Apt Package Management Snap – Why Apt Package Chromium-Browser Installs Snap Package Instead

aptpackage-managementsnap

When I do

apt-get install chromium-browser

it downloads some .deb file, and then installs a snap package:

Selecting previously unselected package chromium-browser.
(Reading database ... 227048 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../chromium-browser_77.0.3865.120-0ubuntu1~snap1_amd64.deb
...
=> Installing the chromium snap
==> Checking connectivity with the snap store
==> Installing the chromium snap
Warning: /snap/bin was not found in your $PATH. If you've not restarted your
         session since you installed snapd, try doing that. Please see
         https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/9469 for more details.

chromium 78.0.3904.70 from Canonical✓ installed
=> Snap installation complete
Unpacking chromium-browser (77.0.3865.120-0ubuntu1~snap1) ...
Setting up chromium-browser (77.0.3865.120-0ubuntu1~snap1) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.63ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.32.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.24-1ubuntu1) ...
(base) keddad@keddad:~$

But I didn't ask it to get me chromium via snap, I wanted to get a normal .deb package. It works, after all, but it just feels wrong. If I want to get a snap, I use snap, not apt. Why such behavior is considered normal?

Best Answer

For Ubuntu 19.10 it was a developer's decision. See cite from release notes:

Ubuntu 19.10 New Features

The Chromium browser is only available as a snap in 19.10. This blog post has more details.

It is normal and expected.