Canonical celebrates 20 years: Shaping the world of Ubuntu Linux

2004 was already an eventful year for Linux. As I reported at the time, SCO was trying to put Linux out of business. Red Hat was abandoning its Linux end-user fan base for enterprise customers by ending Red Hat Linux 9 and launching Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for business. Oh, and South African tech billionaire and astronaut Mark Shuttleworth started Canonical, the parent company of Ubuntu Linux.

Little did I, or anyone else, imagine that Canonical would become one of the world’s leading Linux companies.

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Mr. Shuttleworth had made millions of dollars from the founding and subsequent sale of Thawte Consulting, a security and leading certificate authority (CA) company. He was interested in more than just making money. Shuttleworth was also a Debian Linux developer. He used the proceeds from the sale of Thawte to establish Canonical Ltd. in England.

From the beginning, Canonical’s purpose has been to support and share free and open source software. In fact, the name of its flagship operating system, Ubuntu, comes from the Zulu words “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.” Its modern meaning outside of Linux circles comes from the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In his book Without forgiveness, there is no futurehe said that people using Ubuntu are “open and available to and affirming of others.”

Sound familiar? When Shuttleworth announced the release of his Ubuntu 4.10 Warty Warthog, the first version of Ubuntu, he wrote:

“Ubuntu” is an ancient African word meaning “humanity towards others” and we think it’s a perfect name for an open source community project. In that spirit, we welcome you to join our community, contribute, and share Ubuntu.

In other words, as Ubuntu’s original motto says, it’s “Linux for humans.”

Back then, as now, Ubuntu was based on Debian Linux. Unlike Debian, which missed deadlines it could never meet, Ubuntu was set to update to the latest desktop, kernel, and infrastructure with new releases every six months. Canonical has maintained that pace for 20 years, with the exception of the Ubuntu 6.06 release.

Canonical’s mission has been bold from the beginning. The idea was to create an operating system that was as feature-rich, user-friendly, and accessible as any proprietary operating system. Released in October 2004, Ubuntu Linux quickly became synonymous with ease of use, stability, and security, bridging the gap between the power of Linux and the ease of use demanded by end users.

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Canonical’s early years were characterized by rapid innovation and community building. The Ubuntu community, a vibrant and passionate group of developers and users, was at the heart of the project. Forums, Wikis, and IRC channels were buzzing with activity as people from all over the world came together to contribute code, report bugs, create documentation, and support each other.

Over the years, this community-centered approach has evolved. While Ubuntu remains an end-user-friendly distribution, it is the only Linux distribution from a major vendor with strong support for desktop Linux (to keep the lights on). Ubuntu is currently most used as a cloud, server, and Internet of Things. (IoT) Operating System.

Canonical has also tried to influence the course of Linux, with mixed success. For example, in 2011 Canonical introduced a new Linux desktop, Unity, as the default desktop. The idea was to create a graphical interface that could be used not only on Linux desktops, but also on smartphones and tablets.

I loved Unity, and I was one of the few people who did. By 2017, Canonical had abandoned Unity and its related plans for Ubuntu-powered smartphones and tablets. Ubuntu Unity is still around (the open source project has nine lifetimes), but it’s now a side hustle. Ubuntu renewed his commitment to the GNOME desktop.

Meanwhile, in 2016, Ubuntu Snap, a containerized way to install software, was introduced and, along with rival Red Hat’s Flatpak, helped Linux gain desktop popularity. Both make it much easier for software vendors to deliver programs to Linux desktops and help give users more choice of applications.

Also: Ubuntu Unity revives Canonical’s creativity and brings back one of the best UIs

Canonical’s influence extends beyond the desktop. For example, Ubuntu Linux is the number one cloud operating system. Ubuntu started as a community desktop distribution, but has now become a major force in enterprise Linux.

Looking ahead, I expect Canonical to eventually go public. Unusually for a technology company, Canonical does not have the financial needs to issue an IPO. Mr. Shuttleworth managed to start the company with his own funds. As Shuttleworth said in a 2022 interview, Canonical doesn’t need the money. Rather, the company is seeking a balance between “maintaining what we think people really love about Ubuntu and Canonical, and continuing to build on the responsibility we currently believe we have in the global technology market.” I’m trying to find out.”

Today, as Canonical celebrates its 20th anniversary, Ubuntu Linux powers millions of desktops, servers, and the cloud. Canonical’s journey isn’t over yet. I expect the next 20 years to be as innovative and successful as the first 20 years.