Hello debian-project, I would like to start a project-level discussion regarding Debian’s position on universal packaging formats such as Flatpak, Snap, and similar technologies.
On one hand, these formats clearly solve certain problems related to application delivery, sandboxing, and upstream velocity. On the other hand, they also raise concerns that are particularly relevant to Debian, such as integration with the system, long-term maintainability, trust, and alignment with Debian’s packaging policies and values. >From my perspective, Debian currently appears pragmatic in practice, but somewhat implicit in terms of project-wide positioning (Or I'm misunderstanding something). My questions to the project are: 1.Should Debian aim to articulate a clearer position on the role of Flatpak/Snap-like systems within Debian? 2.If so, should this position be primarily descriptive (documenting current practice) or normative (actively encouraging or discouraging certain approaches)? 3.Are there trade-offs where Debian intentionally accepts being less convenient in favor of transparency, policy compliance, and long-term sustainability? Best regards, Egor Cherepanov
