Re: What exactly is Snap or Flatpack ?

From	Rich <rich@example.invalid>
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.misc
Subject	Re: What exactly is Snap or Flatpack ?
Date	2024-10-19 19:55 +0000
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<vf12sb$tb1$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	<slrnvh80eq.2vpb7.lars@cleo.beagle-ears.com>

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Lars Poulsen <lars@cleo.beagle-ears.com> wrote:
> I feel like I have been living under a rock for the the last decade
> whenever people mention /snap/ and /flatpack/.
> 
> 1) Are they the same idea as /kubernetes/, and if not, then what is
>    *that*?

In a /similar/ ballpark, but not quite /the same/:

Snap: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap_(software)

Flatpak: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatpak

> 2) What is the difference between them (other than that they are two
>    incompatible brands, like /apt/ and /yum/ (aka /dnf/) are functionally
>    the same thing, but incompatible with each other)?

They are very similar to each other, to the point that one looks to be 
a NIH syndrome [1] of the other.

> Is it just packaging the executable with all the libraries it references
> and a wrapper that sets up paths to those libraries, or is there a
> virtual machine involved?

Both run inside a "sandbox".  So they therefore depend upon whether 
your definition of "virtual machine" extends to include "sandboxed" 
software.

> Do these wrapped applications see the full file system, or is there a
> shell game of /chroot/ and links or loopback mounts to break out?

Presumably they have a limited view of the native filesystem.  The snap 
wikipedia page says "limited access to the host system" but does not 
define if the "limits" included "limited access to native filesystem".  
The Flatpak wikipedia page says "Flatpak[s] need permission to access 
... files" so it somewhat more explicitly implies a limited view of the 
native filesystem.

> At 74 I am old, but I hope to still learn some new things!

[1] Not Invented Here

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Thread

What exactly is Snap or Flatpack ? Lars Poulsen <lars@cleo.beagle-ears.com> - 2024-10-19 19:00 +0000
  Re: What exactly is Snap or Flatpack ? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2024-10-19 19:55 +0000
    Re: What exactly is Snap or Flatpack ? Phillip Frabott <nntp@fulltermprivacy.com> - 2024-10-19 17:32 -0400
      Re: What exactly is Snap or Flatpack ? Lars Poulsen <lars@cleo.beagle-ears.com> - 2024-10-20 01:11 +0000
        Re: What exactly is Snap or Flatpack ? stepore <stepore@be.here.now> - 2024-10-19 20:40 -0700
          Re: What exactly is Snap or Flatpack ? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2024-10-20 03:57 +0000
            Re: What exactly is Snap or Flatpack ? not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev) - 2024-10-21 07:02 +1000
  Re: What exactly is Snap or Flatpack ? Woozy Song <suzyw0ng@outlook.com> - 2024-10-20 08:31 +0800

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