So you’ve got Ubuntu installed and you’re trying to use Snap packages. But wait, something’s not working. Snap apps won’t run, and you’re seeing errors about snapd.apparmor. Don’t worry — you’re not alone. Let’s fix this step by step, and have a little fun along the way!
First, let’s understand what’s going on.
What is snapd.apparmor anyway?
Snap is a package system made by Canonical (Ubuntu’s parent company). It lets you install apps in a sandbox. That means the apps are isolated, which is safer and cleaner.
AppArmor is the security tool that makes this sandboxing possible. It controls what Snap apps can or can’t do.
snapd.apparmor is the service that links Snap with AppArmor. If this isn’t working, your snaps may misbehave—or not work at all.
Step-by-step: How to enable snapd.apparmor on Ubuntu
Let’s get into the fix. Here’s a simple guide you can follow.
1. Open your terminal
Hit Ctrl + Alt + T, or search “Terminal” in your app menu. Everything starts with the terminal, the magic wand of Linux!
2. Check the service status
Type this command and hit Enter:
systemctl status snapd.apparmor.service
This tells us if the service is running, stopped, or disabled.
3. Enable the service
If it’s not active, enable and start it with:
sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.apparmor.service
This command does two things:
- enable makes it run on every boot
- –now makes it run immediately
4. Reboot (just in case)
Sometimes, a good old reboot does the job. Try this:
sudo reboot
Log back in and check your snaps. Are they working? 🎉 Success!
Still not working? Let’s troubleshoot.
Sometimes things go sideways. Here are a few ways to troubleshoot further.
1. Check if AppArmor is enabled in the kernel
Run this command:
sudo aa-status
If you see lots of profiles listed, good news — AppArmor is working.
If you get an error, AppArmor may not be running. Start it with:
sudo systemctl start apparmor
And also enable it for future boots:
sudo systemctl enable apparmor
2. Reload AppArmor profiles just to be sure
Sometimes the profiles need a reload. Run this:
sudo apparmor_parser -r /var/lib/snapd/apparmor/profiles/*
3. Reinstall Snap if all else fails
If nothing’s working, try reinstalling Snap:
sudo apt remove --purge snapd sudo apt update sudo apt install snapd
Then repeat the previous steps to enable the service again.
Final Tip
Make sure your Ubuntu system is fully updated. Older versions may have bugs related to Snap and AppArmor.
Run this to stay fresh:
sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade
Conclusion
Now you know how to bring snapd.apparmor back to life!
To review, you:
- Checked the status of the service
- Enabled and started it
- Rebooted for good measure
- Troubleshooted like a pro if needed
Linux may look scary sometimes, but with the right guide, you’re unstoppable. Happy snapping!
