Canonical has announced that development of Ubuntu Core Desktop, its immutable Snap-based Linux desktop, has officially resumed after the project was largely dormant following its 2023 developer preview. A newly assembled cross-functional team is now working to advance the project with the long-term goal of making Ubuntu Core the default Ubuntu Desktop experience.
According to Jon Seager, Canonical’s VP of Engineering for Ubuntu, the project represents a fundamental change to Ubuntu’s desktop architecture. Unlike traditional Ubuntu installations, Ubuntu Core uses Snap packages for virtually every system component, including the bootloader, kernel, desktop environment, background services, and applications.
The goal is to create a desktop that is harder to break, easier to recover, and more adaptable to different hardware and workflows. Components will be updated independently, reducing the need to rebuild or replace the entire operating system image whenever something changes.
However, Canonical acknowledges the original 2023 preview fell short of this vision. Much of the desktop, including GDM, GNOME, and initially Firefox, was bundled into a single modified base Snap. The renewed development effort will focus on separating these elements into individual components with clearly defined interfaces.
Canonical has identified three initial development priorities: browser-centric computers, developer workstations, and gaming machines. The first is expected to be the easiest to implement, thanks to existing Firefox and Chromium Snap packages and improvements to application permissions.
For developers, Canonical plans to rely on LXD and Canonical Workshop, which provide isolated development environments. Integration with Visual Studio Code is also being developed, though work remains to make these tools compatible with Ubuntu Core’s strict application confinement requirements.
Gaming is another major focus. Canonical wants to create a modular gaming stack where graphics drivers, Mesa components, and other dependencies can be updated independently without risking the stability of the underlying operating system. The company also plans to improve its existing Steam Snap and explore alternative interfaces for dedicated gaming devices.
Application compatibility remains one of the project’s biggest challenges. Ubuntu Core requires strictly confined Snap packages, so applications distributed as classic Snaps cannot run directly. In light of this, Canonical is considering a solution that allows graphical applications to run inside isolated Workshop environments while displaying their windows on the host desktop.
The same approach could accommodate software installed through traditional package managers like APT, Flatpak, and Nix, providing access to applications not available as strictly confined Snaps.
Interestingly, Ubuntu Core Desktop won’t be limited to GNOME. Canonical has renewed its collaboration with enioka Haute Couture on KDE Neon Core, an Ubuntu Core-based KDE desktop implementation. The partnership is intended to help ensure that the architecture can support different desktop environments rather than becoming tied to a single implementation.
Regarding development progress, the team has restored build pipelines, resumed image creation, and made substantial progress rebasing the original preview on core26. Work is also underway to extend these improvements to KDE Neon Core builds. Over the coming weeks, Canonical expects to establish continuous testing infrastructure and daily image builds.
Finally, Canonical emphasizes that traditional Ubuntu Desktop is not going away. The transition toward Ubuntu Core is a long-term objective, not an immediate replacement of the existing distribution. No release date has been announced for a production-ready Ubuntu Core Desktop.
For more information, see Canonical’s official announcement.
