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Ubuntu going 100% Snappy in 2024?
According to one Canonical developer: Ubuntu is going all Snap & fully immutable in 24.04.
May 31, 2023
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I've predicted, several times, that Ubuntu will soon abandon it's "Snap" package / container format -- a system that has proven to be wildly unpopular (due in no small part to significant performance issues coupled with decreased system functionality).

Well.  Looks like I might be proven quite wrong on that one.

According to Oliver Grawert -- an Ubuntu developer working for Canonical (the company which runs Ubuntu) -- we may be seeing a version of the Ubuntu desktop system which is entirely using Snap packaging as soon as next year!

A quote from Grawert posted in a comment on OMG Ubuntu:

"An immutable version exists since 2015, called UbuntuCore... there will be a desktop release of it with the next LTS (optional though, the classic desktop install will indeed not go away)"

This was in response to an article discussing Ubuntu's plan to move the entire printing system into a Snap package.

So.  What, exactly, does that simple, little comment mean?

There are big ramifications for such few words!

An "immutable version" of an operating system is one where the end user cannot modify the system itself.  The idea, in this case, is that the core Ubuntu system would be maintained entirely by Canonicall / Ubuntu and the end user would not have access to it.

Individual components (applications) would be downloaded as Snap packages and run inside sandboxed containers.

For those applications to udpate would mean a re-download of the Snap package, killing the old version, and launching the new one.

There are many benefits to such a system... and many drawbacks.  Especially with the current Snap implementation, which has numerous design limitations for a desktop system.

The good news is that this Ubuntu developer states that this "Snap Only" version of the Ubuntu desktop will be optional in the 24.04 release (the next Long Term Support release on the schedule).  So, presumably, you would continue to be able to use APT and Debian packaging for the time being.

That said... this was the same way Ubuntu handled the transition from GNOME 2.x to the Unity Desktop (another much hated development from Canonical).  Not long after Ubuntu Unity was made "optional"... it became default.

What does that mean?

Simple.  The writing is on the wall... the death of Debian style packaging on Ubuntu will likely occur sometime after April, 2024.

Unless -- hopefully -- someone at Canonical changes his mind.

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Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links? Check here:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

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Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links?
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

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This episode is free for all to enjoy and share.

Be sure to subscribe here at Lunduke.Locals.com to get all shows & articles (including interviews with other amazing nerds).

"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044
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Lunduke's Nerdy Q&A, Lifetime Sub for $89

Two quick tidbits on this glorious Sunday:

Reminder: $89 Lifetime Subscriptions

Lifetime Subscriptions to The Lunduke Journal are currently discounted to $89. For life. Which is… insane. That’s less than 1/3rd of the regular price.

Monthly and Yearly subscriptions are 50% off. Which is also pretty darned snazzy.

Submit Questions for Lunduke’s Nerdy Q&A!

On Tuesday I will be recording a long-overdue episode of “Lunduke’s Nerdy Q&A”.

Got questions you’d like asked in the show? No guarantees, but I’ll get to as many as I can!

Retro computing. Current computer news. Ridiculous hypotheticals. Any question is fair game... just make sure it’s good and nerdy.

To make it simple for me, there are two ways you can submit questions for this week’s Q&A:

  1. Add a comment to this thread on Forum.Lunduke.com.

  2. Reply to this thread over on X.

  3. Ok. I lied.  There are three ways.  You can also reply to this post, right here, on Locals.

Note: Only Lunduke Journal subscribers can access to Forum.Lunduke.com. All of the details on how to gain access are on the Lunduke Journal Subscriber Perks page.

-Lunduke

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The FOMO of not having a Lifetime Subscription to The Lunduke Journal

Time for some Fun Lunduke Journal Facts of Fact-ly-ness!

  1. The “per-month” cost of a Lifetime Subscription to The Lunduke Journal is an asymptotic line. The longer you have that subscription, the closer it gets to $0.00.

  2. The Lifetime Subscription was first introduced 3 1/2 years ago… and is still going strong.

  3. The price of a Lifetime Subscription is currently discounted to $89. For life. That’s less than 1/3rd the normal price.

The earlier you pick one up, the quicker that asymptotic line begins approaching zero. Which is fun.

We Don’t Have Time Machines

If you think you might ever want a Lifetime Subscription, now is the time.

Imagine missing this discounted price and missing out on months of, mathematically certain, asymptotic line fun. This is one of those scenarios where Future You (tm) would want to travel back in time to tell Present You (tm) to snag a Lifetime Subscription.

Go. Grab the Lifetime Subscription for $89. That deal is good all December long.

There’s a video of me yammering about it too. Just for good measure.

You’re welcome.

-Lunduke

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December 13, 2025
Lunduke Journal Lifetime Wall 2 almost full, plus Lifetime Sub as a gift

Two quick tidbits!

First: Lifetime Wall 2 Almost Full

The 2nd Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscriber Wall of Shame… err… I mean “Wall of Awesomeness” (which shows at the end of each video) is almost full! Holy cow! So many people have signed up over the last few days and asked to be added! Awesome!

There’s room for maybe 3 or 4 more names on there before I need to start Wall Number 3. So if you want to be on the 2nd wall, grab a Lifetime Sub quickly. (Though, really, being on the 3rd wall will be cool too.)

Plus, hey! You can snag one for $89 this month. Which is pretty sweet.

Second: Sending a Lifetime Sub as a Gift

Several of you have asked if it’s possible to send someone a Lifetime Subscription as a gift (at the discounted $89 / $99 price).

The answer is yes! And, instead of sending instructions to each of you, individually, I am including a Step-by-Step rundown on how to send someone a Lunduke Journal Lifetime Sub as a gift.

There are two options — Locals & Bitcoin — and both work equally well.

(Note: A gifted Lifetime subscription can also be applied to Substack accounts… it just can’t be purchased via Substack because of the way the system works for gifting it to another person.)

How to give a gift Lifetime Subscription via Locals:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Select “Give Once“.

  3. Enter “99“ (or more) into the amount field.

  4. Email “bryan at lunduke.com”. Include the following in that email:

    1. Have the words “Gift Sub” somewhere in the subject line.

    2. Include the email you used to make the purchase and the email address of gift recipient.

    3. Include any special instructions or requests, such as: A special message you would like included, when you would like an email sent to the recipient, or if you would prefer to let the recipient know yourself.

  5. Lunduke will send you a confirmation email after that. This usually happens within a few hours.

How to get a Lifetime Subscription with Bitcoin:

You can also send a gift Lifetime Subscription via Bitcoin.  (And it's $10 cheaper thanks to the lower processing fees of Bitcoin.)

  • Send $89 worth of Bitcoin (or more) to the following address:

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email “bryan at lunduke.com”. Include the following in that email:

    1. What time you made the transaction, & how much was sent (in Bitcoin).

    2. Have the words “Gift Sub” somewhere in the subject line.

    3. Include the email address of gift recipient.

    4. Include any special instructions or requests, such as: A special message you would like included, when you would like an email sent to the recipient, or if you would prefer to let the recipient know yourself.

  • Lunduke will send you a confirmation email after that. This usually happens within a few hours.

Note: The Lifetime Subscription only applies to Substack, Locals, and the Lunduke Journal Forum. Other platforms (such as X, Patreon, & YouTube) do not provide the functionality necessary to create Lifetime Subscriptions.

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