I’ve been tinkering around with my Ubuntu setup, and I recently found out that the Snap package I use for a specific app has updated to a newer version. While, in most cases, I appreciate the updates, this one has introduced some bugs that are really messing with my workflow. I’ve heard that with Snap packages, you can actually roll back to an older version, but honestly, I’m a bit lost on how to do this.
Is there a way to specify a particular version when I try to install an older version of a Snap package? I’ve read a little about using the command line and Snap’s features, but it all seems a bit convoluted. For instance, I saw something regarding ‘snap info’ that can show all the versions available, but once I’m there, I’m not totally sure what comes next. Do I need to completely remove the current version before I can install the older one?
Also, if anyone has experience with this, could you walk me through the steps? It would be super helpful if you provided the command line examples and anything else I might need to know, like potential dependencies or configurations that might get messed up during this process.
Another thing I’m worried about is if there’s an easy way to revert back to the newer version later if the bugs get patched or if I decide I prefer the new features. Is there a safe way to keep both versions on my system?
I’m just trying to avoid any major headaches or losing important settings. I’d really appreciate any tips or guidance from those who’ve been in a similar bind. Thanks in advance for your help with this Snap package conundrum!
Rolling Back to an Older Snap Package Version
So, I totally get where you’re coming from! Snap packages can be a bit tricky, but I’ll try to break it down for you step by step.
Step 1: Check Available Versions
First up, you want to see what versions of the app you actually have available to roll back to. You can do this with the following command:
Just replace
your-package-name
with the actual name of the app you’re working with. This should give you a list of versions.Step 2: Roll Back to an Older Version
If you’ve found the version you want to go back to, you can install it using this command:
Here’s where it gets a bit confusing. The
version-channel
part is usually something likebeta
,stable
, or a specific version like1.0.0
. If the older version is in a specific channel, you should specify that.Do You Need to Remove the Current Version?
Nope! You don’t need to completely remove the current version first.
snap refresh
will handle that for you and switch to the version you specified.Step 3: Reverting Back to the New Version
If later on you want to go back to the latest version (like if they patch those bugs), you can just run the same command again with the latest channel or version. For example:
You don’t have to worry about keeping both versions on your system because Snap isn’t like other package managers—it keeps multiple versions for you; you just choose which one to use when you refresh.
Anything Else to Worry About?
Most of the time, the configurations and settings for your app should stay intact during these rollbacks. But it’s always a good idea to check if the app has some special settings in a configuration file somewhere just to be safe.
Hope this helps and that you can get back to being productive without those pesky bugs!
To roll back a Snap package to an older version, you can utilize the Snap command line tools to manage versions effectively. First, check the available versions of the Snap package by running
snap info
. This command displays the version history, including the currently active version and older versions you might want to revert to. Once you have identified the version number you wish to roll back to, you can use the commandsudo snap refresh --revision=
to install the older version without needing to remove the current one first. This allows you to revert quickly and efficiently without the hassle of configuring dependencies or losing your settings.If you find that the newer version works better later, you can simply follow the same process to restore it to its latest version. To switch back to the newer version after reverting, run the same
sudo snap refresh
command without specifying a revision number, and it will automatically install the latest version. Keep in mind that Snap manages versions quite well, so your existing configurations and settings should remain intact. Just ensure that you periodically check for updates and maintain backups when dealing with applications that significantly impact your workflow.