Exactly. If you’re an Ubuntu user and don’t mind snaps, great. If you’re an Ubuntu user and hate snaps, why not just use one of the thousand other distros out there that don’t have snap?
On Ubuntu, even if you remove all snaps and snapd, apt commands are hijacked and will reinstall everything if you touch certain packages. The better solution is to not use anything from Canonical.
For me it was the entry point, I heard everywhere it is the “beginners distro”. That was about 4 years ago, now sentiment changed and people are recommending Mint instead.
TL;DR (Summary)
zr0 is expressing a flat rejection of Ubuntu as a valid Linux choice, likely due to Canonical’s decisions around Snap and other user-hostile defaults. They see no redeeming reason for anyone to run Ubuntu — especially with better alternatives like Debian or Arch available.
List all said “decisions and defaults” that would incur such an unfavorable verdict from a seasonned linux user ?
Snap Package System (snapd)
This feels to many like vendor lock-in — a betrayal of open-source ideals.
Data Collection (“Ubuntu Phone Home”)
Though anonymized, the default opt-in raised privacy concerns
Amazon Search Integration in Dash (Ubuntu 12.10–16.04)
Eventually removed, but left a lasting stain on Canonical’s reputation.
Abandoning MIR and Unity — Then Reversing
Bundling Bloat / Non-Free Software by Default
Canonical’s Commercial Focus
LTS-Only Philosophy in Flavors and PPAs
Centralized Development Model
Ubuntu is technically “open source,” but most decisions come top-down from Canonical.
Snap is developed behind closed doors, then pushed downstream.
System Resource Usage
Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop and background services (like Snap, Tracker, etc.) are heavy on RAM and CPU.
Difficulty Removing Canonical Components
Removing Snap, cloud-init, or motd-news (system message ads) often takes manual, repeated effort.
System update may reintroduce unwanted packages.
This gives a feeling of a system that’s working against the user.
Around 2021, I regularly ran into this problem with the Firefox snap. It had various runtime issues, so I preferred the traditional deb package. I’d uninstall the snap then install the deb. Then, some days later, I’d find the snap was somehow installed again. This happened a few times before I realized that the deb was just installing the snap. Imo, that’s not a good design. Debs should be debs and snaps should be snaps.
Anyhow, I use Arch now, btw. Much more consistent experience.
Somewhat unorthodox but on my Deian system I’ve for a long time just installed the firefox tar.bz package from mozilla.org in /usr/local with /usr/local/firefox/firefox liinked to /usr/local/bin/firefox. Updated system wide whenever necessary. Lately I just installed the .deb from mozilla.org allowed it to add its’ own repo to /etc/apt/sources.list.d and have been living happily after.
Is this something that happens on Ubuntu or something? My Debian system hasn’t pulled in any snap stuff to my knowledge.
Yup, it’s an Ubuntu thing.
No idea why someone would run Ubuntu and then be surprised that snaps are enabled.
EDIT:
Yes, I already knew that Canonical keeps re-enabling snaps even if you uninstall/disable it - my original statement still stands.
Exactly. If you’re an Ubuntu user and don’t mind snaps, great. If you’re an Ubuntu user and hate snaps, why not just use one of the thousand other distros out there that don’t have snap?
It’s not that they’re enabled, it’s that they can re-enable themselves after updates even if the users disables Snaps and removes snapd.
Had this issue with Ubuntu on my Dads laptop before I switched it to Debian.
Sounds like something Microsoft would do!
Its something capitalism does.
You didn’t hear that Microsoft is getting into Linux? They’re going to call it mi-cux
Ubuntu is propped up by Microsoft (Azure)
@fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com posted a how-to to get rid of snap permanently by using apt pinning:
https://lemmy.nowsci.com/comment/14911535
404 :/
Strange. The link no longer works for me either. Anyway, it’s here under this post:
My first mention. I’m honored.
On Ubuntu, even if you remove all snaps and snapd, apt commands are hijacked and will reinstall everything if you touch certain packages. The better solution is to not use anything from Canonical.
No idea why someone would run Ubuntu. Full Stop.
From my experience it is people who used Linux 15 years ago and are just now coming back
They missed the part where Ubuntu enshitified
For me it was the entry point, I heard everywhere it is the “beginners distro”. That was about 4 years ago, now sentiment changed and people are recommending Mint instead.
work requirement 😔
Still better than windows.
absolutely
…needs of shoe-horning linux on to microsoft device :(
TL;DR (Summary)
zr0 is expressing a flat rejection of Ubuntu as a valid Linux choice, likely due to Canonical’s decisions around Snap and other user-hostile defaults. They see no redeeming reason for anyone to run Ubuntu — especially with better alternatives like Debian or Arch available.
List all said “decisions and defaults” that would incur such an unfavorable verdict from a seasonned linux user ?
This feels to many like vendor lock-in — a betrayal of open-source ideals.
Though anonymized, the default opt-in raised privacy concerns
Eventually removed, but left a lasting stain on Canonical’s reputation.
Ubuntu is technically “open source,” but most decisions come top-down from Canonical.
Snap is developed behind closed doors, then pushed downstream.
Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop and background services (like Snap, Tracker, etc.) are heavy on RAM and CPU.
Removing Snap, cloud-init, or motd-news (system message ads) often takes manual, repeated effort.
System update may reintroduce unwanted packages.
This gives a feeling of a system that’s working against the user.
Do you agree with that assessment user “zr0” ?
It’s about Snap being an impurgeable rootkit on your machine. It’s the same as Onedrive or Copilot on Windows.
My surprise would be something like “what’s snap didn’t I remove whatever that was”.
Around 2021, I regularly ran into this problem with the Firefox snap. It had various runtime issues, so I preferred the traditional deb package. I’d uninstall the snap then install the deb. Then, some days later, I’d find the snap was somehow installed again. This happened a few times before I realized that the deb was just installing the snap. Imo, that’s not a good design. Debs should be debs and snaps should be snaps.
Anyhow, I use Arch now, btw. Much more consistent experience.
Somewhat unorthodox but on my Deian system I’ve for a long time just installed the firefox tar.bz package from mozilla.org in /usr/local with /usr/local/firefox/firefox liinked to /usr/local/bin/firefox. Updated system wide whenever necessary. Lately I just installed the .deb from mozilla.org allowed it to add its’ own repo to /etc/apt/sources.list.d and have been living happily after.