Since Linux Mint 21.1 there are changes which cause frequent updates to be shown in the Software Manager. In this article we will show how to check and update the apps. Also you can find how to remove unused packages from Flatpak.

One common experience for users of Flatpak applications is regular updates. But have you ever wondered where all these Flatpak updates come from? In this article, we'll explore the sources of these updates and where they are coming from.

Flatpak

Flatpak is a popular software distribution and packaging format in the world of Linux. It allows users to install and run applications in a sandboxed environment, providing an extra layer of security and compatibility.

Flatpak commands

There are several commands which will help you to identify Flatpak on your Linux.

Check Flatpak apps

To list installed Flatpak applications we can use:

flatpak list --app

now we can see the name, branch, application id and the version of the app:

Name                                 	Application ID                       	Version          	Branch      	Installation
MarkText                             	com.github.marktext.marktext         	0.17.1           	stable      	system
Android Studio                       	com.google.AndroidStudio             	2022.3.1.20      	stable      	system
Notepadqq                            	com.notepadqq.Notepadqq              	1.4.8            	stable      	system
Todoist: To-Do List & Tasks          	com.todoist.Todoist                  	8.4.3            	stable      	system

Flatpak history

If you wonder what and when was changed on the Flatpak you can check the history by:

Time        	Change     	Application                               	Branch  	Installation Remote
Jun 24 12:14:03 deploy install org.clementine_player.Clementine          	stable  	system   	flathub
Jun 24 12:47:58 uninstall  	org.clementine_player.Clementine          	stable  	system
Aug  3 15:10:20 deploy install org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.nvidia-515-48-07  1.4     	system   	flathub
Aug  3 15:10:42 deploy install us.zoom.Zoom                              	stable  	system   	flathub

Essential flatpak commands

Finally let's list the most used flatpak commands:

  1. flatpak install [app]:

    • Install a Flatpak application.

  2. flatpak uninstall [app]:

    • Remove a Flatpak application.

  3. flatpak list:

    • List installed Flatpak applications.

  4. flatpak search [app]:

    • Search for available Flatpak applications.

  5. flatpak update:

    • Update all installed Flatpak applications to their latest versions.

  6. flatpak run [app]:

    • Run a Flatpak application.

Remove Flatpak apps

Now let's check how to remove single or multiple Flatpak apps.

Removed unused apps

We can remove the apps which are not needed anymore by Flatpak by:

flatpak uninstall --unused

You will see something like:

These runtimes in installation 'system' are pinned and won't be removed; see flatpak-pin(1):
  runtime/org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.default/x86_64/21.08
  runtime/org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.nvidia-470-182-03/x86_64/1.4
  ...
  runtime/org.kde.Platform.Locale/x86_64/5.15-21.08
  runtime/org.kde.Platform.Locale/x86_64/6.4
Nothing unused to uninstall

remove app

We can delete Flatpak app by command: flatpak uninstall org.gimp.GIMP

Repair

To fix inconsistencies after removing apps you can use command: flatpak repair

Flatpak updates

There is no option to change update frequency in Flatpak. As alternative you can disable updates and update the apps by:

flatpak update

Automatic updates in Flatpak

To disable the automatic Flatpak updates in Linux Mint we can use the UI:

  • Update Manager
  • Edit
  • Preferences
  • Tab Packages
    • Flatpak updates
  • Tab Automation
    • Update Flatpaks automatically

This is how you can control Flatpak updates from the Linux Mint update manager.

Resources

You can find more information about Flatpak apps and updates. There is open issue to add update frequency of Flatpak in the Linux Mint UI: