There are many different packaging formats available for Linux. For beginners, it can be confusing to understand the differences between them. In this article, we will discuss the most common packaging formats and their pros and cons.
What are packaging formats?
A packaging format is a way to package software for distribution. It includes all the files needed to install and run the software. There are many different packaging formats available for Linux. Some of the most common ones are:
- Native package formats like RPM and DEB
- Container formats like AppImage, Flatpak, and Snap
- Source code formats like tarballs and zip files
Native package formats
Native package formats are the most common packaging formats used on Linux.
The format differs from distribution to distribution.
For example, Debian-based distributions like Ubuntu use the DEB format, while Red Hat-based distributions like Fedora use the RPM format.
Native package formats are usually managed by a package manager like apt or dnf.
They are also the most secure packaging formats because they are signed by the distribution maintainers.
This means that you can trust the packages you install from your distribution’s repositories.
However, native package formats have some drawbacks. They are not portable across distributions. For example, you cannot install a DEB package on a Red Hat-based distribution. Also, root privileges are required to install native packages.
Container formats
Container formats are a new type of packaging format that has become popular in recent years. They are similar to native package formats in that they contain all the files needed to install and run the software.
However, container formats are different from native package formats in that they are cross-distribution. This means that you can install a container package on any distribution. They are also self-contained, which means that they do not require root privileges to install. This makes them more secure than native package formats.
There are many different container formats available for Linux. Some of the most common ones are:
- AppImage
- Flatpak
- Snap
AppImage
AppImage is a container format which is popular among developers. AppImage packages are a single file with .appimage extension that contains all the files needed to install and run the software.
For example, you can store the appimage file in your USB drive and run it on any Linux distribution without installing it. This makes it very convenient for distributing software.
Flatpak
Flatpak is a container format which is popular among desktop users. Flatpak packages are managed by a flatpak package manager, which is similar to a native package manager. Flatpak apps are installed from a central repository, Flathub, which is similar to a distribution’s repository.
Flatpak includes only GUI apps, while AppImage and Snap include both GUI and CLI apps. However, since Flatpak integrates with the desktop environment better than AppImage and Snap, it is the most popular format among desktop users.
Snap
Snap is a container format which is popular server administrators. Snap packages are managed by a snap package manager, which is similar to a native package manager. Snap apps include CLI and GUI apps. Since Snap includes both CLI and GUI apps, it is the most popular format among server administrators who work with SSH.
Since Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, is the main developer of Snap, Ubuntu ships with Snap pre-installed, and not Flatpak.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the most common packaging formats and their pros and cons. We hope that this article has helped you understand the differences between them. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us in the comments section below.
This post was written for the 2024 Winter Mogakso Activity.