[OLD] Ranking all app types in Zorin

Chat about Zorin
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I've never done this before, but here's my ranking of the app types in Zorin. I'll only be including the most common app types and I will also be excluding ubuntu-focal-main (app type for preinstalled apps).

This is my personal opinion, but we're likely to have diffetent views. Ok, here we go.

6. Flatpaks

From what I've heard people say, Flatpaks have a negative impact on performance. People want to do things quickly not wait around for a system, and Flatpaks don't help. You might get away from performance issues if you have one Flatpak app, but if you use a lot of apps, you might be better off with other app type options.

5. Snaps

Snaps are a pretty mixed bag. They can installed from the software store which can be classed as 'easy to install and remove' for some people. On the other hand, Snaps aren't even compatible with icon themes (it's stuck on the default icon when the theme changes), which is inconsistent. Oh, and it changes your cursor when its in the Snap window. I placed Snaps higher than Flatpaks because Snaps don't have much of an impact on performance as Flatpaks. At least, from what I've seen.

4. Tar.gz/ZIPs

Download and extract the contents. Easy right? Well... no, not really. There's a lot more to the installation than meets the eye. Therefore, I can only recommend this to advanced users. At least it doesn't have the downsides to Snaps and Flatpaks though.

3. AppImages

AppImages are portable, which means that they don't require installation in order to work. You can store them anywhere on your computer or even your USB drive and you can still use them as an app. My only complaint is that they don't come with a unique icon unlike other app types, so you would need to find one for it online.

2. APTs

APTs are installable from the terminal, which, if you know the name and command, it is a very fast process. If you `remove` or `purge` an app installed using APT, then it may leave some `lib` files that are not needed anymore. This can be removed using `sudo apt autoremove`

1. DEBs

DEBs are, in my opinion, the best app type to use in Zorin. They can be downloaded from the internet (as most of you know, download from a trusted source), and can be installed with the `dpkg` command. Users who are new to Linux can use `GDebi` (installed via APT), which is a graphical alternative to `dpkg`. Not only are installing DEB apps suitable for users of all skill levels, but everything in between installation is taken care of (e.g., installing dependencies and adding repos and public keys).

I know, I know, this is mostly concerned with installing and removing apps. At this point, I couldn't think much about using them while trying to jusify their place in the rankings. Please let me know if I'm missing a point or anything in between.

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I'm not a fan of either Flatpak or Snap, snap in particular.

Apt is a command line utility to install debs, its not installing its own form of app like the others mentioned.

You're not getting any icon when installing appimages? I use Tutanota as an appimage and it installed into the menu using the Tutanota icon.

Granted that is all I use as an appimage, as I'm not a fan of them as they are nothing more than opening an app in a browser.

When I first started in Linux this was the majority way of how you installed things including to get sound. Now over the years you've had to do it less and less and in some cases not at all. They really are not hard to use, the only thing is one must take 5 minutes of their day to actually read the instructions and then follow them. Most applications with good developers give a literal step by step instruction of how to install including where and how. It's all in the "read me" file.

I agree with you, I usually just look for a deb to install. They're easy peasy to install and easy peasy to remove.

If my choice is between a tar and a deb, I'll just take the deb and call it a day. I'm old and lazy now :grinning:

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But I am a fan of flatpacks than snaps because I want newer version of software without directly interfering with the system as flatpaks run sandbox so they don't have direct access to system and In my opinion flatpaks are much faster than snaps

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The deb files I download I just clicked to install. Chrome and Input Remapper.

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