Ubuntu Core is a stripped-down operating system geared toward Internet of Things (IoT) devices and with the latest release, Canonical has delivered a much-requested feature in real-time processing.

Real-time processing makes it possible for an OS to process data exponentially faster than a traditional platform. A real-time enabled operating system can process data in microseconds (one-millionth of a second) and has become crucial in areas such as the stock market and banking, telecom, and even self-driving automobiles.

To make this happen, Canonical uses the Ubuntu 22.04 LTS real-time kernel (which is based on the Linux 5.15 kernel) and integrated the out-of-tree PREEMPT_RT patch for both x86_64 and AArch64 architectures. This new scheduler makes it possible for the OS to preempt threads to guarantee bounded responses.

This new, fully containerized Ubuntu variant is now generally available to download and can be used for embedded and IoT devices. According to Mark Shuttleworth (CEO of Canonical), “Our goal at Canonical is to provide secure, reliable open-source everywhere – from the development environment to the cloud, down to the edge and to devices.” Shuttleworth continues, “With this release, and Ubuntu’s real-time kernel, we are ready to expand the benefits of Ubuntu Core across the entire embedded world.”