there are cases in which the quality or the tools provided by each program leave much to be desired.
In these cases, the best option is to purchase alternatives to these programs, and the safest way to do this is through the linux software repositoriesknown as Snaps.
These repositories contain a variety of applications and programs that can be installed on the computer to get the most out of it, and Right now we will tell you everything you need to know about these systems.
What are Snaps and what are these package formats used for in Linux?
It is known as Snaps to a universal software packaging system that is designed to work with Ubuntu, and all distributions derived from it, with the aim of facilitating the installation and execution of applications in any distro that offers support for Snap.
In summary, is a package manager that fulfills the function of hosting, downloading and installing compressed software to be executed in the operating system, thus allowing the user to access alternatives to the native applications of their respective distro.
What are the advantages of using Snaps to install programs on Linux?
Snaps are widely used on Linux distributions, so the advantages it offers are well known and extensivesince it provides great ease when it comes to managing and executing program installation packages.
Among the main advantages that we can find when using Snaps on Linux distros we can count the following:
- Install applications on Linux: It is considered one of the easiest, most accessible, and most secure ways to obtain software packages to install on our Linux operating system, regardless of the version.
- Compatibility with a wide variety of distributions: The swaps system is adapted to work on a large number of distributions. For starters, all Ubuntu-based distros are supported, and we can also count Arch Linux, CentOS, and Manjaro, among many others.
- Automatic Updates: Regardless of the base operating system, the Snaps system provides continuous updates for all available packages, and performs the process automatically.
- high level security: To keep the operating system secure, packages run in an environment known as a “sandbox”, which is provided by Snaps and keeps packages isolated from the rest of the system.
- Ease of management for developers: One of the main advantages of Snaps packages is that they include all the library dependencies necessary to run them, thus avoiding compatibility problems with other dependencies.
Snaps vs AppImage vs Flatpak Which is better and how are these formats different?
In the early years of linuxthe method used to obtain new software packages was insert some command lines that varied from distribution to distributionand the operating system performed the entire installation process.
However, due to Linux automation, the availability of software packages compatible with each distribution was greatly reducedso alternatives were created to get compatible applications easily, regardless of the distribution. This initiative resulted in three package management systems with global compatibility for any Linux distro.
These are:
- snaps: It was born as an initiative created by Canonical for the discontinued Ubuntu Touch distribution on mobile phones and since then it has spread to the most relevant distros. Allows you to download software packages with all requirements and dependencies included in a single file, and It also has the advantage of allowing updateswithout forcing the user to remove the old package before downloading the new one, as is the case with systems like AppImage.
- AppImage: is an application file image that Does not require installation or permissions to work. He was born in 2004 under the name of Klik. It offers application packages, which include the executable file, its libraries and dependencies, in a single file, independent of the distribution on which it is run. AppImage format applications will request execution permissions before being installedafter which they are automatically mounted on the user file system.
- Flatpack: It was designed to integrate smoothly and seamlessly into desktop environments such as KDE and GNOME, making it easy to interact with the GUI tools of the major Linux desktop environments. One of its main differences from AppImage and Snaps, is the fact that it doesn’t download all the dependencies in a single fileso it will be necessary to download a considerable number of packages, with the advantage that, since they are not compressed in a file, their weight is reasonably less.
While each of the software package management systems has its own advantages and disadvantagesSnaps continues to be one of the best options for its availability of applications and the work that its automatic updates routine saves the user.
List of the main snaps that you should install on Linux to maximize your operating system
Linux is an operating system with great potential that requires the use of the correct programs and applications to bring it up, which is why Snaps is one of the most useful features you can count on.
For this reason, we now present you with a list of the best Snap software packages you can get for Linux, so you can get to know your operating system better:
Spotify
Linux developers adapted the famous music streaming application to run on Linux terminals, allowing users of this OS to listen to their favorite songs and artists from the computer.
To download Spotify from Snap, open Terminal and enter the download command:
- sudo snap install spotify
When executing the command, Snap downloads a zipped executable file with all the dependencies needed to launch Spotify No problem. Although the experience may have certain differences with the application for windows either macOS, it is at least as satisfying.
skype
The popular video conferencing application is available for Linux operating systems via Snap repositories. Now you can make video calls from your Linux computer and keep in touch with your family or your work team.
The executable command to get the Skype Snap package is as follows:
- sudo snap install skype –classic
discord
It is one of the most popular voice and text chat applications of the moment, and was created with the intention of facilitating the communication of the players during the games. As is the case with all applications of linux, requires a basic knowledge of command lines to install via Snap. There is no need to worry, since installing it via Snap is not a difficult task.
Just open the command terminal and enter:
- sudo snap install discord
This is all you need for the system begins the installation of Discord and you can easily locate it in your applications menu. Now communication during your gaming sessions will not be a problem.
VLC
It is one of the most popular media players out there, due to its cross-platform support that lets you allows you to play all existing video formatsas well as audio, on DVD devices and through streaming protocols.
The software package of this application is available in the Snap repository, and to acquire it on your Linux computer you just have to execute this command in the terminal:
code
It is a programming tool works as a cross-platform code editor developed by Microsoft. is available for linux, and it’s a very popular tool thanks to its highly customizable nature and the amount of support it includes.
If you want to install Visual Studio Code on Linux using Snap, open the command terminal “CTRL + ALT + T” and enter the following line:
- sudo snap install –classic code
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