Mastering Flatpak Updates (with examples)

Flatpak is an essential tool for managing software packages on Linux systems, offering a way to install, update, and manage applications in a distribution-agnostic way. The flatpak update command is specifically designed to update applications and runtimes, ensuring you have the latest features, fixes, and security updates. This guide explores different use cases of the flatpak update command, illustrating how you can make the most out of it while managing your Flatpak-based applications.

Use case 1: Update all installed applications and runtimes

Code:

flatpak update -y

Motivation: Keeping all applications and runtimes up to date is crucial for system security and to benefit from the latest improvements and bug fixes. Running flatpak update ensures all installed Flatpak applications and their associated runtimes are updated to the latest available versions from their respective repositories. The -y flag is used to bypass confirmation prompts for a seamless update experience, making it especially useful for automated scripts or when maintaining multiple systems.

Explanation:

• flatpak: This is the command-line tool used to manage Flatpak packages.
• update: This sub-command tells Flatpak to update its applications and runtimes.
• -y: The -y option automatically confirms all prompts during the update process, making it convenient especially if you are confident about proceeding with all updates without further input.

Example Output:

Looking for updates...
Updating in system:
com.example.app/x86_64/stable flathub 123abc456def
com.example.otherapp/x86_64/stable flathub 654def321abc
Updating in user:
com.thirdparty.app/x86_64/stable flathub 789ghi012jkl
Success!

Use case 2: Update only a specific app

Code:

flatpak update com.example.app

Motivation: There might be situations when only a specific application needs to be updated, perhaps when a critical bug has been fixed or an exciting new feature has been added. This use case helps in targeting updates for a specific app without spending time or bandwidth on updating other installed applications and runtimes.

Explanation:

• flatpak: The command-line tool for managing Flatpak.
• update: Indicates the action of updating applications.
• com.example.app: The unique identifier for the specific application you want to update. This allows Flatpak to focus on the update of this particular app, ignoring other installed packages.

Example Output:

Looking for updated versions of com.example.app/x86_64/stable...
Updating in system:
com.example.app/x86_64/stable flathub 890klm123nop
Success!

Use case 3: Update/Downgrade to a specific commit

Code:

flatpak update --commit=COMMIT com.example.app

Motivation: Sometimes, updates may introduce issues, or a specific feature in a past version may be preferred. Using a specific commit allows you to update or even revert to a designated version, useful for testing, troubleshooting, or maintaining compatibility with other software components.

Explanation:

• flatpak: The Flatpak command-line utility.
• update: The sub-command to perform an update.
• --commit=COMMIT: This allows you to specify a particular commit hash. A commit represents a specific version or state of the application, providing fine-grained control over what version you want to run.
• com.example.app: Specifies the particular application for which the commit-based update or downgrade should occur.

Example Output:

Searching for commit 123456abcdef in com.example.app/x86_64/stable...
Updating in system:
com.example.app/x86_64/stable COMMIT
Success!

Conclusion:

Flatpak offers a powerful and flexible package management system, with the flatpak update command playing a crucial role in keeping applications and runtimes up-to-date. Whether you need to apply all available updates quickly, update a specific application to address immediate concerns, or manage versions with precision by targeting specific commits, this command proves indispensable. Understanding and leveraging these use cases can lead to a smoother, more efficient application management process on any system that uses Flatpak.