I installed openSUSE Tumbleweed on my laptop a few weeks ago, having migrated from Ubuntu. When I try to install any software from Flathub, I get the message “Unable to install [package]: you do not have permission to install software.” The package begins to install by showing the loading bar, but refuses to finish the installation process. In the terminal, I am able to work as sudo normally (from what I can tell.)
If anyone has had similar problems, and if anyone could provide a possible solution, that would be wonderful. Thank you!
I am not sure what user root (you talking about sudo) has to do with this. AFAIK Flathub is to be used by a user for himself.
Maybe you should give at least one example of a package you try to install ao people can check what you are talking about. Also exact telling what you do to install might help giving people ideas.
Now we have only a story without much computer evidence.
Sorry if I wasn’t clear; I’m still somewhat inexperienced in Linux, so bear with me. I was trying to install the application “gnote” from the graphical software application via Flathub; I mean the method like the Snap Store on Ubuntu, with the graphical application. I decided to try in the command line, based on this, and it worked for Gnote, but I did need my password:
myself@localhost:~> flatpak install flathub gnote
Looking for matches…
Found ref ‘app/org.gnome.Gnote/x86_64/stable’ in remote ‘flathub’ (system).
Use this ref? [Y/n]: y
org.gnome.Gnote permissions:
ipc fallback-x11 wayland x11
ID Branch Op Remote Download
1. ✗] org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.default 21.08 u flathub 6.3 MB / 131.2 MB
2. ✓] org.freedesktop.Platform.VAAPI.Intel 21.08 u flathub 568.6 kB / 11.7 MB
3. ✓] org.gnome.Gnote.Locale stable i flathub 5.1 kB / 9.9 MB
4. ✓] org.gnome.Gnote stable i flathub 2.0 MB / 4.3 MB
Warning: Flatpak system operation Deploy not allowed for user
Changes complete.
myself@localhost:~>
I suspect there may still be some issue, because I cannot access Gnote with the meta+d command or from the terminal in my i3wm, as I can with Libreoffice; this issue also occurs with Inkscape, Emacs, the default note programme (which is why I wanted to install Gnote), and most other applications.
I’m not sure, why would you bother using flathub if gnote is available in the main repository:
**~ #** zypper se -s gnote
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...
S | Name | Type | Version | Arch | Repository
--+-----------------------------------+---------+--------------+--------+----------------
| gnome-shell-search-provider-gnote | package | 3.34.2-3.3.1 | x86_64 | Main Repository
| gnote | package | 3.34.2-3.3.1 | x86_64 | Main Repository
| gnote-lang | package | 3.34.2-3.3.1 | noarch | Main Repository
Best way to install software on openSUSE is using zypper or YaST. This link may explain the use of YaST software management if you prefer a GUI:
Beware, this is made for Leap, but the basics should work for Tumbleweed, too. However, with Tumbleweed you should get acqainted with terminal / CLI. For software you need “zypper”. Better check:
man zypper
in a terminal window. In the above case, as root, the following should be enough:
zypper in gnote
In case you don’t yet know: you need to do
zypper dup
to update (Technically upgrade) Tumbleweed.
Software not available in the main repository may be available in other repositories.
I’m not totally sure but this might be due to the use of Flathub in general. The openSUSE packages usually are built to meet most common DEs. But the shortkeys as meta+d may just have to be configured in your system settings. To help you there we’d need to know what DE you are using.
I am able to get gnote installed via Flatpak (using the flathub repo) on TW. Occasionally I notice with Flatpaks I have to logout and log back in for the .desktop files to work properly. I’m on plasma, and this happens after a freeze. I’m not certain about Gnome, but it may require the logout/in as well.
Inputting a password to install Flatpaks has always been my experience–the runtimes etc require system privileges (root password) by PolKit.
When using SSH to update a laptop with flatpaks, I run the command with ‘sudo’ to avoid the PolKit throwing an exception. (I am unsure about the backend why this happens entirely.)