[catlover76]

I don't remember how I first installed it, but for the update, I downloaded the .deb file they offered by default, couldn't do anything with it. Don't remember how I solved the problem.

Edit: actually, I think I installed it via Snap Store. And the current Snap Store version is .28, but the new update is .29. So the .28 client is just in a loop of "there is a new update and I am out of date, so now I am just a modal that downloads the packages at these URLs". Not sure where my other installation came from, if I somehow did a fresh install or what.

I don't really get why there isn't just one obvious reliable and centralized way to install software on this thing. My Slack, VSCode, and other apps auto-update without my having to manually do anything, which, IMO, is how it should be by default.

I'm on Ubuntu--is there benefit to using Pacman on there? My understanding is that people do.

[graemep]

> I don't really get why there isn't just one obvious reliable and centralized way to install software on this thing. My Slack, VSCode, and other apps auto-update without my having to manually do anything, which, IMO, is how it should be by default.

The shame is Linux used to have this, and old fashioned and geeky distributions still do. In fact it used be be on of the big advantages of Linux over Windows and OS X. You installed everything from the repos, everything auto updated from the repos.

[Tijdreiziger]

> I don't really get why there isn't just one obvious reliable and centralized way to install software on this thing.

To be fair — there isn’t that on any desktop OS.

[catlover76]

Yeah I know, I'm kind of expecting more from Linux in that respect.

But I'm also just genuinely wondering if people more experienced in software engineering would agree that it is better, ideally, to have one clear, right way of installing software.

[jcelerier]

I don't think there is anything in life for which "one clear, right way" ever works.

For software at least I have very different requirements for

- the kernel on my work machine, coreutils, base system, etc (I want system updates and good stability and one single version installed on my system in a central location, can be read-only)

- development toolchains (I want multiple versions side by side in standard folders, e.g. multiple ABIs, cross toolchains, etc.)

- productivity apps (calendar, mail, etc). (I want one version in a central location with possibility of rollback)

- end-user apps, video, drawing & music apps, etc. (I want multiple version side by side installed in local folders as a very basic practice when doing some artistic work in a computer is to pin the artwork to a specific version of the software)

[teo_zero]

I must be missing your point. Isn't Apt the one clear right way to install on Debian derivatives?

[happymellon]

They are on Ubuntu, and Apt gets overriden by Snap.

That's of course if it's available via snap, it might only be supported via Flatpak.

[catlover76]

Yeah, as the other poster said, there are actually a couple alternative methods of installation, most notably the Snap store.

I think I should probably stick to installing via apt wherever possible.