flatpak-mask

Ignore updates for a specific flatpak

$ flatpak mask [com.example.app]

$ flatpak mask --remove [com.example.app]

$ flatpak mask [--system|--user]

flatpak mask [OPTIONS]
flatpak mask --set [OPTIONS] APPLICATION_ID...
flatpak mask --unset [OPTIONS] APPLICATION_ID...
flatpak mask --remove [OPTIONS] APPLICATION_ID...
flatpak unmask [OPTIONS] APPLICATION_ID... (alias for flatpak mask --remove)

--system
    Apply the mask operation to the system-wide Flatpak installation. This usually requires root privileges.

--user
    Apply the mask operation to the current user's Flatpak installation. This is the default if neither --system nor --user is specified.

--set
    Set a mask for the specified Flatpak APPLICATION_IDs. This prevents them from being updated or installed.

--unset
    Unset a specific mask entry for the specified Flatpak APPLICATION_IDs. This makes the application eligible for updates again, but only removes an exact match.

--remove
    Remove all mask entries for the specified Flatpak APPLICATION_IDs, completely unmasking them.

--arch=ARCH
    When setting a mask, apply it only for a specific architecture (e.g., x86_64, aarch64).

APPLICATION_ID...
    One or more Flatpak application IDs (e.g., org.gnome.GEdit, org.mozilla.Firefox). Required for --set, --unset, and --remove operations.

Masking in Flatpak prevents specific applications from being updated or even installed, effectively hiding them from the system's normal update and listing processes. This command is primarily used by administrators or advanced users to maintain specific versions of applications, prevent automatic updates of certain apps, or temporarily hide an application without uninstalling it. When an application is masked, Flatpak's update operations will ignore it, and it won't appear in lists of available updates. The flatpak mask command can be used to list currently masked applications, as well as to set, unset, or remove masks for specific application IDs. Masking can be applied system-wide or per-user.

Masking an application will prevent it from receiving important security updates and bug fixes, potentially leaving your system vulnerable or leading to unexpected behavior.
Masking only affects updates and installations; it does not uninstall the application if it is already installed.
System-wide masking (--system) requires administrative privileges (root).
Be cautious when masking core components or dependencies, as this could break other applications that rely on them.

When invoked without --set, --unset, or --remove and without specific APPLICATION_IDs, the flatpak mask command will list all currently active masks, indicating whether they are applied system-wide or per-user. This is useful for auditing what applications are being intentionally prevented from updating.

The `flatpak-mask` functionality has been a part of the Flatpak project since its relatively early stages, designed to give users and administrators granular control over application lifecycle beyond simple installation and uninstallation. Its inclusion reflects the need for more sophisticated management features in containerized application environments, allowing for version control and selective update policies.

flatpak(1), flatpak-update(1), flatpak-install(1), flatpak-list(1)