Canonical announces Ubuntu Core compatible with SystemReady IR Systems, highlights OS security with PSA Certified Level 1 achievement

Ubuntu Core, Arm SystemReady and PSA Certified are transforming how the industry think about connected edge devices, security and device compatibility.

[14 March 2023, Embedded World, Nuremberg.] Canonical today announced its Ubuntu Core operating system (OS) is now compatible with the Arm^® SystemReady™ IR system specification.  In addition, the OS has achieved the PSA Certified Level 1. Ubuntu Core is a minimal version of the Ubuntu OS designed specifically for use on embedded devices, IoT devices, and other similar applications. It is a lightweight and secure Linux-based operating system that is optimized for efficiency and performance. 

Arm SystemReady provides a formal set of compute platform standards for operating systems to cover a range of systems from the cloud to IoT and edge, which allows software to work seamlessly across Arm-based hardware. Open standards like this, will make it easier for enterprise-grade solutions such as Ubuntu Core, to bring innovation and drive greater standardization across the embedded ecosystem. Canonical is excited to support the Arm SystemReady ecosystem and will continue working closely with Arm and its incredibly vibrant and dynamic community.  The compatibility ofUbuntu Core with the SystemReady IR specification will enable future devices to meet the SystemReady requirements more efficiently. 

Security is one of the key features of Ubuntu Core. The OS uses a strict application isolation model, which ensures that each application runs in its own secure container. This means that even if one application is compromised, the rest of the system remains secure. Ubuntu Core also provides automatic security updates, making it easy to keep devices up-to-date and secure. 

In 2017, PSA Certified was co-founded by Arm to provide a security framework and independent certification program, enabling security best practice for connected devices. Ubuntu Core was designed with security in mind, and its security concepts are well aligned with the PSA Certified Level 1 requirements. Today, Canonical is proud to announce that Ubuntu Core has achieved PSA Certified Level 1, awarded by PSA Certified evaluation laboratory Riscure. 

“Security is a shared responsibility and will be central to ensuring every device across the evolving IoT landscape is trustworthy,” said David Maidment, Senior Director, Secure Device Ecosystem at Arm. “With this important commitment from Ubuntu Core, developers across the embedded ecosystem will be further empowered to build efficient, scalable solutions that are secure-by-design, combining PSA Certified hardware with Ubuntu Core system software to fast-track the journey to SystemReady IR certification.”

By using Ubuntu Core on SystemReady and PSA Certified Arm-based platforms, developers have a great kick-start in rapidly building secure embedded solutions and achieving fast time-to-market, while at the same time ensuring hardware-software portability across a range of platforms. 

“The collaboration between Arm and Canonical spans from cloud and datacenter, to edge. We at Canonical truly believe that industry standards are key towards improving hardware-software interoperability and increasing reliability; and today we are very honored to announce that Ubuntu Core is well aligned to SystemReady IR and has achieved PSA Certified Level 1”, said Gordan Markuš, Director, Silicon Alliances at Canonical. “The unique combination of Ubuntu Core, SystemReady IR and PSA Certified enables the ecosystem to rapidly develop secure, reliable and extensible IoT solutions. The combined solution empowers our partners to scale their product portfolio on a range of Arm-based platforms while benefiting from software portability, state-of-the-art secure design and open source software”. 

Further reading

• Learn more about Ubuntu Core: https://ubuntu.com/core 
• Learn more about SystemReady: SystemReady Certification Program – Arm
• Learn more about PSA Certified:   Expert Security Framework and Certification 
• Explore some of the most important Ubuntu Core features: https://ubuntu.com/core/features 
• Watch the Ubuntu Core 22 video