Discover search function: issues with Flatpak listing and sources selection

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1

Hello everybody, first time here!

Recently I installed Kubuntu 25.10 on an old laptop (ASUS R540S, HW and SW info at the end of the post) and the Discover app search function returns available apps weirdly. I already installed the Flatpak backend by following the instructions at https://flatpak.org/setup/Kubuntu

1st issue

If I search the apps from the Homepage tab, only the Snap version is listed and not the Flatpak version (even if other Flatpaks but the one I’m searching are listed) as shown in the attached images (it happens to OnlyOffice and Firefox in addition to Telegram).

If I search the apps from the All Applications tab, the Snap version is not listed, but if I click on the app then I can choose the Snap version from the source menu in the top right corner. Once selected the Snap version, I can’t change source, I have to go back and reselect the app.

NB: I noticed that if an app is present in the APT repository then is listed as one app without any source logo. Once I click on it I can select the source but sometimes if I selected Ubuntu as source I can’t see the Snap source (this happens with GIMP) and if I select the Snap source I can’t select any other one so I have to go back. Quite annoying (see video)

2nd issue

Some apps I know are present in the APT repository are not listed with Ubuntu source in the Discover app: I’m pretty sure Steam and Firefox are there (I checked with apt search).

Here’s what I’ve tried so far

I tried using Krunner to search for apps but it lists results similar to the search in Discover while on the All Applications tab, so no Snap whatsoever.

I tried to set Flatpaks as default in the Settings tab of Discover and it solved the 1st part of the 1st issue, so now Flatpaks appear when serched from the Homepage, but now always on top: Firefox, for example, has the Snap version on top and the Flatpak version at the 8th position, after Joplin… is that normal?

In general my experience with this software manager is not entirely bad because it is just laggy and sometimes it freezes but it kinda works in general. The thing that annoys me is the search function that is essential for an app of this kind to discover (pun intended) and easily manage app. I just want have a single place to search for all apps from APT, Flathub and Snap Store.

I really like the Plasma desktop environment so I would like to fix this with your help. Thank you in advance :slight_smile:

System info (copy paste from the Settings app):

Operating System: Kubuntu 25.10

KDE Plasma Version: 6.4.5

KDE Frameworks Version: 6.17.0

Qt Version: 6.9.2

Kernel Version: 6.17.0-8-generic (64-bit)

Graphics Platform: Wayland

Processors: 2 × Intel® Celeron® CPU N3060 @ 1.60GHz

Memory: 4 GiB of RAM (3.7 GiB usable)

Graphics Processor: Intel® HD Graphics 400

Manufacturer: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

Product Name: X540SAA

System Version: 1.0

2

hi, welcome.

i can reproduce the difference between searching “onlyoffice” from the home view vs from the all applications view… i’m using kubuntu LTS 24.04 so discover 5.27.12

if the former, i’m presented two entries, one that defaults to flathub and the one from snap… the one showing the flathub option, will show the snap alternative under sources, but the one showing the snap just says install.

in the latter i’m presented with only one entry in the search result, but when i go to the page i have both sources to choose from (default is flathub).

not sure why this difference exists, but you can definitely get to either option from either starting point, so i don’t consider it a fatal issue.

as for apt packages not appearing in discover… the discover store is a GUI browser for GUI applications, so i would not expect to find say lm-sensors in discover since it’s not a GUI application.

for a GUI interface to the other apt packages, would (use discover to) install the synaptic application and use it’s search feature to find what i need.

i could not reproduce your issue with gimp… for me the search results are the same no matter my starting point and when i enter the page i can see both the native and flathub versions under sources…. this could be a non-LTS track specific issue that will likely get sorted when the next LTS releases next april.

3

Yeah it’s not a fatal issue, but it’s quite annoying and it’s sad because Discover has a lot of potential but it is simply not convenient for casual searches and to learn about new apps.

It look like Snaps and Flatpak are not well integrated in Discover as versions of the same software. I wonder if I should just use the Synaptic package manager for the APT packages, the Flathub website (or something like Bazaar) for Flatpaks and the Snap Store for Snaps. Is there a way to search for AppImages other than by simply surfing the Internet?

4

For me on kubuntu LTS, Discover is still the best way to search and compare versions from the various sources.

  • it’s integrated in the system tray for easy access and notifications
  • native and snap are included by default and flatpak can be easily added
  • searches from All Applications give you one search result for all sources
  • sources pull down menu lets you quickly compare versions among packages
  • notifies you of priority updates to any of your packages (source agnostic).

i have both flathub and snap store also installed on my system, but rarely find the need to use them.

synaptic tho, is my go to essential for a GUI front end to apt command line packages.

for appimage you are best to get those directly from the developer and not some random website.