While Snap packages were introduced by Canonical with the aim of making software distribution more convenient and secure, many users in the Linux community find them undesirable, especially on Ubuntu-based distributions. Here’s why:
1. Performance Issues
Snap apps often have slower startup times compared to their native .deb counterparts. This is due to the way Snap mounts and runs applications in a sandboxed environment, which adds overhead—especially noticeable in larger applications like Chromium or LibreOffice.
2. Bloated and Redundant
Snap packages bundle all their dependencies, which makes them significantly larger. This leads to duplicate libraries across the system, wasting disk space and increasing download sizes unnecessarily.
3. Closed Infrastructure
Unlike .deb packages hosted on public mirrors, all Snap packages are distributed exclusively through Canonical’s Snap Store, which is closed source. This centralization goes against the decentralized and open-source ethos many Linux users value.
4. Lack of System Integration
Snap apps are sandboxed and often don’t integrate well with the rest of the system. You may face issues with:
- File dialogs not defaulting to expected directories
- Themes not applying correctly
- Missing system-level features or limited hardware access
5. Canonical Forcing Snap Adoption
Canonical has been aggressively pushing Snap onto users—pre-installing Snap on Ubuntu and even replacing traditional packages (like Chromium) with Snap versions without clear alternatives. This lack of choice has frustrated many users who prefer more control over their systems.
6. Poor Developer Adoption
Many developers still prefer Flatpak or traditional packaging systems. As a result, Snap often lags behind in updates or availability for certain apps compared to Flatpak or native .deb packages.
TL;DR
Snap may have its use cases, but its performance trade-offs, lack of transparency, forced adoption, and poor integration make it undesirable for many users on Ubuntu-based distributions. For better alternatives, many users turn to Flatpak or AppImage, which often align more closely with the principles of openness and user freedom.
Its gotten to the point where the ubuntu installer is not a snap and cannot find system drives to install onto because of permissions, canonical dun fucked up again!