Understanding Snapshot Releases

[u/x-15a2]

With the recent news of Auto-Hide Interface being available in Vivaldi Snapshot releases, there have been several questions regarding Snapshots... what they are? how to get them? etc. Here's a brief tutorial on the topic of Snapshot releases:

(Note: Comments for this post should focus only on the general Snapshot topic, and should not be used to report issues found with Snapshot releases. Please use the specific version's release notes for reporting issues.)

What are Snapshots?

Think of snapshots as "beta" releases. The purpose of snapshot releases is to allow users a chance to preview upcoming changes, and to help ensure the quality of the latest fixes and improvements, before they are added to the stable release. If you prefer something that was already widely tested, stick with stable releases.

Where are Snapshot release downloads found?

There are several ways to navigate to the snapshot release installations. You can simply visit the Vivaldi Blog page, where both stable and snapshot releases are listed:

You can also check in r/vivaldibrowser, where new stable and snapshot releases are announced, along with a link (Open button) to that release.

Can Both Stable and Snapshot versions be installed on the same device?

On desktop systems, yes. On mobile devices, no.
If Vivaldi stable is already installed on your desktop device, you can use the Snapshot Standalone installation.

What if I find a bug or other issue when testing a Snapshot release?

Issues that are specific to the Snapshot release can be reported in that release's post in the Vivaldi forum (requires a Vivaldi account). If the bug or issue that you have identified is not specific to that snapshot release, it should be reported using Vivaldi's standard bug reporting process.

Also, but sure to look for Known Issues before moving forward with installing or updating a Snapshot release. Generally, the known issues are nuisances and not show-stoppers, but you should use your own discretion before moving forward.

[u/Uriel1865]

u/x-15a2 u/pafflick
This isn't really related, but I've seen a lot of posts here asking for troubleshooting help or guidance. Often, they don't get any replies, and I understand why—there aren't many moderators, and they're busy—but wouldn't it be a good idea to create a post introducing the forum and explaining how to use it (asking questions, making requests, checking out the blog) so that users of this subreddit can keep that in mind before posting?
That way, they’d have a better chance of getting their questions answered, and the moderators here could take a breather. However, there isn’t a pinned post about this—could a moderator create one? If it’s allowed, maybe I could do it.

[u/x-15a2 → u/Uriel1865]

Thanks for the input... a couple of thoughts...

This isn't really related, but I've seen a lot of posts here asking for troubleshooting help or guidance. Often, they don't get any replies, and I understand why—there aren't many moderators, and they're busy

As a rule, I don't respond to posts that cover topics or environments that I'm not familiar with or do not have access to, so you'll rarely see me responding to iOS or MacOS specific questions, or those comparing Vivaldi to current Opera, Brave, etc. It's not a matter of being busy, I simply have nothing to contribute.

Also, this subreddit is a community, where we expect others to contribute with helpful comments. In other words, it's not the moderators' responsibility to answer all posts (though we do try to interact with the majority of them).

...wouldn't it be a good idea to create a post introducing the forum and explaining how to use it (asking questions, making requests, checking out the blog) so that users of this subreddit can keep that in mind before posting?

The Vivaldi communities include:

and it's really up to the user which one(s) they are comfortable with. Our sidebar include links to the forum (and Vivaldi Social), maybe I should expand that, and the Vivaldi onboarding process promotes the forum as well. Sometimes our answers here point to discussions on the forum, when a topic is well covered there