this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2025
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I'm admittedly yelling at cloud a bit here, but I like package managers just fine. I don't want to have to have a plurality of software management tools. However, I also don't want to be caught off guard in the future if applications I rely on begin releasing exclusively with flatpak.

I don't develop distributed applications, but Im not understanding how it simplifies dependency management. Isn't it just shifting the work into the app bundle? Stuff still has to be updated or replaced all the time, right?

Don't maintainers have to release new bundles if they contain dependencies with vulnerabilities?

Is it because developers are often using dependencies that are ahead of release versions?

Also, how is it so much better than images for your applications on Docker Hub?

Never say never, I guess, but nothing about flatpak really appeals to my instincts. I really just want to know if it's something I should adopt, or if I can continue to blissfully ignore.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

Flatpak is supposed to "just work" everywhere.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The risk of dependency vulnerabilities is real.

Also, flatpak packages are not digitally signed, unlike apt and all other major Linux distro package managers.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Do you have a resource I can take a look at for what this implies at what it accomplishes?

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

Sure, here are some:

http://security.stackexchange.com/questions/259088/ddg#270934

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_signature

The main feature would be that if flathub (or a hacker with access to flathub) acted maliciously, digital signatures would prevent them from issuing malware infested updates to flatpaks. Only the software's originator would have the cryptographic key needed to sign releases of the software.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

I'm using MX Linux AHS, it is Debian based, it is always up to date, like latest firefox a few hours after it's out, kernel 6.12.17 as of today, etc.

It has no systemd, no snap, no flatpak. It just uses the good old .deb and everything is working fine.

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

Glad it is working well for you. What does that have to do with this post?

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

no flatpak. chill.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I mostly do. 99.9% of the software I use is a Debian package. Well on Debian anyway. I do have one AppImage.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Arch based distros (except for Manjaro) has every FOSS and some proprietary software on the AUR

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Let me try to clarify what you are saying.

You are saying that the AUR “has every FOSS and some proprietary software”. Yep. That is why I add an Arch Distrobox to every system regardless of the host distro.

But what do you mean by “except Manjaro”? Most Manjaro fans will say that Manjaro also supports the AUR. They are correct that you can certainly enable it and start installing packages from there.

I assume you are warning that, because Manjaro maintains its own base repos and has different package versions in it than Arch does, that Manjaro is incompatible with the AUR and that using the AUR with Manjaro will cause problems. If that is what you are saying, I agree with you.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

I never use flatpaks and am doing just fine. I don't want my packages to be installed from a bunch of different places; I want it all managed by one package manager, which for me is my distro package manager. I've never noticed a problem arising out of not using flatpaks; everything I want is either already packaged for me, or I can make a package myself.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago

That's what I do. But then I mostly use Arch or Arch based distros (e.g. EndeavourOS). So I have access to AUR. If something isn't on AUR (very rare, but can happen), I just create the package for it and publish to AUR. I do use some AlmaLinux machines as server. I don't really need many programs outside of the standard repos there since I use them mostly for hosting Docker images. But if I do need to install something like that, I've some self-written LURE install scripts.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Just use Nix. It can run all the packages on whatever platform. It has the largest repository of software & are some of the most up-to-date.

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