checked some of the older threads with similar issues, but none of them provided an actually working solution, so here we go again…
Raspberry Pi 3B, running latest Raspian lite (Debian Stretch based).
I installed snapd (no complaints)
Install core snap (separately, tried with --edge and without): results in
INFO snap "core" has bad plugs or slots: core-support-plug (unknown interface) core (edge) 16-2.31+git557.99bcd8d from 'canonical' installed
Installing other snaps seems to work, snap list shows them as installed and enabled, but none can be started.
Trying to start them manually from /snap/bin/whateverthesnap results in a ton of error messages, most along the lines of
ERROR: ld.so: object '/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libarmmem.so' from /etc/ld.so.preload cannot be preloaded (cannot open shared object file): ignored.
Anything obvious I have overlooked or does Snap simply snap out of it on the Pi?
IIRC raspbian re-compiles debians armhf architecture for ARMv6 (without actually renaming the architecture itself) …
Ubuntu uses ARMv7 for the armhf architecture, so the core snap (coming from ubuntu) that is your runtime env for snaps is incompatible with the binary runtimes of the host system …
try installing an actual debian armhf image instead of raspbian, that should overcome this architectural mess …
Thanks for the hint! You sure about this re current Raspian releases?
Uname: Linux CatnipPi 4.9.59-v7+ #1047 SMP Sun Oct 29 12:19:23 GMT 2017 armv7l GNU/Linux
They might have changed policy but i doubt it, given the first generation Pi is still supported by their archive (which was the initial reason to force ARMv6 binaries because the hardware is actually v6 only (while the later HW revisions are v7))
hmm… would be weird if Snap, targeting IoT, does not run without major hickups on the official distro for the Pi, but I will give it a shot with DietPi / native Debian…
Well, we target IoT with UbuntuCore (which is available for the Pi2 and 3 as well as for the compute module) … there is also an ubuntu-server image for the Pi2 (sadly not for the 3) that should fully support snaps at:
Installed Ubuntu Core and tested a few things… might be useful for actual developers, but from a user point of view Snap on ARM platforms seems to be quite useless… most interesting snaps are simply not available.
Hehe, ofc that is a matter of taste and personal preferences.
As I said, I am more the “user” type (so pretty useless as contributor, just whining and bitching ) and “abuse” little ARM boards basically as application sandboxes (one for web publishing, one for crypto currency stuff, etc…)
Of the “featured Snaps” on snapcraft.io homepage only 2 or 3 were available (Inkscape and Fortranwhatever).
Personally I was interested in
Atom Editor
Vectr
Polarr
Wekan
Skrifa
Brackets
…and, out of curiosity if they would run performance-wise, some games (0ad, etc.) and media players (VLC, Clementine)
all of which come up as nonexistent when looking for them with snap find on an ARM machine.
If it makes sense to make them available is probably controversial - user base for power-efficent ARM boards as desktop replacements is growing but not huge, and I know that e.g. Atom is a major pain in the ass to compile for ARM (was one of the main reasons I came looking for snaps…)
wow, ok, i dont really see where any of these snaps is IoT specific though (typically IoT devices/gateways are headless or if they use UI this is a single purpose one)
all these snaps are completely desktop focused while core is not really …
when you were saying you miss certain snaps on the Pi and talked about IoT initially i didnt expect desktop snaps to come up here, sorry … there is no Xorg for core and the mir-kiosk snap that would allow graphical output for mir and wayland clients is more for single purpose kiosk setups, not for running full desktops.
that said… for some of the above it would surely make sense to have an armhf build i.e. vlc … typically the armhf build doesnt need any special treatment beyond … well turning on the build for this arch.
But actually I know quite a few people who use the 3 B or newer more powerful ARM boards as desktops.
Quiet, minimal power consumption, cute, and run with a solar panel and a smartphone power bank as UPS… I live basically in the jungle so this is very convenient and helps with the frequent power outages… LOL
Stuff like Chromium, Freenode, Sigil, LyX, FocusWriter, etc. run perfectly, even on the 1GB Pi 3, using Raspian lite (or DietPi) with Mate desktop…
Sadly many interesting apps, like Atom, are not being built for armhf, the workarounds are messy or not viable for even moderately technical users, so that is why I tried Snapd on a “real” distro (sorry Core, hehe) in the first place - hoping Snaps would be universally available.
Tested Core only since the distro-independent solution turned out to require Ubuntu… - I am well aware that Core is not what I need or want, I would need working Snapd in a desktop/gui distro…
well, snaps are distro independent for distros sticking to defined specs (like the definition of armhf defining v7 everywhere except raspbian)…
and within the next 6 months with the landing of “base snaps” you will be able to even use v6 arches or snaps on top of something like yocto … (but these will then have to be built against the respective base snap)
did you try the latest ubuntu-mate pi images btw ? they might have proper snap support already (if not yet, it will be enabled by default in the 18.04 release i guess, @Wimpress should be able to comment on this )
the only issue with your desired desktop snaps is simply that the developers did not build them for arm at all (out of laziness, or because they do not expect a userbase on that arch)…
it is different for canonical maintained snaps like chromium and libreoffice for which there are armhf snaps by default …
Ubuntu Mate 16.04 is having issues on the Pi3, they skipped 17, and I am watching when/if they come out with the 18 release.
BTW don’t get me wrong, my love of irony and slight sarcasm sometimes comes off a little harsh - I used to be in technical marketing myself, so I know very well that the buzzwords usually fade a little when someone is actually trying something not mainstream…
That’s ok and I know Core is aimed at a different user base.
As a “normie” visiting snapcraft.io you are under the impression that snaps will be universal on most distros and all architectures, so finding out it depends on the goodwill of the devs, just like with any deb package, puts things into perspective…
I guess for now I will just resume the fight with the Atom build prerequisites and get the freaking thing compiled on my current setup…
I live basically in the jungle so this is very convenient and helps with the frequent power outages… LOL