Canonical Brings Intel TDX Tech Preview To Ubuntu 23.10

Ahead of the all-important Ubuntu 24.04 LTS cycle dubbed the "Noble Numbat", Canonical is making a technology preview of Intel Trust Domain Extensions (TDX) available for Ubuntu 23.10.

Intel Trust Domain Extensions (TDX) premiered with Intel Xeon Scalable "Sapphire Rapids" processors for better securing virtual machines. However, with Sapphire Rapids the TDX-enabled processors are made available just to select cloud service providers and hyperscalers. Presumably with the upcoming Emerald Rapids generation we'll see more robust TDX support throughout the Xeon Scalable product stack. At the same time, the limited Intel TDX processor availability isn't all that bad since the Intel TDX upstreaming is still a work-in-progress with not all of the code being upstreamed for making this security feature a reality.

Trust Domain Extensions provides hardware-based isolation, confidentiality, and integrity at the virtual machine (VM) level. This core security feature touches just not the Linux kernel but other components of the Linux virtualization stack as well. There's also other ongoing integration efforts too like cross-vendor confidential computing attestation reports.

With the upstreaming still being carried out, for those that happen to find their hands on TDX-enabled processors or having remote access to them, Canonical and Intel have collaborated to deliver a TDX 1.0 tech preview for Ubuntu 23.10.

Via a Personal Package Archive (PPA) is a patched version of Linux 6.5 with all the necessary kernel bits plus patched user-space components like a modified QEMU 8.0 and Libvirt 9.6 designed to work in the TDX world. There's also guest VM elements from the patched kernel to a compatible GRUB and kernel shim.

Those interested can find more details on the Intel TDX tech preview for Ubuntu 23.10 via the Ubuntu blog. By the time of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS it's looking like they hope to have everything integrated into Ubuntu proper for this long-term support release. When Ubuntu 24.04 LTS premieres in April by then we'll also see more robust TDX availability if it becomes more widespread following the December launch of Xeon Scalable Emerald Rapids processors.