Packaging formats

There's a number of ways of getting software on to your Linux-powered computer, and Michael Reed is comparing them to find out which is best.

-  Michael Reed

HOW WE TESTED...

We've decided to focus on application installation, but we haven't ignored the installation of system components, and we've given that subject its own section.

We looked at the process of making a package, but we found that the procedures for standard, traditional packages such as RPM, Applmage, Flatpak and Snap were similar. None of them was really beginner-friendly, but we wouldn't expect them to be.

We searched the repositories for apps such as GIMP and Kdenlive to get a sense of the relative freshness of packages available in each format. We also took into account that some formats are more popular than others on the websites of open source projects.

When examining traditional package managers such as RPM and DEB, we've had to give an aggregate assessment as there is some variation between them in terms of features. However, all of the mainstream ones basically, accomplish the same job and go about it in the same way.

When it comes to adding software, Linux has always taken a different tack from other mainstream operating systems. Generally, a packaging system consists of a package format and a set of tools for managing those packages. Practically every Linux distro includes a built-in package manager that automatically retrieves and installs packages in formats such as DEB and RPM. Because traditional package managers are similar in how they work, we've grouped them together here.

Like the system package management tools, Snap is a package management system that can draw packages in its own format from an online repository, and the same can be said for Flatpak. Both aim for distribution independence and offer useful sandboxing and security features, and support downloaded packages that can be installed outside of the repository system.