Maybe Microsoft does love Linux! Canonical, the company behindUbuntu Linux, announced this week that both Microsoft and Amazon have agreed to publish their Internet of Things (IoT) application programming interfaces (APIs) on Ubuntu Core.Canonical wants Ubuntu Core to become the operating system for the IoT. Ubuntu Core, like CoreOS and Red Hat's Project Atomic, uses a lightweight Linux server to support containers. Unlike the others, which are pointed exclusively for the data-center and the cloud, Canonical also sees Ubuntu Core as being ideal for devices as well. As Mark Shuttleworth, Canonical and Ubuntu's founder put it, "Snappy is much better than package dependencies for robust, distributed devices."
It's Canonical's position that Ubuntu Core provides the security needed for critical infrastructure with fast, automated, reliable updates for the machines that drive networking and industrial systems. This, the company states, is especially important since "Critical infrastructure systems are now an attack vector for espionage and disruption. Canonical and partners are working to deliver certified Ubuntu Core devices that are automatically updated to address systemic vulnerabilities fast. Ubuntu Core also provides best-in-class application isolation based on kernel containers, minimizing the impact of errors and vulnerabilities in third-party applications."
Of course, that's easy to say, but without support from other vendors it doesn't mean much. But, Canonical now has IoT partnerships not just with Amazon and Microsoft, but with major silicon providers whose processors and platforms power mission critical device and OEMs building the next generation of secure, software-defined network equipment.
Source:
http://www.zdnet.com/article/canonical-partners-with-amazon-microsoft-and-others-on-internet-of-things/
