Flatpak has a new point release. Version 1.18.2 is the second maintenance update in the 1.18 series. It ships fixes only, with no new features. The work spans the sandbox, the system helper, portals, repository metadata, and builds. The full list is in the changelog. Here’s what changed.
The headline fix targets a crash. The system helper could fall over while iterating through cache directories. That’s now resolved. A second system-helper bug is fixed too. It tracked the wrong D-Bus sender during pull operations.
The sandbox gets a couple of repairs. Flatpak now handles an EAGAIN response from openat2 correctly. Before, that could stop extensions from populating inside the sandbox. So some apps should behave more reliably after the update.
A portal bug is fixed as well. The sandbox-expose-fd-ro option could hand over the wrong file descriptor. It happened during a descriptor-remapping collision. That’s now corrected.
Repository handling is more robust, too. Flatpak now validates the GVariant structure of repository summaries first. It does this before using the generated variant readers. The change guards against malformed repository metadata.
Two smaller fixes round things out. Error messages with non-UTF-8 characters no longer produce corrupted output. And builds work again on systems with GLib older than 2.72.
Flatpak 1.18.2 is available now. Check the changelog for the complete set of changes.
FAQ
What kind of release is 1.18.2? A maintenance update in the 1.18 series. It’s bug fixes only, with no new features.
What’s the most important fix? A crash in the system helper that could strike while iterating cache directories.
Does it affect the sandbox? Yes. Flatpak now handles an EAGAIN from openat2. That issue could previously block extensions from populating.
See also: Mastering the Linux Command Line — Your Complete Free Training Guide
What was the portal problem? sandbox-expose-fd-ro could pass the wrong file descriptor during a descriptor-remapping collision. It’s now fixed.
Any build-related change? Yes. It restores compatibility with GLib versions older than 2.72.
Where’s the full change list? In the Flatpak 1.18.2 changelog.
