Ubuntu is now available on AWS
Ubuntu WorkSpaces on AWS, a fully managed virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), is now generally available on a public cloud platform.
This is the first time a Linux OS virtual desktop has been available on AWS, which previously only offered iOS and Windows operating systems.
Ubuntu has consistently ranks as one of the most popular Linux distributions, and Canonical, the creator of Ubuntu, says the new union gives developers access to a wide selection of open source tools and libraries in areas such as data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud, and the Internet of Things.
What does this bring to the table?
“We brought Ubuntu Desktop to Amazon WorkSpaces so developers can streamline the design, coding, pipeline, and deployment of Ubuntu-based workloads, both instances and containers, all in an AWS environment,” said Alex Gallagher, vice president of Cloud for Canon.
He added: “In addition, the Ubuntu virtual desktops in WorkSpaces enable IT organizations to quickly and easily host high-performance Ubuntu Desktop instances delivered as a fully managed AWS service.”
Additionally, Canonical says the flexibility provided by Amazon WorkSpaces means developers can run and shut down development machines to handle resource-intensive workloads when required, without the overhead of purchasing and maintaining additional hardware.
The company also claims that the solution allows DevOps engineers to switch between complex operating system configurations to test multiple environments without having to reconfigure the local system or share multiple physical devices.
That’s not all, Canonical says the new binding will allow remote workers to fulfill their roles without increasing security risks by leveraging AWS’s security controls, and will also allow company administrators to gain end-to-end control over their developers’ desktop environment
All Ubuntu WorkSpaces will benefit from Ubuntu Pro, which includes support for extended security patches for 10 years.
Amazon has compiled a best practice guide that you can view here (opens in a new tab)which will guide you through assigning Amazon WorkSpace to users from your directory service.
More information is available on AWS as part of the guide to getting started with Amazon WorkSpaces (opens in a new tab).