{"id":1084,"date":"2026-05-07T16:59:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/?page_id=1084"},"modified":"2026-05-22T11:49:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T09:49:20","slug":"snaps","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/en\/deutsch-snaps\/","title":{"rendered":"Snaps"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"block-73e29e4e-601a-4e2e-a88b-d23804203efa\">Snap is the name of Ubuntu\u2019s native, but universal container format for applications. Snaps are seamlessly integrated into every Ubuntu system and receive automatic updates from the preconfigured <a href=\"http:\/\/Snapcraft.io\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"Snapcraft.io\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Snapcraft.io<\/a> repository. The snapd service handles that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Snaps may be used on every Linux distribution, where snapd is available. However, most distros prefer using the competing format, Flatpak. The Ubuntu derivative Linux Mint has gone as far as <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxmint-user-guide.readthedocs.io\/en\/latest\/snap.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blocking snaps<\/a>, disabling them by default in the Apt package manager. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Advantages and disadvantages of container formats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Snaps have similar advantages to their competing format, Flatpaks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Security:<\/strong> Applications run in a sandbox. Similar to smartphones, access to the file system, location services, etc., can be restricted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Escape from Dependency Hell:<\/strong> Applications are packaged with all the necessary libraries inside the container, so they work across different distributions and versions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Relief for Developers:<\/strong> Instead of building and maintaining packages for individual distribution formats (deb, rpm, apk, etc.), developers only need to provide the Snap.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Up-to-date Software:<\/strong> Although there are many more deb packages than Snaps, some applications are only offered as Snaps or are available in newer versions as Snaps than their older packaged counterparts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, this also leads to some disadvantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Size:<\/strong> Snaps are significantly larger than traditional deb packages because they must include all the libraries required for their function.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Potential Unreliability:<\/strong> Unlike packages controlled by maintainers, Snaps are managed by developers or third parties. They can be abandoned or even used for malware distribution .<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Crypto scams raising security issues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fraudulent crypto wallet apps have appeared multiple times in the Snap Store. In one case, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.popey.com\/2024\/02\/exodus-bitcoin-wallet-490k-swindle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$490,000 was stolen<\/a>; in another, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.popey.com\/2026\/01\/malware-purveyors-taking-over-published-snap-email-domains\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scammers took over the domain of a former Snap publisher and thus their account<\/a> to continue their scheme under a new guise. All of this has been documented by a former Canonical employee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In summary, similar caution is advised before installing Snaps as with using PPAs and third-party sources. Despite automated checks and \u2014 since the crypto scams \u2014 reviews by real people, only Snaps from trusted sources are truly safe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201cOfficial\u201d Snaps:<\/strong> The program\u2019s or publisher\u2019s homepage should provide a download link pointing to the Snap Store. Well-known official Snaps come from Spotify, Microsoft (VS Code), and Google (Cloud SDK).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Source \u201cSnapcrafters\u201d:<\/strong> Snaps marked with this source indication can be assumed to be created by Canonical employees or well-known community members.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Verified sources<\/strong> are marked with a green badge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"block-ea6b6933-12e4-4029-ab0b-5b4b37533f81\">Installing snaps from the App Center<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-e7b2758d-994f-4172-bbd3-b81039ef52d9\">On the Ubuntu desktop, Snaps are offered alongside the traditional deb packages in the App Center, the graphical software management tool. Some applications are available both as Snaps and as traditional packages. In such cases, you should carefully consider which version you want. The search in the App Center can also be specifically filtered by &#8220;Debian packages&#8221; or &#8220;Snaps.&#8221; Some snaps come in stable, beta or edge versions. You should prefer the stable version to the development versions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-a6c0762b-7014-4c5c-9f8d-31c528a68e9d\">Certain core applications like the browsers <a href=\"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/portfolio\/firefox\/\" data-type=\"portfolio\" data-id=\"59\">Firefox<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/portfolio\/chromium\/\" data-type=\"portfolio\" data-id=\"56\">Chromium<\/a> or the email program <a href=\"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/portfolio\/thunderbird\/\" data-type=\"portfolio\" data-id=\"220\">Thunderbird<\/a> have been installed by Ubuntu as Snaps by default for several years. It goes so far that even running<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre id=\"block-aafcd66e-b532-44e2-be7a-6629cd378c30\" class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>$ apt install firefox<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-65f5ee9f-cfad-402c-8300-566675f15333\">on the command line does not install the Deb package, but the Snap instead. Here, your only option is to set up Mozilla\u2019s own package source (yes, Mozilla builds its own Deb packages) and use Apt pinning to configure the package management so that Firefox is installed from the alternative source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Pre-installed snaps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It started with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, when Firefox was forced to be installed as a snap. Over the years, more snaps were added. Here is a list of snaps installed on a fresh Ubuntu 26.04 LTS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>$ snap list\nName Version Rev Tracking Publisher Notes\nbare 1.0 5 latest\/stable canonical\u2713 base\ncore24 20260317 1587 latest\/stable canonical\u2713 base\ndesktop-security-center 0+git.80cd2b4 150 1\/stable\/\u2026 canonical\u2713 -\nfirefox 149.0.2-1 8107 latest\/stable\/\u2026 mozilla\u2713 -\nfirmware-updater 0+git.5645b80 226 1\/stable\/\u2026 canonical\u2713 -\ngnome-46-2404 0+git.f1cd5fa-sdk0+git.ca9c59c 153 latest\/stable\/\u2026 canonical\u2713 -\ngtk-common-themes 0.1-81-g442e511 1535 latest\/stable\/\u2026 canonical\u2713 -\nmesa-2404 25.0.7-snap211 1165 latest\/stable\/\u2026 canonical\u2713 -\nprompting-client 0+git.2e14a72 204 1\/stable\/\u2026 canonical\u2713 -\nsnap-store 0+git.10310e85 1367 2\/stable\/\u2026 canonical\u2713 -\nsnapd 2.75.2 26865 latest\/stable canonical\u2713 snapd\nsnapd-desktop-integration 0.9 361 latest\/stable\/\u2026 canonical\u2713 -\nthunderbird 140.9.1esr-1 1057 latest\/stable\/\u2026 canonical\u2713 -\nubuntu-desktop-bootstrap 26.04 589 26.04\/stable canonical\u2713 classic<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Snap critique<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Within the notoriously contentious Linux community, there are a few particularly vocal critics who have nothing good to say about Snaps. Main points of criticism are directed at the Snap Store, which is a centralized entity (in contrast to the potentially decentralized distribution of Flatpaks) and whose code is not completely open source. Snaps are, according to common criticism, just another unilateral effort by Canonical. While some arguments are basically correct, others are typical Canonical bashing. On a standard Ubuntu system, you certainly cannot avoid Snaps anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"block-b9093ebc-0d2d-465d-bf1f-d49aa7e245d9\">Managing snaps from the command line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-11087bf6-bee2-4109-af4c-3c055473a157\">The basics are similar to the usage of Debian&#8217;s apt tool:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre id=\"block-25276bf2-07c8-49e9-b061-6641e299bd0e\" class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>$ snap install &lt;snap-name&gt;<br>$ snap remove &lt;snap-name&gt;<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>To get a list of all snaps installed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>$ snap list <\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-3a507cd0-569f-499d-9375-14dc298e6d34\">Snaps also save snapshots before they are updated or uninstalled. Snapshots include user settings and application data and are deleted by default after 31 days. To manually delete a snapshot, proceed as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre id=\"block-113800f9-760d-4245-8aa4-5e861c22e589\" class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>$ snap saved # alle Snapshots mit ihren IDs listen<br>$ snap forget &lt;id-Nummer&gt; # einen Snapshot l\u00f6schen<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-08b01af3-3053-497b-9cd3-8f5f9ece6987\">When uninstalling a snap, a final snapshot is created. This can be prevented with the purge option:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre id=\"block-f8379cbf-40bf-43ba-97ee-a02dcb9cc523\" class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>snap remove --purge &lt;snap-name&gt;<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">How do snaps work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like every container format, Snaps require a lot of storage space. Canonical tries to confront this problem with several measures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Snaps are stored as SquashFS filesystems, which are designed to be compressed. This has a disadvantage too: snaps must be decompressed upon first execution, which may prolong the starting time more or less \u2013 depending on the hardware. Because of slow starting times with the Firefox snap the developers have changed \u2013 among other things \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/snapcraft.io\/blog\/improving-firefox-snap-performance-part-3\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/snapcraft.io\/blog\/improving-firefox-snap-performance-part-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the compression algorithm<\/a>. However, snaps are starting slower by design, the older\/slower the hardware, the more you notice it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Snaps package many, but not all dependencies, just like Flatpaks. To save space, Ubuntu has base packages for the core, the desktop environment and the theming, which must be installed only once (actually, they are pre-installed in Ubuntu).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When snaps get updated, the download size is minimized thanks to so-called deltas: Instead of downloading the entire Snap, only the changed parts must be downloaded.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Where are snaps stored?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All snaps are stored in \/var\/lib\/snapd\/snaps and are mounted at \/snap\/&lt;name&gt;\/&lt;revisions-nummer&gt; as SquashFS filesystems. That&#8217;s the reason why Ubuntu systems have an awful lot of mountpoints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>User data may be found in the home directory at ~\/snap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Introspect and troubleshoot a snap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to introspect a snap, see their components or which base snap is used, you have two choices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Look into the snap.yaml file of an installed snap (open it with you text editor of choice).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use <code>snap &lt;command> &lt;snapname><\/code>. , . This works even with snaps that are not yet installed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Useful commands are <code>snap info<\/code> (add the <code>option --verbose<\/code> if necessary) to get, well, information about a snap or <code>snap connections<\/code> to see, which interfaces a snap may use to break out of its sandboxed confinement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Run the following command to see which core snap the firefox snap uses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>$ snap info --verbose firefox | grep base:\nbase: core24<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>On Ubuntu 26.04 LTS shortly after its publication this yields core24 (and not core26, as you might expect).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following command inspects the connections the Firefox snaps is allowed to use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>$ snap connections firefox\nInterface Plug Slot Notices\nalsa firefox:alsa - -\naudio-playback firefox:audio-playback :audio-playback -\n&#91;...]<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>Since Firefox requires a lot of connections (networking, audio, graphics, file system, desktop environment &#8230;), only the first lines of the command&#8217;s output are shown above. in this example, Firefox is capable of using the old ALSA  sound driver (a &#8220;plug&#8221; exists), but it&#8217;s not plugged in (the &#8220;slot&#8221; is empty, indicating that ALSA is not used). Firefox is connected to an &#8220;audio-playback&#8221; interface instead (the slot &#8220;:audio-playback&#8221; is plugged in).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Automatic and manual garbage collection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When snaps are updated, at least two previous version are kept with the status &#8220;disabled&#8221;. On computers with small hard drives this may lead to a lot of garbage. Two solutions to this problem exist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Either you wait for automatic garbage collection, which happens by default after 31 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Or you remove the outdated versions yourself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>snap list --all | awk '\/disabled\/{print $1, $3}' # List outdated snaps including revision\nsnap remove &lt;name&gt; --revision=&lt;number&gt;<\/code><\/pre>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Snaps are Ubuntu\u2019s native, but universal container format for applications. What are their advantages, why are they critisized, and how can they be configured?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1084","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"wp-worthy-pixel":{"ignored":false,"public":"f3ea36bf3f3d414f8482abb3d148ca2e","server":"ssl-vg03.met.vgwort.de","url":"https:\/\/ssl-vg03.met.vgwort.de\/na\/f3ea36bf3f3d414f8482abb3d148ca2e"},"wp-worthy-type":"normal","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1084"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1173,"href":"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1084\/revisions\/1173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubuntu.dirkschmidtke.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}