Developers of the Linux Mint distribution , in the upcoming release of Linux Mint 20, snap packages and snapd will not be included. Furthermore, automatic installation of snapd together with other packages installed via APT will be prohibited. If desired, users can manually install snapd, but its addition with other packages without the user's knowledge will be disallowed.
The issue lies in the fact that the Chromium browser is only distributed in Ubuntu 20.04 in the Snap format, while a placeholder is placed in the DEB repository; attempting to install it will automatically install Snapd without asking the user, connecting to the directory. , the Chromium package in snap format is downloaded and a script runs to transfer current settings from the $HOME/.config/chromium directory. This deb package in Linux Mint will be replaced with an empty package that does not perform any installation actions but outputs a notice about where users can obtain Chromium on their own.
Canonical has switched to delivering Chromium only in the snap format and has stopped creating deb packages. of maintaining Chromium for all supported branches of Ubuntu. Browser updates occur frequently, and new deb packages had to be thoroughly tested for regressions for each Ubuntu release. The use of snap has significantly simplified this process, allowing for the preparation and testing of only one snap package, common to all versions of Ubuntu. Additionally, delivering the browser in snap allows it to run in , created using the AppArmor mechanism, protecting the rest of the system in case of a vulnerability exploitation in the browser.
Linux Mint's dissatisfaction relates to the imposition of the Snap Store service and the loss of control over packages when installed from snap. Developers cannot make fixes to such packages, manage their delivery, or conduct audits of changes. All activities related to snap packages are conducted behind closed doors and are not under community control. Snapd runs in the system with root privileges, posing a significant In the event of infrastructure compromise. The ability to switch to alternative Snap directories is not provided. The developers of Linux Mint believe that this model is little different from supplying proprietary software and are concerned about uncontrolled changes. The installation of snapd without the user's knowledge when attempting to install packages via the APT package manager is compared to a backdoor connecting the computer to the Ubuntu Store.
Source: opennet.ru
