Ubuntu Core is an app-centric operating system. As the intelligence of a device is ultimately a function of the software it runs, a focus of Ubuntu Core is to make every device effectively app-enabled. The device’s primary function is an app, and developers can then ship other apps next to that primary function.
According to that vision, Ubuntu Core decouples apps from the OS, acting as an enabling platform running on virtually every hardware on top of which developers may want to put apps.
Furthermore, developers won’t have to build an IoT infrastructure from scratch to roll out their devices. Embedded Linux projects built on Ubuntu Core can get their own hosted and managed IoT App Store, a private application store tailored to software distribution across fleets of devices. It is a custom enterprise store enabling developers to cherry-pick the optimal combination of applications for their devices, including software published in the global Snap Store and custom software developed internally for a specific use case. By building their ecosystem, developers can unlock new business models to monetize their solutions: Ubuntu Core provides OEMs with the ability to commercialize their apps through a private store.
On the other hand, apps are unconfined and with no strict boundaries on Yocto-based devices. Although there is multi-app support, Yocto does not provide an app store, and there is no direct path toward app monetization as a device manufacturer.