viber snap or flatpak?

[mr_raider]

I want to install Viber for desktop, and I see that there is a snap and a flatpak available.

Is their any reason to prefer one over the other?

[FONT=monospace][COLOR=#54FF54][B]mr_raider@HP-ProBook-440-G5[/B][/COLOR]:[COLOR=#5454FF][B]~/Downloads[/B][/COLOR]$ flatpak search viber
[B]Application ID  Version Branch Remotes Description                                                      [/B] 
com.viber.Viber         stable flathub We connect people, no matter who they are or where they are from.
[COLOR=#54FF54][B]mr_raider@HP-ProBook-440-G5[/B][/COLOR]:[COLOR=#5454FF][B]~/Downloads[/B][/COLOR]$ snap search viber
Name              Version  Publisher  Notes  Summary
viber-unofficial  0.1      uglide     -      Unofficial snap for Viber Desktop
[COLOR=#54FF54][B]mr_raider@HP-ProBook-440-G5[/B][/COLOR]:[COLOR=#5454FF][B]~/Downloads[/B][/COLOR]$ 

[/FONT]

[Snowhog]

Might be helpful: https://www.maketecheasier.com/snap-...-vs-flatpacks/

[jglen490]

Hmm, interesting. Nice that everything is included, but where does the "everything" get installed? I remember some years back there was a distro that packaged "everything" and put it all in /opt with the primary executable, regardless of whether a specific library already existed somewhere else in $PATH.

[claydoh]

It really does not matter in the long run. Viber isn't getting any more updates, per a support question I had back in August (and can't find?). It actually has not been updated in quite a while now.
The flatpak and snap are just the official deb from Viber with the contents extracted and repackaged by someone to make it easier for non-Debian or Fedora users to install. This program is already self-contained anyway, the deb puts everything into /opt.


https://www.viber.com/download/

[oshunluvr]

I'm not sure of the point of snap. Is there an advantage to using snap if I can install the program natively (and then get updates)? In the case of a program that is dead like Viber, I can see the use of it, but why install GIMP in a snap? Besides, I hate all the garbage snap leaves behind and all the loop devices in my face. I prefer Appimage.

[jglen490]

In my opinion, the deb approach makes more sense and provides better integration into the update process. When snap, flatpak, and appimage do as good a job of integrating applications and related libraries into Kubuntu as the deb process does, then I'll start using them.

I understand that the original Unix intent of the /opt directory structure was for the installation of user applications; but the differentiation between system applications and user applications has long been made kind of "fuzzy" in Linux.

[Snowhog]

One of the pluses these non-deb-way-of-packaging schemes offers, is that by encompassing 'all that is needed' in their packaging, and installing them into segregated locations, any conflicts with existing installed packages and their payloads (libraries et al) are avoided. You could install a package from Snap, Flatpack, Appimage that might contain components that aren't compatible with what your system is using if that same application were installed from a downloaded (not available for the version of *buntu you are running, i.e., from the default repositories) .deb. That's how I understand it any way.

There is a nice comparison of the features between AppImage, Snap, and Flatpak on github. Take a look at https://github.com/AppImage/AppImage...milar-projects

[jglen490]

I understand! And it's fine as long as no reference to library files wanders into $PATH from the /opt container. Of course the integration with the rest of Kubuntu could be suspect, and that's fine, too, as long as the user understands what's happening. Having library xxxx(version 1) in one directory and the same library xxxx(version 2) in another can be a waste of space if in fact xxxx(version 1) and xxxx(version 2) are not mutually exclusive. So if developers just throw what they need into their container without regard to what already exists and just might work, they're taking my space while probably requiring me to pay attention to an independent upgrade method/path, which wastes my time. Thanks, I'll pass

[mr_raider]

YEah sorry, I was not looking for a discussion on the pros or cons of flatpak vs snap.

Just if anyone has used either version of viber and used them? The reviews are sparse at best. One is labelled "unofficial", the other stable, yet no info on which works better.

[oshunluvr]

YEah sorry, I was not looking for a discussion on the pros or cons of flatpak vs snap.

Just if anyone has used either version of viber and used them? The reviews are sparse at best. One is labelled "unofficial", the other stable, yet no info on which works better.

Really? Your thread title and first post sound like that's exactly what you were asking - to me, at least. I've never heard of "Viber" and it's no longer updated so what difference does it make? Claydoh made it sound like they're both the same version so

[claydoh]

YEah sorry, I was not looking for a discussion on the pros or cons of flatpak vs snap.

Just if anyone has used either version of viber and used them? The reviews are sparse at best. One is labelled "unofficial", the other stable, yet no info on which works better.

There should be zero difference as it is the exact same software as the deb. The deb from viber is the only official package. I saw no difference between it and the snap when i checked it out some time back. I am a long time Viber user.

[mr_raider]

There should be zero difference as it is the exact same software as the deb. The deb from viber is the only official package. I saw no difference between it and the snap when i checked it out some time back. I am a long time Viber user.

thanks. I tried the flatpak and it seems to work fairly well so far.

BTW if anyone is interested the Logitech c270 is 100% linux compatible, plug and play.