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My monthly cron job to update the system wide Flatpak apps spit out this error:

Error: While downloading https://api.snapcraft.io/api/v1/snaps/download/QRDEfjn4WJYnm0FzDKwqqRZZI77awQEV_386.snap: Server returned status 404

It got that first error when trying to update the (now defunct) Skype client.

The problem is that the Skype Flatpak app is repackaging the Skype Snap app. Instead of setting up a Flatpak container and building their software inside it, they setup a Flatpak container, installed Snap inside it, and installed their containerized Snap app. When you launch the Skype Flatpak app you are launching a container that launches a container that launches the app.

This is the height of containerization stupidity.

They already have a build process for some containerized Linux distro to make the Snap package. They could setup the same distro inside the Flatpak container and use nearly the same build process from there.

According to a the Slack Flatpak app does the same thing, so it’s not only Microsoft being stupid here.

I’m not sure why there is even an update for the Skype client. Skype has been shut down. Maybe the app only shows people how to convert their Skype account to a Microsoft account and setup Teams. Either way, I can deal with this by uninstalling it. If this happens with an app you are still using you will probably have to wait for a future update that fixes the Snap problem and then reinstall it.

I also don’t understand why updating the Flatpak app requires it to connect to the Snap store. Can’t they just include the data in the Flatpak app?

I guess if they were doing sensible things they wouldn’t be double containerizing their app in the first place.

My monthly cron job to update the system wide Flatpak apps spit out this error: Error: While downloading https://api.snapcraft.io/api/v1/snaps/download/QRDEfjn4WJYnm0FzDKwqqRZZI77awQEV_386.snap: Server returned status 404 It got that first error when trying to update the (now defunct) Skype client. The problem is that the Skype Flatpak app is repackaging the Skype Snap app. Instead of setting up a Flatpak container and building their software inside it, they setup a Flatpak container, installed Snap inside it, and installed their containerized Snap app. When you launch the Skype Flatpak app you are launching a container that launches a container that launches the app. This is the height of containerization stupidity. They already have a build process for some containerized Linux distro to make the Snap package. They could setup the same distro inside the Flatpak container and use nearly the same build process from there. According to a [Majaro forum post](https://forum.manjaro.org/t/snap-in-my-flatpak/166729) the Slack Flatpak app does the same thing, so it’s not only Microsoft being stupid here. I’m not sure why there is even an update for the Skype client. Skype has been shut down. Maybe the app only shows people how to convert their Skype account to a Microsoft account and setup Teams. Either way, I can deal with this by uninstalling it. If this happens with an app you are still using you will probably have to wait for a future update that fixes the Snap problem and then reinstall it. I also don’t understand why updating the Flatpak app requires it to connect to the Snap store. Can’t they just include the data in the Flatpak app? I guess if they were doing sensible things they wouldn’t be double containerizing their app in the first place.
[–] 3 pts

I resisted the urge to make that the title.