Name collision with existing apt package

#1

I just had an interesting thought come up.

On Twitter I saw a new software called “k3d” by Rancher (kubernetes related). My first thought was I wonder how many people were going to accidentally install the k-3d package (of the same name in the apt repos). Further conversations with Rancher let to them being interested in a snap package.

So… Is there a policy in the snap realm to registering a name that may collide with a name that exists in the Debian/Ubuntu repositories? In this case “k3d”.

Thank you.

#2

We have a process for dealing with aliases in the snap store. However if there’s a precedent of using a specific name due to prior name collisions, it might be preferable to use that.

The name collision issue is always going to be with us. Having a great store page is one way to mitigate this. Having screenshots and a good description will enable people to make an informed choice which snap to install. In addition, putting the snap install instructions on the upstream website will also give new / potential users confidence that the snap is correctly named, and has the right heritage.

2 Likes
#3

Thank you for the response!!!