Snappy Ubuntu is an optimized lightweight version of the Ubuntu Linux operating system developed for mobile, cloud, containers, embedded and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Snappy Ubuntu made its official debut with the April 2015 “Vivid Vervet” Ubuntu 15.04 release.
Canonical, the developers of Ubuntu, created the Snappy Ubuntu Core Linux OS so that it runs and updates quickly, with only the bare minimum needed to operate and with updates able to be performed at large scale with minimal interruption to services.
With Snappy Ubuntu, the development model is extensible with apps separated from the base operating system, which enables developers to choose the packages they want to include. Snappy Ubuntu keeps each part of Ubuntu in a separate, read-only file, while doing the same for each application.
Snappy Ubuntu also provides a transactional model for software updating and operating system rollbacks when needed, for easier patching and improved security. This model enables automated updates to be performed quickly and efficiently across entire networks.
Snappy Ubuntu Powers Smartphones, the Cloud, the IoT and More
Snappy Ubuntu powers smartphones via the Ubuntu Phone OS as well as networking switches, TV set-top boxes, Wi-Fi base stations and other embedded and IoT devices.
In terms of the cloud, Snappy Ubuntu can run on OpenStack in private cloud environments and is also currently or will soon be available in Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Compute Engine.
