Not sure how they are forcing their users to use snaps any more than debian is forcing their users to use apt. It’s a package manager the distro is consciously supporting. If you don’t like snaps then you should probably just stop using Ubuntu.
Yes, I agreeing that symlinking sunsetted apt packages to install the snap version without prior notification is a bit underhanded: I can see they want to make the switch easy for casual users, but the transparency isn’t there for advanced users. I still think it’s a fine distro for newer and casual users.
People installed Ubuntu ages ago without snap. They were perfectly happy with that decision until Canonical decided to shove snap down their throats leaving them with three choices:
accept snaps
remove snaps painstakingly from your system entirely (Windows and Telemetry equivalent)
switch distro
There is a very clear divide between work needed to achieve these options so saying that snaps are forced on users is fair to say imo.
For an example how it should be done: Fedora ships with Flatpak support but I can chose if I want to install Firefox as a Flatpak or a RPM package.
Every distro decides what features to introduce and when. Distros and DEs are making the choice when to implement new standards like Wayland and Pipewire, GNOME shifts its features over time and in the latest release is redesigning how its window management workflow is going to work. When you choose a distro and DE, you’re choosing to trust them with these decisions. That doesn’t mean users are “forced.” Users can and will vote with their feet.
Ubuntu introduced snaps in 16.04, and has been gradually increasing their presence since then. Users have had 7 years to decide they don’t like them and change distros.
Not sure how they are forcing their users to use snaps any more than debian is forcing their users to use apt. It’s a package manager the distro is consciously supporting. If you don’t like snaps then you should probably just stop using Ubuntu.
Yes, I agreeing that symlinking sunsetted apt packages to install the snap version without prior notification is a bit underhanded: I can see they want to make the switch easy for casual users, but the transparency isn’t there for advanced users. I still think it’s a fine distro for newer and casual users.
People installed Ubuntu ages ago without snap. They were perfectly happy with that decision until Canonical decided to shove snap down their throats leaving them with three choices:
There is a very clear divide between work needed to achieve these options so saying that snaps are forced on users is fair to say imo. For an example how it should be done: Fedora ships with Flatpak support but I can chose if I want to install Firefox as a Flatpak or a RPM package.
Every distro decides what features to introduce and when. Distros and DEs are making the choice when to implement new standards like Wayland and Pipewire, GNOME shifts its features over time and in the latest release is redesigning how its window management workflow is going to work. When you choose a distro and DE, you’re choosing to trust them with these decisions. That doesn’t mean users are “forced.” Users can and will vote with their feet.
Ubuntu introduced snaps in 16.04, and has been gradually increasing their presence since then. Users have had 7 years to decide they don’t like them and change distros.
https://i.imgflip.com/81c783.jpg
When people use apt they get apt. That’s not the case with snap