DEVOPSdigest

Canonical published Ubuntu Core 18, bringing the Ubuntu 18.04 LTS to high-security embedded devices.

Immutable, digitally signed snaps ensure that devices built with Ubuntu Core are resistant to corruption or tampering. Any component can be verified at any time. All snaps on Ubuntu Core devices are strictly confined, limiting any damage from a compromised application.

Ubuntu Core 18 will receive 10 years low-cost security maintenance, enabling long-term industrial and mission-critical deployments. Updates are delivered with a device-specific SLA, ensuring that change is managed by the manufacturer or the enterprise and providing a rapid response to any vulnerabilities that are detected over the device lifetime.

The attack surface of Ubuntu Core has been minimized, with very few packages installed in the base OS, reducing the size and frequency of security updates and providing more storage for applications and data.

All snaps distributed to devices are scanned regularly for known weaknesses and devices, enabling enterprises and manufacturers to learn quickly about potential risks in their ecosystem.

Ubuntu Core enables a new class of app-centric things, which can inherit apps from the broader Ubuntu and Snapcraft ecosystems or build unique and exclusive applications that are specific to a brand or model. Specific apps can be required, or optional, per model. Manufacturers get complete control over the versions and updates relevant to their own devices.

Enterprises gain rigorous audit and control over every piece of software on every single device on the network – regardless of manufacturer. Since every Ubuntu Core device uses the same application delivery mechanism, a business can know exactly which devices have received relevant CVE updates and fixes, and control the rollout of those fixes across the network.

Using standard Ubuntu means that app publishers can support multiple devices without recompiling. Ubuntu is the most widely deployed Linux in the world and hence attracts a very wide range of publishers – there are 4,600 snaps published by 1700 independent publishers today.

Ubuntu Core 18 is available now.