Skype upgrade and Google Gemini repo

[mackowiakp]

Since the SNAP package is not supported by M9, is there any workaround to install SKYPE now from the M$ repo because M$ no longer supports RPM and DEB packages.
It is important because there will be potentially similar problem with VS Code and Edge.
Look at:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/sky ... e8934dd312

The second thing is how to install Google Gemini from the repo, because for now Gemini works correctly in my language (Polish), but via the WEB.
The application installed on the system is not available in my language.

[sturmvogel]

Skype is available via Flatpak.

[mackowiakp]

Yep but what about VS Code and Edge?

[morgano]

Did you search?
https://flathub.org/apps/com.visualstudio.code
https://flathub.org/apps/com.microsoft.Edge

But of course better if MS should support it officially.
I dont understand why they chose snap currently!
Lets hope Microsoft listens to feedback from the thread you linked to in your post, mackowiakp, and change to use Flatpak...

[mackowiakp]

Pets Hope that Mageia will support SNP instead 😣

[morgano]

IIRC there was rather strong reasons to not include snap, dont remember what but something like frequent needed updates of the environment. We already have much to keep up with. Maybe if it stablilise in the future, or get more people helping out on packaging and QA.

For Google Gemini a quick search give a Gnome extension... there is also some cli interface on github... and maybe you can run the android app in Waydroid which we have. -So search yourself depending on what you look for

refuse to install WINDOWS, invoking the conscience clause

But still you are slave under their apps and distribution methods?

[mackowiakp]

But still you are slave under their apps and distribution methods?

Well, we also use SMB like probably all Linux users. However, from what I see, SNAP is necessary in Mageia. Just like in other distributions.
While VS Code can be replaced by the Atom editor, there is a problem with Edge.
Seeing how M$ protects itself against installing WIN11 on equipment without TPM, for example, I bet that installing Edge will not be possible in any other way than from their repository.
Of course, the problem of installing WIN11 can be bypassed, but it is not known what it will be like after 2025.
But in Linux I can't imagine programming without using AI incuding Copilot too.
I bet that in a moment M$ will do everything to make it possible to use their AI only on software downloaded from their repository.
And this aspect (AI) was not yet important when it was considered whether to include SNAP in M9
That's why I consider SNAP to be essential.

[morgano]

Maybe MS will drop support of their apps for any OS except their own, as well as enforcing TPM - although I believe emulators will keep following up with emulation.

Strong arguments against snap, see https://ml.mageia.org/l/arc/dev/2022-02/msg00218.html