The introduction of the “minimal install” feature in the Ubuntu installer made many happy.
When selected during initial installation, Ubuntu's minimal install provides users with a full, working Ubuntu system but, notably, with fewer pre-installed applications. The same ISO also has a 'full installation' mode loaded with a range of software, the company's default options.
So, having added a feature that users have been enjoying for a long time now, it is removing it.
Plan: a new “unified default installation” that will focus on a “choose your own apps” experience; There is nothing wrong with this, many Linux distributions have this option.
The point is that the new feature will use Ubuntu's Snap Store app.
Ubuntu Engineering Manager Tim reports that the current 'minimal or full' option is not "quite right". So they have already decided to test a new unified installation approach that allows users to select applications to install/add during OS installation time.
“With today's widespread access to the Internet, obtaining the necessary applications is no longer an obstacle. This simplified approach could reduce ISO size, reduce testing needs, and simplify the installation process.” he says Tim.
This sounds like a very violent way to force users of the OS to install Snap versions of the apps they were previously using with a DEB install.
Snap packages are less dependent on your system libraries, but deb packages are designed to work with your system libraries. Debs give you a lot of features that Snap canned packages don't.
For example, if in a new installation of an operating system you install the software you use from scratch, you do not need to make settings if you have the dir /home from your old installation.
Is the current default installation, both minimal and full, not helping already?
This week we learned that the new Snap Store will demote DEB software in its search results.
I have felt for some time now that Ubuntu needs to refresh the software it ships with. Totem for example is not anyone's favorite video player and there are far superior open source alternatives.
The way we mentioned above will face many disgruntled users who don't want Snap apps.
Here we should mention that, more and more distributions will start using the Ubuntu system, since there are dozens that use it as a base.
What to do;
There are distributions based on Arch linux, if you can't install Arch itself, . Philosophy of Arch linux is the well-known “KISS” or Keep It Simple Stupid (try the Manjaro distribution).
There are Debian-based distributions if you can't install Debian itself. Try MX Linux.
