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Snap Package Manager Tutorial for Beginners (Ubuntu Linux)

Snap is a universal package format introduced by Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu operating system. Its goal is to provide a single package format that works across all Linux distributions.

While other Linux distributions haven't widely adopted Snap, Ubuntu uses it by default—so it's useful to know how it works.

Listing Installed Snap Packages

To see which Snap packages are installed on your system, use the command:

snap list

This lists only Snap packages. Keep in mind, many other packages may be installed using APT. To see them, use the following command:

apt list --installed

Finding and Installing Snap Packages

To search for packages, use:

snap find package-name

Example:

snap find vlc

If you want more information about a package, use the snap info command followed by the package name.

snap info package-name

To install the package:

snap install package-name

Example:

snap install vlc

By default, the latest stable version will be installed. However, if you want, there are other versions available that may be newer than the default one.

For example, you can install the beta version of VLC media player using the --beta option:

snap install vlc --beta

You can view the different available versions of a package using the snap info command.

Removing Snap Packages

To remove a package:

snap remove package-name

This keeps user data by default. To remove everything:

snap remove --purge package-name

Example — Remove VLC Media Player:

snap remove --purge vlc

Updating Snap Packages

To list available updates:

snap refresh --list

To update all:

snap refresh

Or update a specific package:

snap refresh package-name

You can also update a package to a different channel using the snap refresh command. For example, the following command updates the VLC player to the beta channel:

snap refresh vlc --beta

Enabling and Disabling Snap Packages

One useful feature of snapd is that it lets you easily enable and disable apps. For example, the following command disables the VLC media player. It won’t be available to use until you enable it again.

snap disable vlc

You can easily enable the snap again using the snap enable command:

snap enable vlc

Getting Help with Snap

Snap has a built-in help system. To see all available commands:

snap --help

To get help for a specific command, like install, run:

snap install --help

APT vs Snap: Which One Should You Use?

  • Most Linux users still prefer the APT package manager.
  • On Ubuntu Server, APT is recommended because Debian packages are generally more stable and faster.
  • On Ubuntu Desktop, Snap is often used because it provides newer versions of apps.
  • Snap packages take up more disk space than APT packages.
  • Ubuntu’s Software Center installs apps using Snap by default.

Up Next: How to Use the APT Package Manager in Ubuntu/Debian

The next article will cover the APT package manager, which is the default package manager for all Debian-based Linux distributions.