Just to add a data point, I recently went back to Linux after spending years in the MacOS world. Installed Ubuntu out of habit, got the exact same thing happen to me (removed snap, installed firefox through apt, got snap back) and went to Pop OS. Could not be happier with the overall system and still very much disgusted by what Ubuntu decided to do.

I've had bad luck with PopOS, but it defniitely has one of the most reasonable and user friendly configurations out of the box.

Welcome back to Linux!

What made you switch from macOS?

Not OP but the desktop is super annoying for advanced users with too much mouse usage and things that are super easy in Linux to install from packages require Macports or brew pulling out N squared dependencies.

Yes, I can relate to that. Next to my Linux machines, I use an M1 Mac Mini with macOS, and I eagerly await the day I can install a Linux of my liking on it and run the Mac from there (looking at Asahi Linux's impressive work).

Also, the system update approach of macOS seems quite hostile to slow and/or metered connections.

Or Debian, which much of Ubuntu is derived from, and where Firefox is still offered as a regular apt package like always.

I can't remember if I manually configured this, and couldn't find docs on if this is the default. On my laptop:

- Apt installs traditional deb packages

- The software center GUI has a dropdown to pick between Flatpack & Deb, defaulting to Flatpack.

I think this is a decent setup. Apt not doing what I'm used to infuriates me, but it feels vibely fitting for a gui to default to Flatpacks.

Yup. This is the same advice I've gotten from two coworkers. Next time I'm up for a reinstall I think I'll make the jump.

Pop's Firefox is also a deb package fyi.