One of the coolest things about Linux is the diversity of software available, including some solutions – like Snaps from Canonical – that make it super fast and simple to install some of your favorite apps (and keep them updated). Now, thanks to a new post on the SnapCraft blog, we have a glimpse into what some of those favorites are across six popular Linux distributions.
Quick Primer: What Are Snaps?
If you’re immersed in the Linux world, you may already be aware of Snaps, but here’s a quick primer for those new to the technology. Snaps are basically a distribution-agnostic way of installing and publishing software on Linux. Currently supported on 42 different distributions, Ubuntu makers Canonical designed Snaps as a way to solve the pain points for developers publishing their apps to Linux, and to simplify software installation for end users.
Snaps are designed to work seamlessly across desktop and server environments, as well as cloud and IoT environments. They include all the dependencies and libraries necessary for that app to work, allowing for one-click installs.
The Top 5 Snaps Across 6 Popular Linux Distributions:
Canonical crunched the numbers from Snap installs across Arch Linux, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, Manjaro and of course Ubuntu. The results show both diversity and some unmistakable commonalities.
The immediate takeaway? Music is a necessity, with Spotify snagging the #1 spot across 4 of the 6 represented distros – and even cracks the top 5 on CentOS.
Communication apps like Microsoft’s Skype are also well represented, and VLC is popular among Ubuntu and Fedora users, probably because it ships with several media codecs that aren’t installed in these distributions by default.
My Personal Top 5 Snaps
I mainly use Ubuntu-based distributions and Snaps have become one of my first destinations after a new installation. So I thought I’d share my personal top 5 Snaps along with direct links
