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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.

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Anyone else starting to favor Flatpak over native packages? (lemmy.one)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

263 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I am currently using Linux Mint (after a long stint of using MX Linux) after learning it handles Nvidia graphics cards flawlessly, which I am grateful for. Whatever grief I have given Ubuntu in the past, I take it back because when they make something work, it is solid.

Anyways, like most distros these days, Flatpaks show up alongside native packages in the package manager / app store. I used to have a bias towards getting the natively packed version, but these days, I am choosing Flatpaks, precisely because I know they will be the latest version.

This includes Blender, Cura, Prusaslicer, and just now QBittorrent. I know this is probably dumb, but I choose the version based on which has the nicer icon.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yes, but only for apps that which I want to be on the very latest versions. One might ask why I don't use a rolling release distro, that's because I prefer a solid LTS base.

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

That is absolutely the best usecase. There are only a handful of apps I need to be the latest version.

I am mostly using native packages.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

@DidacticDumbass
You can set Debian to prefer installing from stable unless you explicitly request otherwise. That works on a per-package basis.

Presumably you could do the same with any apt-based distro, but I've not tried it.
@agelord

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Flatpak is the simplest solution for me.

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

I usually use the terminal, so that is something I need to make sure of. Otherwise, using the Software Store I can explicitly choose which version to use.

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

@DidacticDumbass
This runs you through the setup: https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/8049/how-to-install-some-packages-from-unstable-debian-on-a-computer-running-stabl#8051

Once it's in place, I've had no issues.

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

Neat. I was wondering how to do that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Debian stable + flatpaks.

I want to be on the latest Firefox and to have the latest LibreOffice and some other apps. I want the latest applications, but I don't want them come at the expense of having my system randomly lose its Wifi at the next boot or some other trash.

FreeBSD had this figured out 25 years ago. Separate the base from the user apps. When I was a teenager, I built -current ports on top of -stable FreeBSD and it was fine.

Now we have the equivalent option in Linux, and it comes from a centrally managed repository i.e. I'm not downloading tarballs and managing my own packages. I'm too old for that crap.