Create snap packages

[jiri-janousek]

• Blocked by Modernize remaining scripts [Due 2018-07-01] #424
• Blocked by Provide per-app screenshots for AppData nuvolasdk#5

Snaps are universal Linux packages.

Package any app for every Linux desktop, server, cloud or device, and deliver updates directly.

Depends on:

• Introduce Nuvola SDK Introduce Nuvola SDK #269
• Web App scripts should provide desktop file Web App scripts should provide desktop file #263

My bug reports:

• Unable to fork a new WebProcess: Failed to execute child process "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/webkit2gtk-4.0/WebKitNetworkProcess" (No such file or directory). We use CEF now.
• Support DBus-activatable apps Not needed in Nuvola anymore.

Upstream Issues:

• Crucial: Snap launching other snaps
• Upstream use of build-time defined DATADIR incompatible with snaps relocation
• Snappy needs to influence environment variables in applications
• Snaps using libappindicator and unity7 plug can't show app-indicators
• ${SNAP}_${APP}.desktop created instead of {SNAP}.desktop (breaks mpris with vlc)
• Sharing tmp directory across multiple commands in a snap app

[jiri-janousek]

I've just reported 2 upstream bugs:

• Unable to fork a new WebProcess: Failed to execute child process "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/webkit2gtk-4.0/WebKitNetworkProcess" (No such file or directory).
• Support DBus-activatable apps

[jiri-janousek]

Hello @flexiondotorg. I propose to fix my example 1 first (I've added you as a collaborator for that repo) and then post the solution to my bug 2 as it may be useful also for other developers.

[flexiondotorg]

@fenryxo For the WebKit issue I advise that you build webkit as a source part in the snap. I had to do this with zenity recently, for different reasons. The snapcraft.yaml looks something like this:

parts:
  # Build a minimal zenity from source, prevents dragging in WebKit et al.
  zenity:
    plugin: autotools
    configflags:
      - --prefix=/usr
    source: https://git.gnome.org/browse/zenity/snapshot/ZENITY_3_18_1_1.tar.xz
    build-packages:
      - gnome-common
      - libgtk-3-dev
      - libnotify-dev
      - yelp-tools
    stage:
      - usr/bin/zenity
      - usr/share/zenity

  client-test:
    plugin: dump
    source: http://example.org/$SNAPCRAFT_PROJECT_VERSION_amd64.deb
    source-type: deb
    after:
      - desktop-gtk2
      - zenity
    stage-packages:
      - libasound2
      - libavcodec-ffmpeg-extra56
      - libavformat-ffmpeg56
      - libcurl3
      - libgconf-2-4
      - libgl1-mesa-glx
      - libglu1-mesa
      - libgtk-3-0
      - libnotify4
      - libnss3
      - libpulse0
      - libssl1.0.0
      - libxss1
      - libxtst6

Hopefully that gives you the clues to proceed :-)

[jiri-janousek]

Thanks @flexiondotorg. What prefix should I set to workaround the "Unable to fork a new WebProcess: Failed to execute child process "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/webkit2gtk-4.0/WebKitNetworkProcess" (No such file or directory)." issue?

[jiri-janousek]

Since Snap Apps Get Big Promo Push in Ubuntu 17.10, it might be a good idea to create a lite version of Nuvola (#371) for snap after Chromium port is complete.

[jiri-janousek]

Nuvola Lite 4.9.93 can now run in strict snap confinement (screenshot from Ubuntu 17.10):

• Help action crashes.
• No desktop launcher yet.
• No Nuvola branding yet.
• GNOME App Menu doesn't work. It probably needs to export/access additional DBus stuff
• Nuvola icon in about dialog is missing.
• Clean up the snap a bit - it's huge: 284 MB.
• Figure out how to use content interface to share common data between multiple web apps.
• How about the GNOME platform snap package?

[jiri-janousek]

• https://github.com/ubuntu/snapcraft-desktop-helpers/blob/master/snapcraft.yaml
• https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/auto-connection-for-gnome-3-24-content-interface/1379/65
• ubuntu/snapcraft-desktop-helpers@2ecb9b3

[jiri-janousek]

Explore the contents of /sys/fs/cgroups/devices/snap.<snap name>.<app>.