Solus Project has announced the removal of the AppArmor patchset from the Linux kernel version 6.9 in their Current branch. This change marks the beginning of the end for Snap package support in the distro, signaling a shift towards using Flatpak as the preferred software installation framework.
To clarify, Solus has shipped with Snap and Flatpak support in tandem since 2017, giving users a choice of which of the two (or both together) distro-agnostic software formats to use. Now, back to the topic.
The immediate consequence of this update for users is that Snap packages will now operate under partial confinement. This means they will have limited isolation from the rest of the system, potentially exposing users to security risks if not managed correctly.
Solus has addressed this by implementing a warning system in their snap command tool, alerting users when strict confinement is inactive.
Evan Maddock from the Solus team highlighted several benefits of removing the AppArmor patches.
“Dropping the AppArmor patchset has several benefits for us. To start with, the patchset is huge; it is upwards of 60 separate patches, making it a significant maintenance burden. Since the set is maintained and updated by Canonical, we can only update to a new kernel after they’ve updated all of those patches, which sometimes takes a long time, or even doesn’t happen at all, as with the 6.9 kernel series.”
Looking ahead, Solus is doubling down on Flatpak, a framework that enjoys robust support and is integrated with major desktop environments like GNOME and KDE.
This move is unsurprising, considering that Snap and Flatpak, both designed to work across different Linux distributions, have seen different levels of adoption.
Snap is mostly used only by its creators, Canonical, on their Ubuntu system. On the other hand, Flatpak has become the preferred choice for nearly all other Linux distributions and has established itself as the standard.
Lastly, the Solus team has also introduced tools and documentation to facilitate the transition from Snap to Flatpak, including the new ‘unsnap’ package, simplifying the migration process.
While Solus will continue supporting Snap through the end of 2024, users are encouraged to explore Flatpak alternatives to prepare for a smooth transition.
For more information, refer to the announcement.
