Canonical engineer Oliver Grawert recently revealed that in order to meet the needs of different users of the operating system build format, the next long-term support release of Ubuntu next year will provide two options for downloadable desktop versions.
The first version is said to be the default deb-based version, continuing a long tradition of Ubuntu, while the second is a “new experimental version” built entirely on Snap.
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The deb format is derived from Ubuntu’s upstream distribution Debian, while Snap is a packaging format developed by Canonical itself. Compared to deb, Snap does not require dependencies, does not interfere with multiple versions, and is relatively more secure and maintainable.
Currently immutable desktop distributions are becoming popular, with distributions such as Fedora Silverblue and EndlessOS leading the way with this build model. Ubuntu is offering a Snap-based immutable desktop version for enthusiasts for the first time, but it’s not available as a default option, users will need to download it on their own to try out this alternative version.
Yesterday, Canonical developer and OpenPrinting project leader Till Kamppeter said they plan to use the Snap version of CUPS as their printing system on Ubuntu 23.10 (Mantic Minotaur). OpenPrinting has released a Snap version of CUPS on Snapcraft, so you can download and install it now.
