With support for many languages out of the box, getting started with Snapcraft can be as simple as installing and running snapcraft.
To develop snaps you have Linux support via Snaps, macOS support via homebrew and Windows support via WSL. With whichever OS you’re comfortable with, you can develop and publish snaps.
If you already have an Electron app for Windows and macOS, you only need to make minimal changes to your package.json to build a snap that’s ready to release. Get started with an Electron app.
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example C/C++ app in the Snap Store.
name: dosbox version: "0.74-svn" summary: DOS emulator description: | DOSBox is a x86 emulator with Tandy/Hercules/[…] confinement: devmode base: core18 parts: dosbox: plugin: autotools source-type: tar source: http://source.dosbox.com/dosboxsvn.tgz build-packages: - g++ - make - libsdl1.2-dev […] - libasound2-dev stage-packages: - libsdl-sound1.2 - libsdl-net1.2 - libxcursor1 […] - zlib1g apps: dosbox: command: dosbox environment: "LD_LIBRARY_PATH": "$SNAP/usr/lib/ $SNAPCRAFT_ARCH_TRIPLET/pulseaudio" "DISABLE_WAYLAND": "1"
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example Electron app in the Snap Store.
{ "name": "electron-quick-start", "version": "1.0.0", "description": "A minimal Electron application", "main": "main.js", "scripts": { "start": "electron .", "dist": "build --linux snap" }, "repository": "https://github.com/electron/electron-quick-start", "keywords": [ "Electron", "quick", "start", "tutorial", "demo" ], "author": "GitHub", "license": "CC0-1.0", "devDependencies": { "electron": "^2.0.0", "electron-builder": "^20.27.1" } }
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example Flutter app in the Snap Store.
name: super-cool-app version: "1.0" summary: Super Cool App description: | Super Cool App that does everything! […] confinement: strict base: core18 parts: super-cool-app: plugin: flutter source: https://github.com/kenvandine/super-cool-app.git flutter-target: lib/main.dart apps: super-cool-app: command: super_cool_app extensions: [flutter-dev]
Programming in Go makes it easy to create a zip of your app that runs across Linux, without dependencies. However, end user discovery and update management remain a challenge. Snaps fill this gap, letting you distribute a Go app in an app store experience for end users.
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example Go app in the Snap Store.
name: httplab version: '1.0' summary: An interactive web server. description: | HTTPLab let you inspect HTTP requests […] confinement: devmode base: core18 parts: httplab: plugin: go go-importpath: github.com/gchaincl/httplab source: https://github.com/gchaincl/httplab source-type: git build-packages: - gcc apps: httplab: command: bin/httplab
Distributing a Java application for Linux and reaching the widest possible audience is complicated. Typically, the user has to make sure the JRE/SDK version and their environment are configured correctly. When a Linux distribution changes the delivered JRE, this can be problematic for applications. Snapcraft ensures the correct JRE is shipped alongside the application at all times.
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example Java app in the Snap Store.
name: freeplane version: '1.8.1' summary: Application for Mind Mapping […] description: | Freeplane is a free and open source software […] confinement: devmode base: core18 parts: freeplane: plugin: gradle source: https://github.com/freeplane/freeplane.git source-tag: release-$SNAPCRAFT_PROJECT_VERSION gradle-version: '5.1.1' gradle-output-dir: BIN gradle-options: [binZip, -xtest, -xcreateGitTag] override-build: | snapcraftctl build unzip -o DIST/freeplane_bin-*.zip -d $SNAPCRAFT_PART_INSTALL/ build-packages: - unzip apps: freeplane: extensions: - gnome-3-28 command: freeplane-$SNAPCRAFT_PROJECT_VERSION/freeplane.sh environment: JAVA_HOME: $SNAP/usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-amd64 PATH: $JAVA_HOME/jre/bin:$PATH plugs: - home - network - cups-control
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example MOOS app in the Snap Store.
name: moos version: '0.1' summary: MOOS Example description: | This example includes MOOSDB, the main […] confinement: devmode base: core18 parts: moos: source: https://github.com/themoos/core-moos/archive/v10.4.0.tar.gz plugin: cmake build-packages: [g++] apps: MOOSDB: command: bin/MOOSDB
With npm you can distribute apps to other developers, but it’s not tailored to end users. Snaps let you distribute your Node app in an app store experience.
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example Node.js app in the Snap Store.
name: wethr version: '1.0' summary: Command line weather tool. description: | Get current weather […] confinement: devmode base: core18 parts: wethr: plugin: nodejs source: https://github.com/twobucks/wethr.git apps: wethr: command: wethr
Distributing the Linux build of your app as a zip lets you provide one download and set of instructions for all of Linux. However, end user discovery and update management remain a challenge. Snaps fill this gap, letting you wrap your existing Linux build in an app store experience for end users.
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example pre-built app in the Snap Store.
name: geekbench4 version: 4.2.0 summary: Cross-Platform Benchmark description: | Geekbench 4 measures your system's power […] confinement: devmode base: core18 parts: geekbench4: plugin: dump source: http://cdn.geekbench.com/Geekbench-$SNAPCRAFT_PROJECT_VERSION-Linux.tar.gz apps: geekbench4: command: geekbench4
With PyPI you can distribute apps to other developers, but it’s not tailored to end users. Virtualenv lets you install an app’s dependencies in isolation, but it’s not automatically used for installs from PyPI. Snaps let you distribute a dependency-isolated Python app in an app store experience for end users.
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example Python app in the Snap Store.
name: offlineimap version: '1.0' summary: OfflineIMAP description: | OfflineIMAP is software that downloads […] confinement: devmode base: core18 parts: offlineimap: plugin: python python-version: python2 source: https://github.com/snapcraft-docs/offlineimap.git stage-packages: - python-six apps: offlineimap: command: bin/offlineimap
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example ROS app in the Snap Store.
name: ros-talker-listener version: '0.1' summary: ROS Talker/Listener Example description: | This example launches a ROS talker and listener. base: core18 confinement: devmode parts: ros-tutorials: plugin: catkin source: https://github.com/ros/ros_tutorials.git source-branch: melodic-devel source-space: roscpp_tutorials/ apps: ros-talker-listener: command: roslaunch roscpp_tutorials talker_listener.launch
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example ROS2 app in the Snap Store.
name: ros2-talker-listener version: '0.1' summary: ROS2 Talker/Listener Example description: | This example launches a ROS2 talker and listener. confinement: devmode base: core18 parts: ros-demos: plugin: colcon source: https://github.com/ros2/demos.git source-branch: dashing colcon-rosdistro: dashing colcon-source-space: demo_nodes_cpp stage-packages: [ros-dashing-ros2launch] apps: ros2-talker-listener: command: opt/ros/dashing/bin/ros2 launch demo_nodes_cpp talker_listener.launch.py
Linux install instructions for Ruby applications often get complicated. To prevent modules from different Ruby applications clashing with each other, developer tools like rvm or rbenv must be used. With snapcraft, it’s one command to produce a bundle that works anywhere.
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example Ruby app in the Snap Store.
name: mdl version: "0.5.0" summary: Markdown lint tool description: | Style checker/lint tool for markdown files confinement: devmode base: core18 parts: mdl: source: https://github.com/snapcraft-docs/mdl.git plugin: ruby gems: - rake - bundler override-build: | snapcraftctl build rake install build-packages: - git apps: mdl: command: bin/mdl
You can distribute your apps across Linux using a musl-enabled version of Rust, with all the dependencies satisfied. However, end user discovery and update management remain a challenge. Snaps fill this gap, letting you distribute a Rust app in an app store experience for end users.
In just a few steps, you’ll have an example Rust app in the Snap Store.
name: xsv version: '1.0' summary: A fast CSV command line toolkit written in Rust description: | xsv is a command line program for indexing […] confinement: devmode base: core18 parts: xsv: plugin: rust source: https://github.com/snapcraft-docs/xsv.git apps: xsv: command: bin/xsv
Building your snap locally limits you to your development architecture. Let us do the heavy lifting and build it for multiple architectures including AMD64, i386, ARM and ARM64.
Behind the scenes, snaps are built by Launchpad the tool used to build all Ubuntu images. When your builds are ready, you can release them together, as a set, ensuring everyone on all architectures receive the same version at the same time.
Find out moreIf you’re already comfortable with a third party CI workflow Snaps are supported there too. You don’t need to change or modify anything if you don’t want to.
Already have a build farm, for all the architectures you need? The Publisher Gateway APIs let you automate everything from uploading and releasing a Snap, to adding screenshots to display in the Storefront.