Latest revision as of 21:17, 26 January 2023

Unfiltered Flathub

Summary

Fedora Workstation's existing third party repo feature allows users to enable a selection of software repos that are hosted by external organizations. This selection has included a filtered version of Flathub since F35, which provides access to a small number of Flathub apps. This change would remove the filtering from our Flathub offering, so that users can enable a complete version of Flathub using the third party repositories feature. In the graphical software manager app, Flathub packages will only be selected by default when no Fedora package is available.

Owner

Name: Workstation WG
Email: mclasen@redhat.com

Current status

Targeted release: Fedora Linux 38
Last updated: 2023-01-26
Devel list thread
FESCo issue: #2939
Tracker bug: #2164894
Release notes tracker: #960

Detailed Description

Since F35, Fedora has included a Flatpak repo definition for Flathub in the fedora-flathub-remote package. This Flathub remote can be used by those who enable third-party software repositories through either GNOME Initial Setup or GNOME Software. Users who do not opt in do not see any content from Flathub.

The current Flathub remote is filtered by an allowlist, to only make a limited subset of software from Flathub available.

The unfiltered Flathub change has two parts:

Remove the allowlist from the Flatpak remote, so that when a user opts in, they gain access to all Flathub content and not just a small selection.
Adjust GNOME Software so that it uses the following priority order when deciding which package to offer by default:
1. Fedora Flatpaks
2. RPMs
3. Flathub Flatpaks

This will mean that, when using the graphical software manager, Flathub Flatpaks will only be selected by default when there is no Fedora Flatpak or RPM.

Other details:

In GNOME Software, users will continue to be able to manually select a different source for individual applications.
The filtering mechanism will remain in place, and it will be possible to reinstate a filter via a package update, should the need arise in the future.
It has been indicated that it is legally acceptable for us to remove the filtering from the Flathub remote that we make available for users to opt into.
The UI for enabling the third party repositories clearly states that they contain proprietary software.
GNOME Software shows information about whether apps are open source or proprietary, so that users can decide whether they want to install them or not.

Feedback

A previous version of this proposal was rejected by FESCo for Fedora 37. It has subsequently been modified to address the concerns raised:

GNOME Software will prefer packages that have been through the Fedora packaging process, over those that have not.
For developer tools that do not work well in a sandbox, there will be no Fedora Flatpak, and the RPM will be preferred over the Flathub Flatpak.

Some other questions and concerns that were raised in the previous discussion:

Who owns and runs Flathub?

Flathub is owned and run by the GNOME Foundation, which is a 501c(3) organization registered in the USA. (The GNOME Foundation owns the Flathub trademark, and employs one of the sysadmins who works on Flathub.)

As a non-profit, the GNOME Foundation is required to fulfill a charitable purpose. This is set out in its IRS registration, which states that the organization's mission is "broadening access to technology through the development and distribution of... usable free computer desktop software".

The GNOME Foundation is governed by its Board of Directors, which is elected by contributors to the GNOME project.

Plans exist to create additional governance around Flathub itself, so that other desktops and projects have a formal role in the running of the Flathub service.

Isn't Flathub full of repackaged binaries?

At present, around 10% of the apps on Flathub have been repackaged from another format. These other formats include distro packages and tarballs, as well as binaries. (The previous figure was 12% - the analysis for this can be read here.)

Flathub prefers that apps be built from source, and if sources are available this is what it is expected to be used. Repackaging is only used when sources aren't available, or when it isn't practical to build the entire application, due to size constraints.

But I don't like Flatpak because ___________

Inevitably, people have opinions about the design choices for Flatpak - no technology is ever perfect. Nevertheless, Flatpak is a unique opportunity for Fedora. Some of the key advantages it offers:

Allows supporting the same app over multiple OS versions
Is compatible with next-generation image-based operating systems, like Silverblue
Vibrant upstream application ecosystem, particularly around Flathub
Distro and platform neutral with no vendor lock-in
Support for application confinement/sandboxing
Fully integrated into the GNOME desktop experience

No other application packaging tool has these qualities and, for all these reasons, Flatpak is an important part of the long-term plans for Fedora Workstation.

Lack of community presence around Fedora Flatpaks

We previously received feedback that there were no good contact points for Fedora Flatpaks. The newly created Fedora Flatpak SIG aims to correct this situation, and will be the group that is responsible for Fedora Flatpaks in the future.

The SIG will work to improve the general state of Fedora Flatpaks, including documentation, issue tracking, and coordination.

Benefit to Fedora

Flathub currently hosts nearly 2,000 apps, including many apps which are not included in the Fedora repositories. This includes popular proprietary apps, but also many open source apps which are maintained in Flathub by their developers. This change will make it easier for Fedora users to access this resource.

For users who already use Flathub, this change will make it easier to setup.

Additionally, out of the box application availability is one of the key metrics on which Fedora is judged in comparison to other distros. Having the option to easily enable Flathub will put us in a much more competitive position with regards to our rivals, and will make it easier for people to recommend Fedora as a user friendly Linux distro.

This change will also be a significant improvement over the existing filtered version of Flathub that we offer. This has received a lot of negative feedback, with users being confused by the limited subset of Flathub that are included.

Scope

Proposal owners:
- Remove the allowlist in /usr/share/flatpak/fedora-flathub.filter, or replace it with one that allows everything
- Adjust the name of the remote to reflect its unfiltered nature

GNOME Software developers:
- Land this change to fix preference order in g-s: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-software/-/merge_requests/1511
- Make sure that the preference order works as desired on Silverblue as well, where we always want to prefer flatpaks over layering rpms. This is being discussed here: https://github.com/fedora-silverblue/issue-tracker/issues/354

Release engineering: #Releng issue number
- No work needed

Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)
Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)
Alignment with Objectives:

Upgrade/compatibility impact

Existing Fedora installations with a configured Fedora Flathub remote will pick up the new, permissive filter.

How To Test

When third-party software is not enabled in GNOME Initial Setup or GNOME Software, search results from Flathub should not appear in GNOME Software.

When third-party software is enabled in GNOME Initial Setup or GNOME Software:

Search results from Flathub should appear.
The default app selected by GNOME Software should be as follows:

Fedora Flatpak?	RPM?	Flathub Flatpak?	Default package
✓	✓	✓	Fedora Flatpak
✗	✓	✓	RPM
✗	✗	✓	Flathub Flatpak
✓	✓	✗	Fedora Flatpak
✓	✗	✗	Fedora Flatpak
✗	✓	✗	RPM

User Experience

When opening GNOME Software after opting into 3rd party software, all the applications that are available on Flathub will show up in search results.

Where there are overlaps, Fedora content will be preferred over Flathub content.

When opening GNOME Software without opting into 3rd party software, only Fedora content will be show up in search results.

Dependencies

No dependencies.

Contingency Plan

Contingency mechanism: Reinstate the filtering we had in Fedora 36

Contingency deadline: Beta

Blocks release? No

Documentation

Release Notes

The Fedora Flathub remote now exposes all content from Flathub, instead of only a small subset. Flathub is not enabled by default. To enable software from Flathub, turn on third-party software in GNOME Initial Setup or GNOME Software.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 = Unfiltered Flathub =
-{{Change_Proposal_Banner}}
 == Summary ==
@@ Line 7: / Line 5: @@
 <!-- A sentence or two summarizing what this change is and what it will do. This information is used for the overall changeset summary page for each release. Note that motivation for the change should be in the Benefit to Fedora section below, and this part should answer the question "What?" rather than "Why?". -->
-The flatpak remote for Flathub will have no filtering, making all the Flathub content available in GNOME Software and via the flatpak commandline.
+Fedora Workstation's existing [https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/workstation-working-group/third-party-repos/ third party repo feature] allows users to enable a selection of software repos that are hosted by external organizations. This selection has included a filtered version of Flathub since F35, which provides access to a small number of Flathub apps. This change would remove the filtering from our Flathub offering, so that users can enable a complete version of Flathub using the third party repositories feature. In the graphical software manager app, Flathub packages will only be selected by default when no Fedora package is available.
 == Owner ==
 * Name: Workstation WG
 * Email: mclasen@redhat.com
 <!--- UNCOMMENT only for Changes with assigned Shepherd (by FESCo)
@@ Line 19: / Line 16: @@
 == Current status ==
-[[Category:ChangePageIncomplete]]
+[[Category:ChangeAcceptedF38]]
 [[Category:SystemWideChange]]
-* Targeted release: [[Releases/37 | Fedora Linux 37 ]]
+* Targeted release: [[Releases/38 | Fedora Linux 38 ]]
 * Last updated:  {{REVISIONYEAR}}-{{REVISIONMONTH}}-{{REVISIONDAY2}}
-* FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
+* [https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel@lists.fedoraproject.org/thread/JXUEWBN6ZDFNOY4BKUH4MS343KFHMQYT/ Devel list thread]
-* Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
+* FESCo issue: [https://pagure.io/fesco/issue/2939 #2939]
-* Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
+* Tracker bug: [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2164894 #2164894]
+* Release notes tracker: [https://pagure.io/fedora-docs/release-notes/issue/960 #960]
 == Detailed Description ==
 <!-- Expand on the summary, if appropriate.  A couple sentences suffices to explain the goal, but the more details you can provide the better. -->
-Fedora includes a flatpak repo definition for Flathub in the fedora-flathub-remote package. So far, this remote
+Since F35, Fedora has included a Flatpak repo definition for Flathub in the fedora-flathub-remote package. This Flathub remote can be used by those who enable third-party software repositories through either GNOME Initial Setup or GNOME Software. Users who do not opt in do not see any content from Flathub.
-was filtered by an allowlist that only made a limited subset of software from Flathub available. We've been told
-that it is ok for us to remove the filtering and make all of Flathub available.
-The filtering mechanism itself will still be there, and it will be possible for us to reinstate a filter via a package
+The current Flathub remote is filtered by an allowlist, to only make a limited subset of software from Flathub available.
-update, should the need arise in the future.
-The Flathub remote is available to users who opt-in to enabling third-party software repositories in either GNOME Initial Setup or GNOME Software. Users who do not opt in will not see anything from Flathub.
+The unfiltered Flathub change has two parts:
+# Remove the allowlist from the Flatpak remote, so that when a user opts in, they gain access to all Flathub content and not just a small selection.
+# Adjust GNOME Software so that it uses the following priority order when deciding which package to offer by default:
+## Fedora Flatpaks
+## RPMs
+## Flathub Flatpaks
+This will mean that, when using the graphical software manager, Flathub Flatpaks will only be selected by default when there is no Fedora Flatpak or RPM.
+Other details:
+* In GNOME Software, users will continue to be able to manually select a different source for individual applications.
+* The filtering mechanism will remain in place, and it will be possible to reinstate a filter via a package update, should the need arise in the future.
+* It has been indicated that it is legally acceptable for us to remove the filtering from the Flathub remote that we make available for users to opt into.
+* The UI for enabling the third party repositories clearly states that they contain proprietary software.
+* GNOME Software shows information about whether apps are open source or proprietary, so that users can decide whether they want to install them or not.
 == Feedback ==
 <!-- Summarize the feedback from the community and address why you chose not to accept proposed alternatives. This section is optional for all change proposals but is strongly suggested. Incorporating feedback here as it is raised gives FESCo a clearer view of your proposal and leaves a good record for the future. If you get no feedback, that is useful to note in this section as well. For innovative or possibly controversial ideas, consider collecting feedback before you file the change proposal. -->
-This change proposal has previously been discussed here: https://pagure.io/fedora-workstation/issue/300
+A previous version of this proposal was rejected by FESCo for Fedora 37. It has subsequently been modified to address the concerns raised:
+* GNOME Software will prefer packages that have been through the Fedora packaging process, over those that have not.
+* For developer tools that do not work well in a sandbox, there will be no Fedora Flatpak, and the RPM will be preferred over the Flathub Flatpak.
+Some other questions and concerns that were raised in the previous discussion:
+=== Who owns and runs Flathub? ===
+Flathub is owned and run by [https://foundation.gnome.org/ the GNOME Foundation], which is a 501c(3) organization registered in the USA. (The GNOME Foundation [https://foundation.gnome.org/legal-and-trademarks/ owns the Flathub trademark], and employs one of the sysadmins who works on Flathub.)
+As a non-profit, the GNOME Foundation is required to fulfill a charitable purpose. This is set out in its IRS registration, which states that the organization's mission is "broadening access to technology through the development and distribution of... usable free computer desktop software".
+The GNOME Foundation is governed by its Board of Directors, which is elected by contributors to the GNOME project.
+Plans exist to create additional governance around Flathub itself, so that other desktops and projects have a formal role in the running of the Flathub service.
+=== Isn't Flathub full of repackaged binaries? ===
+At present, around 10% of the apps on Flathub have been repackaged from another format. These other formats include distro packages and tarballs, as well as binaries. (The previous figure was 12% - the analysis for this can be read [https://blogs.gnome.org/wjjt/2022/06/14/how-many-flathub-apps-reuse-other-package-formats/ here].)
+Flathub prefers that apps be built from source, and if sources are available this is what it is expected to be used. Repackaging is only used when sources aren't available, or when it isn't practical to build the entire application, due to size constraints.
+=== But I don't like Flatpak because ___________ ===
+Inevitably, people have opinions about the design choices for Flatpak - no technology is ever perfect. Nevertheless, Flatpak is a unique opportunity for Fedora. Some of the key advantages it offers:
+* Allows supporting the same app over multiple OS versions
+* Is compatible with next-generation image-based operating systems, like Silverblue
+* Vibrant upstream application ecosystem, particularly around Flathub
+* Distro and platform neutral with no vendor lock-in
+* Support for application confinement/sandboxing
+* Fully integrated into the GNOME desktop experience
+No other application packaging tool has these qualities and, for all these reasons, Flatpak is an important part of the long-term plans for Fedora Workstation.
+=== Lack of community presence around Fedora Flatpaks ===
+We previously received feedback that there were no good contact points for Fedora Flatpaks. The newly created [https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/Flatpak Fedora Flatpak SIG] aims to correct this situation, and will be the group that is responsible for Fedora Flatpaks in the future.
+The SIG will work to improve the general state of Fedora Flatpaks, including documentation, issue tracking, and coordination.
 == Benefit to Fedora ==
-More software will be easily available to Fedora users.
+Flathub currently hosts nearly 2,000 apps, including many apps which are not included in the Fedora repositories. This includes popular proprietary apps, but also many open source apps which are maintained in Flathub by their developers. This change will make it easier for Fedora users to access this resource.
+For users who already use Flathub, this change will make it easier to setup.
+Additionally, out of the box application availability is one of the key metrics on which Fedora is judged in comparison to other distros. Having the option to easily enable Flathub will put us in a much more competitive position with regards to our rivals, and will make it easier for people to recommend Fedora as a user friendly Linux distro.
+This change will also be a significant improvement over the existing filtered version of Flathub that we offer. This has received a lot of negative feedback, with users being confused by the limited subset of Flathub that are included.
 == Scope ==
 * Proposal owners:
-- Remove the allowlist in /usr/share/flatpak/fedora-flathub.filter, or replace it with one that allows everything
+** Remove the allowlist in /usr/share/flatpak/fedora-flathub.filter, or replace it with one that allows everything
+** Adjust the name of the remote to reflect its unfiltered nature
-* Other developers:
+* GNOME Software developers:
-- No work needed
+** Land this change to fix preference order in g-s: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-software/-/merge_requests/1511
+** Make sure that the preference order works as desired on Silverblue as well, where we always want to prefer flatpaks over layering rpms. This is being discussed here: https://github.com/fedora-silverblue/issue-tracker/issues/354
 * Release engineering: [https://pagure.io/releng/issues #Releng issue number]
-- No work needed
+** No work needed
 * Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change) <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
@@ Line 65: / Line 124: @@
 <!-- What happens to systems that have had a previous versions of Fedora installed and are updated to the version containing this change? Will anything require manual configuration or data migration? Will any existing functionality be no longer supported? -->
-<!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+Existing Fedora installations with a configured Fedora Flathub remote will pick up the new, permissive filter.
+== How To Test ==
-== How To Test ==
+When third-party software is not enabled in GNOME Initial Setup or GNOME Software, search results from Flathub should not appear in GNOME Software.
-<!-- This does not need to be a full-fledged document. Describe the dimensions of tests that this change implementation is expected to pass when it is done.  If it needs to be tested with different hardware or software configurations, indicate them.  The more specific you can be, the better the community testing can be.
-Remember that you are writing this how to for interested testers to use to check out your change implementation - documenting what you do for testing is OK, but it's much better to document what *I* can do to test your change.
+When third-party software is enabled in GNOME Initial Setup or GNOME Software:
-A good "how to test" should answer these four questions:
+* Search results from Flathub should appear.
+* The default app selected by GNOME Software should be as follows:
-. What special hardware / data / etc. is needed (if any)?
+{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
-. How do I prepare my system to test this change? What packages
+|-
-need to be installed, config files edited, etc.?
+! Fedora Flatpak? !! RPM? !! Flathub Flatpak? !! Default package
-. What specific actions do I perform to check that the change is
+|-
-working like it's supposed to?
+| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || Fedora Flatpak
-. What are the expected results of those actions?
+|-
--->
+| ✗ || ✓ || ✓ || RPM
+|-
+| ✗ || ✗ || ✓ || Flathub Flatpak
+|-
+| ✓ || ✓ || ✗ || Fedora Flatpak
+|-
+| ✓ || ✗ || ✗ || Fedora Flatpak
+|-
+| ✗ || ✓ || ✗ || RPM
+|}
-<!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+== User Experience ==
+When opening GNOME Software after opting into 3rd party software, all the applications that
+are available on Flathub will show up in search results.
-== User Experience ==
+Where there are overlaps, Fedora content will be preferred over Flathub content.
-When opening GNOME Software, all the applications that are available on Flathub will show up in search results.
+When opening GNOME Software without opting into 3rd party software, only Fedora content
+will be show up in search results.
 == Dependencies ==
 <!-- What other packages (RPMs) depend on this package?  Are there changes outside the developers' control on which completion of this change depends?  In other words, completion of another change owned by someone else and might cause you to not be able to finish on time or that you would need to coordinate?  Other upstream projects like the kernel (if this is not a kernel change)? -->
-<!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+No dependencies.
 == Contingency Plan ==
@@ Line 105: / Line 176: @@
 == Documentation ==
-<!-- Is there upstream documentation on this change, or notes you have written yourself?  Link to that material here so other interested developers can get involved. -->
-<!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+* [https://pagure.io/fedora-third-party/blob/main/f/doc/fedora-third-party.1.md fedora-third-party]
-N/A (not a System Wide Change)
+* [https://github.com/flathub/flathub/wiki Flathub wiki]
+* [https://fedoramagazine.org/comparison-of-fedora-flatpaks-and-flathub-remotes/ Comparison of Fedora Flatpaks and Flathub remotes]
 == Release Notes ==
-<!-- The Fedora Release Notes inform end-users about what is new in the release.  Examples of past release notes are here: http://docs.fedoraproject.org/release-notes/ -->
-<!-- The release notes also help users know how to deal with platform changes such as ABIs/APIs, configuration or data file formats, or upgrade concerns.  If there are any such changes involved in this change, indicate them here.  A link to upstream documentation will often satisfy this need.  This information forms the basis of the release notes edited by the documentation team and shipped with the release.
-Release Notes are not required for initial draft of the Change Proposal but has to be completed by the Change Freeze.
+The Fedora Flathub remote now exposes all content from Flathub, instead of only a small subset. Flathub is not enabled by default. To enable software from Flathub, turn on third-party software in GNOME Initial Setup or GNOME Software.
--->

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