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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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What are your thoughts on Flatpak/Flathub? (flathub.org)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

214 comments fedilink hide all child comments

How does it stack up against traditional package management and others like AUR and Nix?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Why it is unfounded?? The sandbox is still a lie (flatseal is impractical security since it makes you become a security researcher overnight), apps are not properly filesystem-unveiled. But a new level of complexity.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Could you explain "filesystem-unveiled"?

Apps are not updated to support portals for "compatibility" or just lack of maintenance. Flatpak needs to follow their approach if they want to have many apps being supported.

Desktop Linux doesnt have the marketshare to dictate that all apps need to adopt portals. In the meantime, flathub.org has a rating system and verified checks, this is simply not well shown in KDE Discover and not sure about GNOME software.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Could you explain “filesystem-unveiled”?

Means its filesystem access is restricted.

For example, chromium on OpenBSD use the unveil(2) system call to restrict itself to /tmp and $HOME/Downloads .

Many popular flatpak applications have filesystem=host. This is equal to restrict all filesystem access and then unveil the whole filesystem.

Apps are not updated to support portals for “compatibility” or just lack of maintenance. Flatpak needs to follow their approach if they want to have many apps being supported.

Desktop Linux doesnt have the marketshare to dictate that all apps need to adopt portals. In the meantime, flathub.org has a rating system and verified checks, this is simply not well shown in KDE Discover and not sure about GNOME software.

If they can't even enforce portals, flatpak is a new level of complexity.

So I said it is trash.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Good that Chromium does that, but this means if it doesnt use portals many things will be broken.

The host access is not actually everything

These directories are blacklisted: /lib, /lib32, /lib64, /bin, /sbin, /usr, /boot, /root, /tmp, /etc, /app, /run, /proc, /sys, /dev, /var

Exceptions from the blacklist: /run/media These directories are mounted under /var/run/host: /etc, /usr

Portals need a change in the app code that is not huge but differs from other packaging formats on any distro and OS. So it sucks that its so slow but that has a reason.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The host access is not actually everything

Not as restrictive as chromium's unveil.

For home it even restrict to the downloads folder, not accessing the whole home directory.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Yes that only works for browsers and would completely break image viewers, document editors etc