How to Enable snapd.apparmor Service on Ubuntu Linux

So you’ve just installed Ubuntu and tried using a snap package. But then—bam! An error pops up. Something about snapd.apparmor not working. Suddenly, your dreams of a snap-happy software day are crushed.

Don’t worry. This issue is more common than it sounds, and fixing it is super easy. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to enable the snapd.apparmor service on Ubuntu. We’ll keep things light, fun, and beginner-friendly—no Linux wizardry needed!

Contents

💡 What Is snapd.apparmor Anyway?

Let’s break it down really simply:

snapd is the service that manages snap packages.
AppArmor is a security system that restricts what apps can do.
snapd.apparmor is the magic handshake between the two.

Without it, snap apps won’t run correctly, or at all. Sad, right?

⚙️ Step-by-Step to Enable snapd.apparmor

Alright, let’s get our hands dirty. Well, not literally. Just your keyboard.

Open the Terminal

Press Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard. Boom. You’re in the terminal!
Check if the service is active

Type this command and hit Enter:
```
systemctl status snapd.apparmor.service
```
This checks if the service is running.

If you see “inactive (dead)” or “failed“, we’ve got some work to do.
Try Starting the Service

Okay, now let’s try waking it up!
```
sudo systemctl start snapd.apparmor.service
```
Enter your password if asked. Ubuntu wants to know it’s really you.
Enable it to Start on Boot

You don’t want to do this dance every time you reboot. So run:
```
sudo systemctl enable snapd.apparmor.service
```
This makes sure it starts automatically in the future. Like magic!

🔍 Still Doesn’t Work?

Uh-oh, is snapd.apparmor refusing to cooperate?

Let’s try reloading AppArmor itself. Run these two commands:

sudo systemctl reload apparmor

sudo systemctl restart snapd.apparmor.service

Then check the status again:

systemctl status snapd.apparmor.service

If it now says “active (exited)”, you’re golden!

📦 Try a Snap App Again

Let’s test our work. Try installing a snap app, like this:

sudo snap install hello-world

Then run it:

hello-world

If it runs without errors, congratulations! You just fixed it! 🎉

🔒 One More Tip: AppArmor Must Be Enabled

Sometimes, AppArmor isn’t running at all. No AppArmor, no snapd.apparmor.

Check its status using:

sudo aa-status

If it says AppArmor is disabled, you may need to enable it in the kernel with:

sudo grubby --update-kernel=ALL --args="apparmor=1 security=apparmor"

(Note: This is a bit more advanced. If you’re unsure, look up your Ubuntu version’s AppArmor guide for details.)

🥳 You Did It!

That’s it. Just a few commands and some copy-paste magic, and now your snap apps are ready to go. Whether you’re grabbing the latest VS Code or firing up Spotify from the snap store, you’re all set.

Next time someone says “snapd.apparmor is down“, you’ll just wink and say, “I got this.” 😎