Ubuntu's Desktop-Next Switching From .DEBs To Snappy

Ubuntu 15.04 was just released and Canonical isn't wasting any time with starting to share their plans for Ubuntu 15.10 due out in October. This next release will feature a build that switches away from Debian packages (.deb) to using Snappy Personal.

Will Cooke of Canonical shared that for Ubuntu 15.10 they plan to have a build based on Snappy Personal, their new approach to package management/updating that's designed to be faster, more reliable, transactional, and with stronger security. A few months back they announced Snappy Ubuntu Core but with 15.10 they're looking to use Snappy for at least one of their desktop spins -- the plan is to switch Ubuntu's Desktop-Next spin from .deb over to Snappy Personal.

Ubuntu's Desktop-Next image is their experimental spin of Unity 8 + Mir on the desktop, which is still being finalized and won't be merged into Ubuntu proper until the Ubuntu 16.04 LTS milestone. If Snappy Personal sticks around and they don't switch back to the deb-based Ubuntu in the 16.04 cycle, it's quite possible next year we could see Ubuntu proper switch over to Snappy over Debian packages. Ubuntu Touch/Phone is also switching to Snappy over their former "Click" packages.

Will Cooke concluded his Google+ post with, "The future is Snappy and you'll have an image to play with Real Soon Now. The new Ubuntu desktop starts here, and there will be loads of interesting things to work on so keep an eye on the UOS schedule and sign up to any sessions you're interested in."