this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2023
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I am currently using Linux Mint (after a long stint of using MX Linux) after learning it handles Nvidia graphics cards flawlessly, which I am grateful for. Whatever grief I have given Ubuntu in the past, I take it back because when they make something work, it is solid.

Anyways, like most distros these days, Flatpaks show up alongside native packages in the package manager / app store. I used to have a bias towards getting the natively packed version, but these days, I am choosing Flatpaks, precisely because I know they will be the latest version.

This includes Blender, Cura, Prusaslicer, and just now QBittorrent. I know this is probably dumb, but I choose the version based on which has the nicer icon.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

As someone who uses Linux but only kinda, what advantages does flatpack offer over installing something with the provided package manager? (In my case that's apt)

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I like containerization for server applications, especially when running different services on one box. For desktop use, native libraries are stable and usually the applications being used are single instance. I don't see a point in running desktop apps in containers.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

No doubt the benefits of technology on a server benefits the desktop user to some degree?

Containerization does add complexity in its assembly, but simplifies things for the system overall, which I think is appealing.

Still, that is just another abstraction away from the machine.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I try to always use flatpak because I can install/remove software is a simpler way without leaving dependencies installed on my system forever.

Obviously for critical stuff I use the native version

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I feel like the distinction is pretty automatic. I don't know what critical stuff you can download from flatpaks.

I guess OBS for steaming?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago
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