What has been your experience with Flatpak?

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?

snugglebutt,
@snugglebutt@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

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.

Smokeydope,
@Smokeydope@lemmy.world avatar

Its quick and easy to install a flatpak which is the latest stable which is a godsend when the versions available through package manager are years out of date. Not everyone can compile from source or add an additional source repo. My only big issue is how bloated flatpaks are size wise and where stuff gets installed in my file system.

stella,

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

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

radioactiveradio,

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

Maragato,
@Maragato@eslemmy.es avatar

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

corsicanguppy,

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.

beeng,

deleted_by_author

    •
    stockRot,

    Flatpaks are integrated into the store. If you’re using fedora.

    If you’re using Ubuntu, then snaps are probably integrated. What I’m trying to say here is that your comment is useless if you’re not going to mention your OS

    BoneALisa,
    @BoneALisa@lemm.ee avatar

    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.

    jimmy90,

    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

    hatchet,

    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.

    Chaewon,
    @Chaewon@lemmygrad.ml avatar

    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.

    deadcatbounce,
    @deadcatbounce@reddthat.com avatar

    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.

    mcmodknower,

    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.

    Strit,
    @Strit@lemmy.linuxuserspace.show avatar

    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.

    CuriousTommy,

    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…
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