How to install the official Snap Store app on Linux
Canonical has snapped up their official app store to an easy to install storefront for installing apps. So, if you’re sick of using the command-line to search and install your favorite snap apps, this app is for you! Follow along as we show you how to install the official Snap Snap store on Linux!
Note: the Snap store sometimes doesn’t work very well on non-GTK desktop environments. So, if you plan to take advantage of the Snap Store, be sure to install Gnome, Mate, Cinnamon, or another Linux desktop environment that uses GTK.
Enable Snap support
The Snap Store is installable through, you guessed it, the Snap Store as a snap application. So, to use the store, you’ll need to go through the process of installing the Snapd background service, as well as starting up the Snapd.socket file with Systemd.
Installing the Snap background service on Linux is very easy in this day and age, mostly due to the massive amounts of community support around the project on almost all mainstream Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, Arch Linux, Fedora, OpenSUSE, Gentoo, and others. For help on installing and enabling the Snap service on your Linux system, click here.
Is the Linux distribution you are currently using have issues running Snap packages? Consider using Debian, Arch Linux, Fedora, OpenSUSE, as they have pretty good support for the Snap store application. Or Ubuntu, as there is no need to install the app!
Installing the Snap Store
Though the primary purpose of installing the Snap Store is to make it so that downloading and using apps is a more straightforward process, rather than dealing with the terminal. Still, you’ll need to dig down into the command-line to get everything working.
The Snap Store application is in the store labeled “snap-store.” To install it on your Linux PC, open up a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or Ctrl + Shift + T on the keyboard, and typing the snap install command below.
sudo snap install snap-store
The Snap Store application isn’t a huge download, so the initial download process should be quick. However, you will not have access to the terminal right away, as the Snap Store has to connect to a lot of plugins. Sit and be patient. If it takes a while to finish its initial setup, leave the room and come back in a couple of minutes! When done, try launching it with:
snap-store
Configuring the Snap Store
On quite a few Linux operating systems, just installing the “snap-store” package is enough to get going. However, on others, some configuration is required before anything works.
Configuring the Snap Store involves installing a secondary Gnome platform package and connecting it to the Snap Store. To do this, go to your terminal window and install “gnome-3-28-1804”.
sudo snap install gnome-3-28-1804
Let the Gnome platform snap install through your terminal window. It should be quick to install. When the Gnome snap is done installing, you can use the connect command to interface it with the Snap Store app.
sudo snap connect snap-store:gnome-3-28-1804
Assuming the connection is successful, the Snap Store application should be able to open with the command below, or by clicking on the “Snapcraft” icon in your app menu.
snap-store
Install software from the Snap Store
To install software from the Snap Store on Linux, start by launching the application. Upon the first launch of the app, the app may take a bit to become responsive and useable. When the app is usable, you’ll see the Snap storefront, with several app categories, such as “games,” “finance,” “utilities,” “productivity,” “news and weather,” and more. Select one of the categories, and the Snap Store will present you with various Snap apps to choose from. It is also possible to search for apps directly by clicking the search box at the top.
Look through the category for something you wish to install. Then, select the icon with the mouse to be transported to the app’s description page.
On the description page, look for the “Install” button and select it to start the installation of a Snap app through the store.
Upon clicking the “Install” button, the Snap store will go out and install everything you need to run your Snap app. From there, look through the app menu on the Linux desktop to run it!
Uninstalling Software from the Snap Store
Need to uninstall some software from the Snap store? Open the app and click the “Installed” button. Then, click the “Remove” button to get rid of any app you’d like on the list. It is also possible to uninstall any Snap app by searching for the app in the search box and clicking the remove button on the page of the app you’d like to remove.
does not open snap store
If you’re having issues opening the Snap store, consider uninstalling it and re-installing it. Rebooting might also help.