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keddad
Asked: 2019-10-31 13:02:59 +0800 CST

Why apt package chromium-browser installs snap package instead?

  • 772

When I do

apt-get install chromium-browser

it downloads some .deb file, and then installs a snap package:

Selecting previously unselected package chromium-browser.
(Reading database ... 227048 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../chromium-browser_77.0.3865.120-0ubuntu1~snap1_amd64.deb
...
=> Installing the chromium snap
==> Checking connectivity with the snap store
==> Installing the chromium snap
Warning: /snap/bin was not found in your $PATH. If you've not restarted your
         session since you installed snapd, try doing that. Please see
         https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/9469 for more details.

chromium 78.0.3904.70 from Canonical✓ installed
=> Snap installation complete
Unpacking chromium-browser (77.0.3865.120-0ubuntu1~snap1) ...
Setting up chromium-browser (77.0.3865.120-0ubuntu1~snap1) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.63ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.32.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.24-1ubuntu1) ...
(base) keddad@keddad:~$

But I didn't ask it to get me chromium via snap, I wanted to get a normal .deb package. It works, after all, but it just feels wrong. If I want to get a snap, I use snap, not apt. Why such behavior is considered normal?

package-management apt snap

4 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    For Ubuntu 19.10 it was a developer's decision. See cite from release notes:

    Ubuntu 19.10 New Features

    The Chromium browser is only available as a snap in 19.10. This blog post has more details.

    It is normal and expected.

    If you don't want to install the Chromium snap package, see How to install Chromium without snap?

    • 11

  2. I had the same problem. I disabled/removed snap/snapd from my Ubuntu and didn't want to install it again because of Chromium. Since Ubuntu and Debian are usually compatible, I installed Chromium from the Debian repositories: https://askubuntu.com/a/1206153/1038363

    • 9

  3. I've had the same problem. Wanted Chromium, but no via Snap. Found Chromium Dev PPA, works stable so far: https://launchpad.net/~saiarcot895/+archive/ubuntu/chromium-dev

    • 6

  4. If you are looking for a .deb (not snap) package for Ubuntu 20.04+:

    You can download latest official .deb build for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal), 21.04 (Hirsute) and 21.10 (Impish) here: https://launchpad.net/~phd/+archive/ubuntu/chromium-browser/

    This is a PPA repository with official Ubuntu packages released originally for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic) and updated as soon as a new version is released.

    • 1