Installing debs via App Center

Ubuntu: Broken by default.
24.04 is an LTS and the things I mentioned are broken there, wayland is the default, just not for Nvidia.
They also introduced the new software center that can’t update it self (yet tries) and can’t install .deb

Holding back Ubuntu because Slack (a 3rd party proprietary application which doesn’t ship in Ubuntu by default) seems poorly thought out. It’s known about upstream, so maybe give them support and feedback, given it’s very much their issue.

Neither Git Cola nor CodeLite ship in Ubuntu either. Have you reported those issues upstream?

As for the store, that’s known. No idea when or if it will be fixed.

Software has bugs, this is not news. :man_shrugging:

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Just FYI, both Git Cola and CodeLite do indeed ship in Ubuntu’s Universe repository. They should be reporting the bug on Launchpad first and foremost, and then the upstream bug tracker if the bug isn’t already known there (and then they should make sure to test against the latest upstream version before filing the bug report). Otherwise upstream will be mad, and the bug in Ubuntu won’t be fixed for a while after upstream does a fix.

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Sorry, I meant they don’t ship by default in the image. If you look at how much testing goes on, very little is done on packages in universe, compared to the stock image.

Agreed though, issues should be filed in Launchpad. However, almost always the result of that (for 3rd party packages) is you end up having to file upstream as well, which can be frustrating for new contributors.

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Software has bugs, this is not news. :man_shrugging:

Don’t ship things when it’s a known regression to a common use path. The Copy Paste API not working between Wayland and XWayland applications is not the application’s fault, they are following the established API, but the new default stack breaks the API. Yes I have reported this previously and it’s still broken years later, but now it’s also the default.

Ubuntu Software Center ships by default with a broken update function, once they fix it users won’t be able to install the update that fixes. That seems incredibly poorly though out.

You can no longer install Chrome or Steam graphically but have to figure out how to do it via a the terminal. I know, I know, “not in Ubuntu by default”, I guess .deb installation isn’t considered a supported use case either.

Neither Git Cola nor CodeLite ship in Ubuntu either. Have you reported those issues upstream?

It’s a general issue between several application, not just the given example. It’s more likely to be somewhere in the Wayland stack then with the actual applications.

Why even have a way to run applications written for X11 if you are going to require that they still adapt to a new API. Just throw up an error “Old/Foreign applications no longer work” error for anything that isn’t in Ubuntu by default.

If you can figure out which component is at fault I’m happy to take a stab at fixing the issue, and failing that then I’ll make a new report.

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Hey, just to clarify. The App Center updates automatically in the background once closed, the issue is in the UX feedback which we are resolving but there is no user action needed to receive updates. .deb installations are also on our fix list.

Will the .deb installations fix be backported to 24.04? Gdebi is a fine alternative (or the commandline I suppose) but the application I find crashes crashes ever so often while installing.

The snap store app is a snap, snaps are rolling release applications, independent from the host OS, so there wont be any need for a “backport”, the fix will just show up for you once it has been implemented.

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… once it has been implemented - and (importantly) released to the channel a user has by default. (yes, users can change channel, but no, they generally don’t)

e.g.

open@ubuntu:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
Release:        22.04
Codename:       jammy
open@ubuntu:~$ snap info snap-store | grep tracking
tracking:     latest/stable/ubuntu-22.04
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I’m still waiting and hoping for the ability to install deb from snap-store

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We’re working on it :slight_smile:

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Amazing! Though i prefer snaps, not all is snapped. Therefore a deb package installation is needed (and often times crucial). I did not manage to install a deb package recently either.

Very good to hear this is been worked on.

Awesome to hear that it’s being worked on! I usually just have to install debs via the gnome software app but not having to install that would be huge

You can install “Gdebi” for example:
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/10/install-deb-ubuntu-23-10-no-app-error

Yes ok so a 3rd party app is needed. I’m sure it as possible before to install deb-files right away (and the Ubuntu Software opened for it). BUT actually now what i bumped into while on OMGubuntu news site i find it quite terrible to be touching debs like AT ALL :face_with_open_eyes_and_hand_over_mouth: that post is of course in relation to flatpak news but concerns debs all the same while used with snap as preference or using both:

" This is honestly something that is by far way more deserving of a spot in GDebi and Software Sources instead, given the massive security risks that .deb files provide, unlike Flatpaks.

Sure, a Flatpak might be able to be fake, if it somehow bypasses the Flatpak sources’ reviewing crew, but hey… at least you’d still have a working system unlike if you install this here .deb file I quickly conjured up as an experiment, which abuses the fact .debs have postinst , postrm , preinst and prerm scripts that always run as Superuser without your consent whenever the .deb is installed, updated or removed, to run a /-deleting command during its installation. :man_shrugging:
Oh, and did I mention said .deb package could also therefore use said Superuser privileges to also steal information from every user on the system and send it to an attacker, among any other horrible virus idea you could think of with Superuser privileges?

Suddenly Flatpak sounds a whole lot less dangerous, doesn’t it, given it, as far as I know, can’t run anything during installation, updates and removals, and can only run stuff as Superuser if it is allowed to elevate its permissions, like a regular application might request to, for whatever purpose while it is installed and running."

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/06/linux-mint-will-hide-unverified-flatpaks#comment-6473877819

Reading that and if even remotely true it could make anyone sweat. I think this poster is a developer of some more known Linux distro but can’t recall which. Clearly we need somethig else to replace the debs! Phew.

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Moderator stepping in.

Please stay on topic. This is about installing debs via the App Center, a feature that is coming, and has nothing to do with Flatpaks.

Please stick to the topic.

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Taking this opportunity to ask, will there be some kind of indication on what it means as a user is installing a 3rd party deb package? I mean what i realized today on debs and the needed sudo priviledges on users system got me cold feet. Some kind of warning perhaps? If anything?

It is known that Ubuntu is moving to Snaps for sake of clarity and more security. Also for universality for developers and packagers.

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The use case here is double-clicking on a .deb file to install it; basically something downloaded from the internet. The user will surely know they’re installing a 3rd party .deb.

Hey @heidi_wenger thanks for engaging. Our current plan is indeed to provide some kind of warning pop-up regarding the need to trust the provider of the deb so that users can make an informed decision. For a lot of us the risks are clear but if you’re a Windows user who may be used to getting your software by downloading exe’s it’s always useful to call it out. You’ll be able to see our proposal soon.

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Thank You! This was exactly i was after, querying about :+1: