Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled
If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
Recently, Canonical announced that Ubuntu and all of its official spins would no longer ship with Flatpak installed out of the box. Of course, anyone can install Flatpak on any of the official versions of the open-source operating system, but some might prefer not to have to take the extra steps.
If that sounds like you, there's a new unofficial spin, called Ubuntu Flatpak. As you might expect, this version is a pretty straightforward take on Ubuntu, only with Flatpak pre-installed.
To take this one step further, Ubuntu Flatpak also installs a few of its basic apps (such as Firefox, Thunderbird, and LibreOffice) as Flatpak apps (instead of the official Snap versions installed on Ubuntu).
One very nice thing about going this route is the Flatpak version of the apps are all the latest releases, which is a departure from the traditional Ubuntu release, which often includes the stable (but not the newest) versions of common applications.
Other reasons to give Ubuntu Flatpak a try include that the most recent Mesa graphic stack (version 22.3.5) is added to improve the gaming experience and support for Flathub Portal is installed by default (so you can install Flatpak apps from the GUI app store).
As far as the UI is concerned, this Flatpak spin doesn't deviate from the standard Ubuntu desktop, so it looks and feels just like Ubuntu.
Download an ISO of Ubuntu Flatpak and give this new distribution a try. Keep in mind, however, that it's still in alpha, so there could be bugs. Another thing to keep in mind is the download is only available as a torrent, so you'll need an app like Transmission to download the file.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
There's a New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle is a Linux AI assistant that can work with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.