With Ubuntu Core 16 Canonical looks to embed itself in the IoT

New version features all new software distribution architecture for consistency and security, says CEO Shuttleworth

Ubuntu Core 16 is released today. Otherwise known as Snappy, it is a pared-back version of the Ubuntu Linux operating system (OS) that's designed for IoT use cases.

On a press call, Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth explained that one key difference between Core 16 and its predecessor is the way the software is distributed. On installing software in Core 15 the individual files were spread out all over the disk, as happens with a desktop OS. In Core 16 it remains as a blob.

"In Ubuntu Core 16 we keep all of the software as compressed and signed files," Shuttleworth said. This both takes up less disk space and is also more secure, he added.

"Hackers can't modify that software on the disk, and the software on the device can always be validated," Shuttleworth said.

Because the files, known as snaps, exist as read-only, immutable compressed squashFS blobs on disk, devices can store different versions and 'choose' the update that is the best fit, being able to automatically roll back again if things go wrong. There is no danger of the system being left in a halfway-house state.

"There is a much cleaner rollback so developers can be much more confident they can make changes, which in turn encourages them to add new functionality and to fix issues," said Shuttleworth.

"We have a lower footprint requirement on disk and we've done a huge amount of work to enable the onboarding process so that devices are secure by default," he went on.

"It's now possible to have a device that is extremely difficult to attack over the network. Ubuntu Core 16 is much more secure, more product-ready. The developer experience is much the same, but the operating experience is really where you want to be. It's a fulfilment of several years of design and engineering," he said.

Snaps are containerised application images, which are digitally signed to confirm their integrity. Instructions such as when to update the system can be written into the digitally-signed documents so that policies may be easily configured and automated, potentially eliminating the necessity for human involvement altogether. Snaps are also compatible with desktop and server version of Ubuntu, meaning that applications packaged using the snap format can be developed and run on multiple platforms.

The entire operating system including the kernel, major applications and libraries are also delivered as snaps, extending the ability to automatically roll back to the OS itself, and Canonical says any device running Ubuntu Core will receive free, regular and reliable OS security updates.

Updates for the system and application snaps are delivered as xdelta diffs, meaning that only code that has changed gets updated and the updates are compressed before being delivered over the air to reduce bandwidth usage.

Ubuntu core is aimed firmly at the IoT edge computing market with devices such as top-of-rack switches, industrial gateways, home gateways, radio access networks, smart city digital signage, robots and drones. By making updates easier to deploy, Canonical says it is addressing one of the big concerns about the IoT - security.

Also on the call was Jason Shepherd, director of strategy and partnerships for IoT at Dell.

"The embedded space is very fragmented with very many different OSs and versions. As a company that builds for scale we have to make bets. We're all about being open but have picked a few choices we feel have the right reach and foundation. We're using Snappy, also WindRiver's distro and Windows 10 IoT," Shepherd said.

"Dell has been working with Canonical on Ubuntu Core for over a year, and our Dell Edge Gateways are fully certified for Ubuntu Core 16. This enables Dell to offer the long-term support and security that IoT use cases such as factory and building automation demand," he explained.

Since the security and functionality of IoT is mostly about the software, it is important to attract developers, he went on.

"Our customers in the industrial and commercial space value stability and trust, so in terms of winning over ISVs and OEMs you pick tools that are solid and you invest in them, and build out ecosystems around them," Shepherd concluded.