Review of Resolute Raccoon Kubuntu 26.04 LTS

[jlittle]

Posting this from 26.04, release upgraded from 25.10 (a snapshot of my main desktop install), without reinstalling snaps. Took a long time, I estimate 2 hours, about 4,000 packages upgraded. Wobbly windows turned on; odd IMO. No other noticeable changes.

[jlittle]

Posting this from a de-snapped 26.04 beta, having run Schwarzer Kater's script to get rid of snap, and copying /opt/firefox from my 25.10 install. No sound problems.

[acheron]

Correction: The video is about Ubuntu and I missed that initially.

Ubuntu doesn't install pipewire as a snap either. The claim in the video is complete bulls**t

[oshunluvr]

I have an updated and de-snapped 26.04 install and sound works fine. Pipewire exists as a normal install, not a snap.

Shocker - a youtuber is making things up... <rolls eyes>

Correction: The video is about Ubuntu and I missed that initially. Curious that he Kubuntu team didn't follow that particular Ubuntu path but still install Firefox and Thunderbird as snaps. There still seems to be a strong push-back against snaps in my web reading experience. No way to tell how actually prevailing that sentiment actually is.

[acheron]

Lets be clear here. I am Kubuntu devloper. I am also a full Ubuntu Core developer.

The pipewire package (and sub packages) in resolute 26.04 are conventionally packaged self contained.debs, which themselves contain the pipewire binaries, shared libraries, data/config/services files all in those. They do not install a snap version or require one. Ubuntu itself, and none of the flavours, ship pipewire as a snap or require it.

The claim in some online video somewhere that a pipewire snap is shipped or required is complete BS.

According to the 26.04 roadmap, maybe shipping pipewire as a snap is something that might be considered in a future release at an unspecified time beyond 26.04. i.e. looking at and evaluating the concept during the 26.04 release cycle, but not shipping it there. The roadmap is clear on this. I think there have also been some things quoted on say the register which say "looking at for 26.04", where maybe "during" would have been more accurate.

And to me honest, since that uncommital aspiration in the roadmap post last November, I have heard no more about it myself in development channels.

I think here that some social media commentors/creators have misconstrued/misunderstood (if I am being generous) what was said and posted last November, and come to 2+2=7 in their messaging. They certainly did not bother to check what was actually in 26.04.

[Snowhog]

I know that someone will ask; it occurred to me; if the pipewire package isn't just a "snap pointer package".

AI Overview

The Ubuntu package gstreamer1.0-pipewire:amd64 (version 1.6.2-1ubuntu1, often associated with PipeWire version 0.3.x or 1.x depending on the Ubuntu release) is a true, native .deb package.

It is not a "snap pointer" package.

Here is the breakdown:

Native Plugin: This package provides the GStreamer plugin necessary for GStreamer-based applications to use PipeWire for audio/video input and output.

Package Management: It is installed, managed, and upgraded via apt or dpkg, standard Debian package management tools.

Library Component: It installs shared libraries (.so files) into system directories (like /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gstreamer-1.0/) that allow native GStreamer applications to interact with the system-wide PipeWire daemon.

While Ubuntu uses snaps for many applications, essential system audio/video plugins like gstreamer1.0-pipewire remain native .deb packages to ensure deep integration with the system's multimedia framework.

[acheron]

Thank you. Maybe pipewire is a snap on Ubuntu... Have just installed Kubuntu 26.04 beta, when I find the energy I'll try de-snapping it, and running do-release-upgrade -d on a snapshot.

The link I gave was for Ubuntu. No pipewire snap there.

[jlittle]

Thank you. Maybe pipewire is a snap on Ubuntu... Have just installed Kubuntu 26.04 beta, when I find the energy I'll try de-snapping it, and running do-release-upgrade -d on a snapshot.

[acheron]

One of the points he makes is that in 26.04 pipewire is a snap, so if you de-snap, no sound.[

I have not heard of that being the case, and on the beta and daily Ubuntu images no such snap is present. pipewire is there as .deb packages as always.

https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/da...amd64.manifest

[jlittle]

Just watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG2ZMvBT8W4 on the Youtux channel. He doesn't like 26.04 and has a bit of a moan about it. (That tone is typical for the channel.)

One of the points he makes is that in 26.04 pipewire is a snap, so if you de-snap, no sound.

Has anyone testing resolute raccoon de-snapped?

I shall be trying this. I really didn't like the churn that snaps provoked in my incremental backups, sometimes seeming to double the time taken.

[oshunluvr]

Yeah, the lone main dev plans to keep it around as long as there is interest.

As to KDE Linux, there really is absolutely zero Arch stuff to learn. They just use it to build the base OS image. There is no pacman or aur or anything at all

The immutability part, well, that depends. Currently, things are not fleshed out. When they offer a User focused version, this should be better, but no idea on how much that can do to make it useful for system-level tinkering. As I am wont to do here and there, considering I run it on a Chromebook that needs keyboard support added.

For more 'normal' usage, it isn't bad, even considering it uses pre-release Plasma versions. But most Linux users are NOT normal, lol. Someone who can find everything they need in Flathub will be fine. But most people, even normal users, will find third-party things like VPN clients challenging at this time. A stable release (of the dev version) iirc is hoped to be here in a few months so there is a while still before a user focused version is released.

I installed KDE Linux in a VM and it seems not horribly different than what I'm used to but I didn't fiddle with it too long. I guess that I've been operating in a certain way for a long time and just stubbornly don't want to change. From a higher level, I can see a future where we might achieve an "unbreakable" Linux release which might dramatically change the OS landscape. I "feel" that one of the main things I love about Linux - my ability to "make it my own" - would become impossible and I don't like that idea. Probably, it's more likely I would just have to learn a new way to do things.

In any case, my livelihood no longer depends on my knowledge of operating systems so this is just chaff.

[claydoh]

However, I did just read that Neon will likely be re-based to 26.04

Yeah, the lone main dev plans to keep it around as long as there is interest.

As to KDE Linux, there really is absolutely zero Arch stuff to learn. They just use it to build the base OS image. There is no pacman or aur or anything at all

The immutability part, well, that depends. Currently, things are not fleshed out. When they offer a User focused version, this should be better, but no idea on how much they can do to make it useful for system-level tinkering. As I am wont to do here and there, considering I run it on a Chromebook that needs keyboard support added.

For more 'normal' usage, it isn't bad, even considering it uses pre-release Plasma versions. But most Linux users are NOT normal, lol. Someone who can find everything they need in Flathub will be fine. But most people, even normal users, will find third-party things like VPN clients challenging at this time. A stable release (of the dev version) iirc is hoped to be here in a few months so there is a while still before a user focused version is released.

[oshunluvr]

Worked with no issues. Thanks again for the suggestion!

[oshunluvr]

Have you tried a more current ISO?

I have seen breakages in the past that aren't easily fixable/traceable, with a nuke and pave being the easier option. I suspect stray lib versions not removed, and/or in different locations, and the package database is blissfully unaware of all. With things in Beta now, all that should be locked down now.

No, I'm updating an early January install on bare metal. I'll try a totally new install when I get time. Thanks for the suggestion.

I was planning on switching from Neon back to Kubuntu since Neon may not live long now that KDE Linux is being developed. I have no interest in learning the Arch way to do things nor do I want to learn how to work in an immutable environment. However, I did just read that Neon will likely be re-based to 26.04 so I would be able to kick the can down the road a bit. My current Neon install is from 2018 so I'm of the mind that a fresh install and new home is past due.

[claydoh]

I'm unable to log into Kubuntu 26.04 since Feb. 5th.

Have you tried a more current ISO?

I have seen breakages in the past that aren't easily fixable/traceable, with a nuke and pave being the easier option. I suspect stray lib versions not removed, and/or in different locations, and the package database is blissfully unaware of all. With things in Beta now, all that should be locked down now.