Shulou(Shulou.com)05/31 Report--

In this issue, the editor will bring you about the general cross-distribution package manager of Linux. The article is rich in content and analyzes and describes it from a professional point of view. I hope you can get something after reading this article.

Preface

Package management on Linux systems can be very confusing, especially for newcomers, because different Linux distributions use different package management systems. In most cases, the most confusing part is the parsing and management of package dependencies.

For example, Debian and its derivative Ubuntu use .deb and dpkg package management systems, and the RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) family uses .rpm packages and their corresponding management tools.

In the past few years, with the rise of general package management tools or cross-distribution package management tools, package management and distribution in the Linux ecosystem have become different. These tools allow developers to package their software or applications from a single build to multiple Linux distributions, which makes it easy for users to install the same package on multiple supported distributions.

We will introduce three popular Linux open source general or cross-distribution package management systems.

1. Snap

Snap is a popular open source application. It is also a software package management system developed by Canonical and the manufacturer of Ubuntu Linux. Some Linux distributions now support snapshots, including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch Linux, Manjaro, and CentOS/RHEL.

A snap application is a cross-distribution application that is bundled with all dependencies (or no dependencies) for easy installation on any snaps-enabled Linux distribution. Snap can run on desktops, servers, clouds, or the Internet of things.

To create a snap application, you can use the framework snapcraft and the powerful command-line tools for building snap. To install and use snapshots in Linux, you need to install snapd (or snappy daemon), a background service that allows Linux systems to use .snap files. The actual installation of snap is done using the snap command line tool.

Snap is secure by default. Importantly, snap that needs access to system resources beyond its restrictions uses an interface that is carefully selected by the creator of snap based on the needs of snap. This enables you to run applications without affecting the stability and flexibility of the underlying operating system.

In addition, the snap package management system uses a concept called channels, which consists of traces, risk levels, and branches, and is subdivided to determine which snap version of the update is installed and tracked. Snaps can also be updated automatically, which is a process that can be managed manually.

2. Flatpak

Flatpak is a well-known open source framework for publishing desktop applications on Linux distributions. Flatpak, developed by an independent community, allows you to install and run a single application build on almost any Linux distribution. It supports a total of 25 distributions, including Fedora, Ubuntu, RHEL, CentOS, OpenSUSE, Arch Linux, and can also be run on Raspberry Pi.

The flatpak runtime provides a platform for common libraries that applications can take advantage of. However, it also makes it extremely easy to fully control dependencies, and you can bind your own libraries as part of your application.

Flatpak provides easy-to-use build tools and provides a consistent environment for developers to build and test their applications (the same across devices and similar to the user's existing environment).

Flatpak can move forward with compatibility, meaning that the same flatpak can run on different versions of the same distribution, including versions that have not yet been released by developers. It also strives and continues to be compatible with new versions of the Linux distribution.

If you are a developer, you can make your application available to Linux users through Flathub, a centralized service for distributing applications on all distributions.

3. AppImage

AppImage is also an open source package format that allows developers to package one application at a time that runs on all major Linux desktop distributions. Unlike the previous package format, for AppImage, there is no need to install the package. Just download the application you plan to use, make it executable, and run it. It supports most 32-bit and 64-bit Linux desktops.

AppImage has many advantages. For developers, it enables them to reach as many users as possible, no matter which Linux distribution they are running. For users, they don't need to worry about application dependencies, because each AppImage is tied to all its dependencies (an application equals a file). It's also easy to try a new version of the application with AppImage.

Administrative administrators no longer ensure the security and consistency of the system by preventing ordinary users from installing software. With AppImage, the system will remain intact because users do not have to install applications to run them.

The common cross-distribution package format is the next-generation technology for building and distributing software in the Linux ecosystem. However, the traditional package management system still occupies a place.

These are the general cross-distribution package managers of Linux shared by Xiaobian. If you happen to have similar doubts, please refer to the above analysis to understand. If you want to know more about it, you are welcome to follow the industry information channel.

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