Some time ago, the Chromium and Canonical developers decided that the only way to install the browser on Linux should be from its Snap package. The problem is that these types of packages are not as fast as Flatpak, and even if it is, many of us would prefer that it continue to be available in the traditional way. The latest version of Linux Mint It does not include support for Canonical's next-generation packages, so to install it you have to take a walk through the terminal. For now ...
As we read in the October monthly newsletter, Clement Lefebvre and company want to make things easier for us. Until now, to use Chromium in Linux Mint we had to add and configure snapd on our own, to later install the Snap package of Chromium, or use a browser that uses its engine, such as Chrome, Vivaldi or Brave. In the coming weeks, they themselves will be in charge of compiling everything necessary to be able to install the browser from their repositories, as already we can do in Pop! _OS.
Linux Mint and Chromium, easier soon
This is an interesting move for Linux Mint users. Not only will they be able to install the browser, but they will install a more updated version than those available in other distributions. Right now there is a package that can already be tested in this link.
On the other hand, in the monthly newsletter they have also told us about the following:
- There has been a critical regression in Linux Mint 19 that they have already fixed and delivered.
- They are developing and expect feedback on their Sticky Notes.
- The team is having conversations about software related to IPTV, which are players to which we can add channel lists in M3U format. If it is of interest to the community, they could add something in future versions.
- WebAppManager, the app to create webapps, has been updated improving the user interface and correcting errors and translations.
- The next version of the operating system will include a Celluloid with hardware acceleration enabled by default.
This month's newsletter also includes some more information, but probably the most interesting is that Linux Mint 20.1 will arrive before Christmas. They have not mentioned any specific date, but that usually translates into a landing close to December 20.
The efforts of the Mint team are appreciated ... they are not drastic changes but they point to the maturity of the system.
Until they do something beyond crying ...
In other words, if not being guided by the policies of a corporation that tries to monopolize a standard is crying, the less they do. With good reason they reject Snap. What would have happened if in the future they were more app that is only in Snap format? Mint didn't have to say / do anything ??.
The same thing happens with SystemD ... if you don't like it, you don't use it.
I think you should look up the meaning of the word monopoly in the dictionary.
Canonical does not intend to monopolize anything. Ubuntu-derived distributions like Ubuntu Studio let you choose whether you want Snap to be used by default or not.
Nothing is stopping someone from creating a Chromium Flatpak. Many of the packages in the Snap store are created by third parties as developers prefer FlatPak, and you can always download it from the project page.
Clement Lefevre looks like an attention-seeking child. Last year he hinted that he could no longer continue with the project. Now create this fake fight ..
Many distros that didn't like Canonical's decisions switched to Debian-based and didn't make such a fuss.