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Checkers
Snap Update Notifications - Monitor Ubuntu Snap Package Updates

Snap Update Notifications - Monitor Ubuntu Snap Package Updates

Update-Watcher’s Snap checker monitors installed Snap packages for available updates. Snaps are self-contained application packages used primarily on Ubuntu, but also available on other Linux distributions that support the Snap daemon.

The setup wizard auto-detects Snap and offers to enable this checker on systems where snapd is installed.

Prerequisites

  • A Linux system with snapd installed and the snap command available.
  • At least one Snap package installed on the system.

Adding via CLI

Add a Snap watcher:

Terminal
update-watcher watch snap

The Snap checker has no additional configuration flags.

Configuration Reference

The Snap checker has no checker-specific options. It uses the default settings.

OptionTypeDefaultDescription
(none)––The Snap checker requires no additional configuration.

YAML Configuration Example

Basic Snap configuration:

config.yaml
watchers:
  - type: snap

Combined with APT for full Ubuntu coverage:

config.yaml
watchers:
  - type: apt
    security_only: false
    hide_phased: true
  - type: snap

How It Works

The Snap checker runs a single command:

Output
snap refresh --list

This command queries the Snap daemon for all installed snaps that have newer revisions available in the store. It does not actually refresh (update) any snaps – it only lists what is available.

The checker parses the output to extract the snap name, current version, available version, and the channel (e.g., stable, edge) the snap is tracking.

Tips

💡

Snap Auto-Updates: By default, Snap packages auto-update in the background. However, the Snap daemon may defer updates for various reasons (metered connections, snap in use, held refreshes, etc.). The Snap checker catches these deferred updates and notifies you that newer versions are pending.

This is particularly useful in server environments where you want visibility into what is about to change, or on systems where you have disabled or deferred Snap auto-updates.

Server Environments: On Ubuntu Server, several system components are delivered as Snaps (e.g., lxd, snapd itself). Monitoring these with the Snap checker alongside the APT checker gives you complete visibility into available system updates.

Combining with other checkers for a complete Ubuntu monitoring setup:

config.yaml
watchers:
  - type: apt
    hide_phased: true
  - type: snap
  - type: flatpak

Related

Send Snap update notifications to Slack, Discord, Email, Telegram, or any of the other 16 supported notification channels.

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