Mesa (runtime)

Mesa in Ubuntu is a Snap package containing newer versions of the Mesa graphics libraries, provided via the Snap channel for Snap applications that require OpenGL/Vulkan.

Details:

  • Mesa is a collection of open source libraries that provide graphics APIs such as OpenGL, Vulkan, and various GPU backends on Linux.

  • mesa-2404 means Mesa version April 2024 (in the format mesa-YYMM), often used to ensure that Snap applications can run with the latest driver version regardless of the OS's pre-installed Mesa version.

  • This is not a user application, but a runtime library that provides graphics support for Snap applications (e.g. Firefox Snap, Steam Snap...).

Check:

You can check with the command:

snap info mesa-2404

The result will show you:

  • Package description
  • Publisher: usually Canonical
  • Channels: stable, candidate, beta...

Mesa is a runtime Snap package.

Details:

Components Type Short description
mesa-2404 📦 Snap package (type content snap) Contains the Mesa graphics library (OpenGL, Vulkan, etc.) for Snap apps
Not a daemon ❌ Doesn't run in the background (daemon: false) No process running as a service (daemon)
Usage type Shared content (plugs/slots) Other Snaps will "plug" in to use the library

Verification:

You can verify with the command:

snap info mesa-2404

You should see something like this:

type: app
snap-id: ...
tracking: stable
publisher: Canonical✓
...
services: -

If there is no services line, then no daemon is running from that package.

Actual role:

  • mesa-2404 is like a system (runtime) library that is separated, so that Snap applications can share it without depending on the system library.

  • It replaces the mesa in .deb when the app is installed as a Snap.

Summary:

mesa-2404 is a graphics library Snap package (runtime), not a daemon, not running in the background.
It only exists so that Snap apps can "connect" and use the latest graphics library.

Should I remove it?

  • Do not remove it if you are using a Snap application with a graphical interface (GUI) like Firefox, Steam, or any application that uses OpenGL/Vulkan.

  • If you don't use Snap or use the .deb version of any application, you can remove this package with:

sudo snap remove mesa-2404

But be sure before removing it, because Snap applications that need it will no longer run or have graphics errors.

You can check which app is using it with:

snap connections | grep mesa-2404

If you see an app that is "plugging" into mesa-2404, don't delete it.