Flatpak 1.16 Linux App Sandboxing and Distribution Framework Officially Released

posted by Marius Nestor on Jan 09, 2025,
updated Jan 15, 2025

Coming two and a half years after Flatpak 1.14, the Flatpak 1.16 release introduces the FLATPAK_TTY_PROGRESS environment variable to re-enable the terminal progress indicator escape sequences, support for compiling Flatpak using Meson instead of Autotools, and support for Flatpak apps to use Kerberos authentication without needing a sandbox hole.

Flatpak 1.16 also allows the modify_ldt system call as part of --allow=multiarch, which is required when running 16-bit executables in some versions of Wine, and adds an HTTP backend variable to flatpak.pc to allow dependent projects like GNOME Software to detect whether they are compatible with the libflatpak library.

Read on

OMG Ubuntu:

• Flatpak 1.16 Improves USB Access, Wayland Integration & Accessibility - OMG! Ubuntu

  Flatpak 1.16.0 is the first stable release in the new 1.16.x series, coming more than two years after the Flatpak 1.14.x cycle began and containing features, fixes, and other work undertaken from the 1.15.x development releases.

  Such as?

  Well, the way that Flatpak apps access USB devices is improved in Flatpak 1.16.x thanks to a new input device permission.

  Developer Georges Basile Stavracas notes that this is “technically still a sandbox hole that should be treated with caution” but enables apps to purposefully limit the scope of their access to just USB input devices (like controllers so ideal for games).

More here:

• Georges Basile Stavracas Neto: Flatpak 1.16 is out!

  Last week I published the Flatpak 1.16.0 release This marks the beginning of the 1.16 stable series.

  This release comes after more than two years since Flatpak 1.14, so it’s pretty packed with new features, bug fixes, and improvements. Let’s have a look at some of the highlights!

It's FOSS News:

• Flatpak 1.16 Released With Better Wayland Experience and USB Device Support

  Flatpak has changed the way Linux users install and manage applications, offering a very reliable solution that doesn't involve the user having to go through a mountain of documentation or finding dependencies to install an app.

  Its introduction has addressed the need for a universal package format that seamlessly works across different Linux distributions, mostly without any issues.

  A recent announcement has introduced the latest stable release of Flatpak, bringing forward some rather interesting new features and improvements.