Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, is experimenting with the concept of immutable Linux systems with its Ubuntu Core Desktop. An immutable desktop is an environment that relies entirely on encapsulated containers, promising benefits in the areas of security and stability. However, some users are concerned that this will lead to Canonical having significantly more control over the snap format for applications.
Oliver Smith, senior product manager at Canonical, clarifies that while modifications to the immutable desktop will be reserved for experienced developers, the traditional Linux operating systems, including Ubuntu, will continue to support and encourage a learning and experimenting ecosystem. The immutable desktop offers users, including businesses that value security and stability, an experience that “just works” and mitigates accidental misconfigurations or incompatible software installations.
Ubuntu Core Desktop’s better security and easier administration are particularly aimed at companies. The public and dedicated Snap Store offers businesses the ability to publish and digitally sign snaps in a secure environment with role-based access control, application management, and reliable over-the-air (OTA) updates.
Snaps encapsulate all necessary dependencies for an application, eliminating the worry of missing or conflicting dependencies on the target system. Snaps run in their own sandbox, greatly simplifying the developer workflow, reducing testing effort across multiple distributions, enabling faster updates, and limiting the potential impact of application vulnerabilities on the host system.
The approach of snaps is more secure than traditional software models, where applications often have unrestricted access to the host system. While Ubuntu Core Desktop offers an alternative to traditional Linux operating systems, it does not negate the versatility and openness that Linux provides to encourage regular users to experiment.
Canonical has published details about the experiments with Ubuntu Core Desktop for those interested in learning more about the concept.
