As an experienced Linux developer, I often need to clean up demo or test snap packagesInstalled on my Ubuntu 22.04 systems. Snap packages provide sandboxed, self-contained applications via the Snapcraft store, making it easy to install apps outside of the standard Ubuntu repositories. However, snaps can sometimes cause performance or security issues, so removing unnecessary packages is good system hygiene.
In this comprehensive expert guide, I‘ll cover everything developers need to know about removing snap packages on Ubuntu 22.04 and analyzing the implications of snap removal.
Understanding Snap Packages
Before we discuss removing snaps, let‘s briefly overview what snap packages are and how they work on Ubuntu.
Snaps are self-contained software bundles that include all the application files, dependencies, and metadata needed to run on multiple Linux distributions. This sandboxed packaging format was created specifically for secure Linux app distribution by Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu.
Some benefits of using snap packages include:
- Automatic updates in the background
- Easy reversibility of installations and rollbacks
- Strict confinement of apps for security
- Simplified setup for complex apps with dependencies
- Versioning control
Snaps achieve these benefits through containerized technology and by isolating file access. Under the hood, they utilize squashFS read-only file systems and per-app anonymous bind mounts. Complex applications like Spotify, Skype and Slack are available for one-command installation via the Snapcraft store.
In 2022, over 850,000 snap packages were being served globally per month through Snapcraft, up from just 25,000 five years prior. The growth of this app format has been rapid.
However, drawbacks like reduced performance, lack of reviews, and issues removing packages have prevented snaps from wholly replacing traditional deb packages in Ubuntu repositories. Still, Snapcraft remains the best option for installing niche, proprietary or experimental applications on Ubuntu desktops and servers.
Now let‘s look at permanently removing snap packages.
Removing Snap Packages vs Deb Packages
As Ubuntu‘s default package manager, APT handles .deb package installation, upgrades and removal. Snap packages installed via snapd and Snapcraft use similar but distinct commands focused on snap functionality.
To remove a .deb package, the standard apt purge command is used:
sudo apt purge package_name
This strips configuration files and daemon data associated with the package.
Snaps use their own removal system:
sudo snap remove package_name
However, the remove command generally leaves leftover configuration and data files. For a full cleanup, a subsequent command is required:
sudo rm -rf ~/snap/package_name
This purges the ~/snap directory where snaps store associated user data, prefs and configs. Otherwise, reinstalling the snap can resurrect old settings.
Additionally, installed services from removed snaps may persist in systemd and require manual deletion. So while removing snaps is straightforward, the coarser-grained control can leave traces. Deb packages tend to clean up after themselves more consistently on removal.
Let‘s demonstrate removing some common snap packages…
Examples of Removing Snaps on Ubuntu 22.04
Here I‘ll walk through examples of removing Snapcraft apps that some developers and power users may have installed for testing, including GIMP image editor, Spotify streaming client, and Slack messaging platform.
Remove GIMP Snap
GIMP is a popular open source image and photo editing app. The Snapcraft snap tends to be slower than the apt packaged version:
sudo snap remove gimp
Then purge leftover configs with:
sudo rm -rf ~/snap/gimp
Verify it‘s gone by running:
snap list
And checking GIMP no longer appears.
Remove Spotify Snap
The official Spotify client available as a snap package tends to consume more background resources than necessary. Removing it forces using the official .deb package or Flatpak version:
sudo snap remove spotify
Wipe config remnants:
sudo rm -rf ~/snap/spotify
And confirm spotify is gone from the snap list output.
Remove Slack Snap
Slack‘s collaboration app snap may exhibit performance issues on older hardware. Removing it allows installing the more optimized apt package:
sudo snap remove slack --purge
Note the additional –purge parameter used to cleanup common data files automatically. Verify slack no longer shows in the list of installed snaps.
These are just a few common examples where removing unnecessary snap packages can improve performance or system health. Let‘s explore this further…
Performance and Security Implications
Two main reasons developers and sysadmin may want to remove snap packages are performance optimizations and security hardening.
On servers and single board computers like Raspberry Pis, Snapcraft snaps can consume excessive CPU cycles, RAM footprint, disk space, and disk I/O compared to identical apps installed via apt. The sandboxing layer adds noticeable overhead.
By removing snaps using lots of background resources, then installing lighter-weight alternatives like debs or Flatpaks, idle load averages can reduce substantially. For example, Spotify and Slack are notorious resource hogs as snaps on headless Ubuntu servers.
From a security perspective, snaps auto-update in the background by default, occasionally introducing problematic changes. Furthermore, the extensive permissions granted to the snapd daemon introduce larger attack surfaces than regular apps. By removing unnecessary snaps, sysadmins can reduce bloat and lockdown production servers for PCI or HIPAA compliance.
For these reasons, monitoring snap resource consumption and removing those overusing resources is advised. The snap remove process is designed to be simple enough for any developer or IT team.
Occasionally, partially failed removals can cause issues though. Let‘s talk about troubleshooting next.
Troubleshooting Snap Removal Failures
Typically the snap remove command cleanly uninstalls snap packages along with associated services, data files and configs. But if a removal gets interrupted prematurely, some traces may get left behind. Symptoms signaling an incomplete removal include:
- Errors trying to reinstall a recently removed snap
- Mysterious background resource usage from a supposedly removed package
- "Command not found" messages from a removed snap‘s binaries
- Missing functionality from apps relying on removed snap services
Debugging these issues requires some system detective work to identify the offending leftovers.
First check whether Systemd is still running any services tied to the removed snap with:
systemctl list-unit-files --state=enabled | grep snap
If so, fully disable them:
sudo systemctl disable snap.package.service
Then double check no related data or config directories still reside under ~/snap/ with:
ls -la ~/snap
And delete any problem entries manually:
sudo rm -rf ~/snap/package_name
Sometimes daemon or background processes continue running from removed snaps as well. Identify their process IDs with:
ps aux | grep snap
And kill any matches forcibly, usually snapd and snap-specific services:
sudo kill -9 123456789
With these troubleshooting steps, even hosed snap removals obstructing smooth operations can be rectified and removed. Preventative snap policies also help avoid issues down the road.
Incorporating Snap Package Removal Into IT Policies
For enterprise teams managing fleets of Ubuntu devices, establishing clear policies around snap package usage is recommended for efficiency. Some best practices include:
- Classify snap packages into allowed list vs block list categories
- Only install trusted/vetted snaps from Snapcraft
- Prefer apt packages over snaps when performance matters
- Regularly audit snap resource consumption
- Snap removal should completely wipe configs and traces
By proactively identifying approved snaps and those likely causing problems, administrators can optimize Ubuntu desktop and server app selection while avoiding surprises down the road.
Integrating the above snap removal steps into standard operating procedures ensures continuity when deprovisioning systems or troubleshooting odd issues due to snap packages. And leveraging monitoring tools to automatically alert on increasing resource usage from snaps enables preemptively removing problematic ones before operational impacts arise.
Adopting these modern best practices around controlling snaps demonstrates IT teams have the expertise to manage Ubuntu pros while mitigating their cons.
For developers less concerned about snaps, what alternatives exist for installing apps from third-party sources?
Alternatives to Snap Packages
For developers wanting application isolation benefits without snap overhead, two alternatives worth considering are Flatpak and AppImage.
Flatpak
Flatpak provides sandboxed desktop app distribution similar to snaps. Performance overhead is lower by relying on system dependencies instead of bundling. Many major Linux apps come in Flatpak format from Flathub. Installation and removal use intuitive commands like:
flatpak install flathub com.spotify.Client flatpak uninstall flathub com.spotify.Client
Flatpaks strike a balance between snap isolation and apt efficiency.
AppImage
AppImage offers desktop app bundles running directly from a single executable file. AppImages can be executed immediately after downloading without installation. To remove, simply delete the AppImage file. Low overhead makes AppImages great for testing apps and developer builds.
In summary:
- Snaps favor ease of use and security
- Flatpaks improve performance while sandboxing
- AppImages provide ultimate portability
All three app formats have merits depending on use cases. Mixing different package types allows efficiently running various workloads on Ubuntu.
Conclusion: Keeping Ubuntu Lean
In closing, learning how to cleanly remove snap packages makes managing modern Ubuntu environments easier. As Snapcraft grows in popularity and snaps get leveraged more in enterprise infrastructure, understanding Snapcraft removal procedures saves developers and IT teams frustration when transitioning away from troublesome snaps.
By covering key topics like isolating packaged dependencies, purging leftover configuration files, dismantling ineffective snap isolation, and replacing snaps with optimized alternatives, Ubuntu users can reclaim performance from unnecessary snap overhead. Building snap removal skills ultimately enables streamlining Ubuntu down to only the essential packages for faster workflows.
Through researching and authoring this comprehensive snap removal guide, I‘ve consolidated a deep knowledge base for efficiently jumpstarting or concluding project development on Ubuntu — lightening systems by removing Snapcraft bloat. Hopefully other Linux users can also benefit from this expanded reference when taking out the snap trash.
Let me know if any important removal or troubleshooting steps were missed! I‘m always seeking to improve Ubuntu mastery through peer feedback.