AppArmor is a security module for Ubuntu and Debian that enforces access control policies on applications. In certain environments, these restrictions can interfere with specific operations or require adjustments. Disabling AppArmor may be necessary to ensure compatibility with certain applications or configurations.

In systems where flexibility is crucial, such as development environments, disabling or removing AppArmor might be required. This process involves stopping the service, disabling it from starting at boot, and optionally removing the AppArmor package and its dependencies. Understanding the security implications is important, as disabling AppArmor reduces system protection.

It is generally advisable to keep AppArmor enabled in production environments. However, if the situation demands it, disabling AppArmor should be done with caution. Be aware that certain packages, such as snapd, might reinstall AppArmor if removed.

Steps to disable and remove AppArmor in Ubuntu and Debian:

  1. Open a terminal on your system.
  2. Stop the AppArmor service.
    $ sudo systemctl stop apparmor
  3. Disable AppArmor from starting at boot.
    $ sudo systemctl disable apparmor
    Synchronizing state of apparmor.service with SysV service script with /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install.
    Executing: /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install disable apparmor
    Removed "/etc/systemd/system/sysinit.target.wants/apparmor.service".
  4. If necessary, remove the AppArmor package and its dependencies.
    $ sudo apt remove --assume-yes --purge apparmor
    Reading package lists... Done
    Building dependency tree       
    Reading state information... Done
    The following packages will be REMOVED:
      apparmor* snapd*
    0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
    After this operation, 122 MB disk space will be freed.
    ##### snipped

    This will also remove snapd. Only proceed if you don't use snapd to manage your packages. Reinstalling snapd will also install AppArmor as dependency.

This guide is tested on Ubuntu:

Version Code Name
22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish
23.10 Mantic Minotaur
24.04 LTS Noble Numbat
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