A .snap file is a self-contained package format used primarily in Linux environments for distributing software applications and their dependencies. It's designed to simplify software installation and management by bundling an application along with all its required libraries, configuration files, and other resources into a single, easily distributable file. This approach eliminates dependency conflicts and ensures that the application runs consistently across different Linux distributions. Snap packages are managed by the snapd daemon, which handles installation, updates, and security sandboxing. The sandboxing feature isolates snap applications from the rest of the system, enhancing security and preventing them from interfering with other applications. Snap packages are commonly used for distributing desktop applications, server applications, and command-line tools. They offer automatic updates, rollback capabilities, and a centralized app store (Snap Store) for discovering and installing software. Snap packages are particularly popular in the Ubuntu ecosystem but are also supported on other Linux distributions.