Flatpak is one extra step. If apt or rpm already has what you want, which is true for many new users, why would we push them towards scary click thru action?

Isn’t this why we’d expect new users to use a built-in package manager? Because it avoids this exact problem?

Pushing someone new to Linux to use Flatpak? Shame on you.

Nothing wrong with learning new tricks, but it’s worth mentioning on the side that sometimes a cron job is the right tool.

apt is easy to use and read. I haven’t dreamed of searching for a shiny replacement because there’s no problem to solve.

For me, the question is why I should add an extra layer of complexity. If the things I use already work well using apt, and if most things are bundled in the default distro install, then my life is already good.

This all depends on your software needs, if course. Some people are using a lot of new stuff, so the above setup leads to annoying situations.

If the main thing is PDF reading, buy an Android tablet. Of course research which one.

I don’t see why you would want to destroy history unless there’s some specific need for it. It sounds like the kind of thing where you would like the listings to be clear, but most of the time deletion would be unreasonable.