this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2023
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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?

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[–] [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

Don't really see the point of installing a whole other package manager, personally. If its not in the repos or AUR, I'll just compile from source.

[–] [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

They are great, I use them over the native package whenever I can on Fedora Workstation. Can't say I've had any issues with them in recent years.

[–] [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

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

My experience has been mostly positive. I hit a situation a couple times where a particular app hanging will prevent other flatpaks from launching. That took a while to figure out, but otherwise it’s pretty good. In general things work the way they’re supposed to.

[–] [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

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

Good for software that isn't available any other way.

I never use flatpaks if something is available in the Manjaro repository or AUR.

[–] [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

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

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.

[–] [email protected] 0 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* (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.

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