Ignition on Ubuntu Core?

Ignition
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Has anyone tried running Ignition on Ubuntu Core?

I have a customer who wants to deploy this edge device.

Supported operating systems:
• Microsoft Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB
• Ubuntu Core 16.04 and 15.04
• Wind River Linux IDP-XT 3.1

Thanks for any thoughts or advice.

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Looks to me like it should work… no better way to find out than to try it, though!

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Specs look reasonable. I’d probably want the 4GB ram option.

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Update.

Due to a conservative IT team at my customer site, we implemented this using the W10 IOT Enterprise LTSB option.

I’m not a fan of this hardware. It is working, but an expensive solution for an edge device.

Ubuntu Core is still on my list of things to explore.

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I think, ubuntu core runs only on embedded hardware. It's ideal for building secured IoT gateways for remote sites. IMO, one such solution which may have some good commercial demand would be a "BACNET<===>JSON<===>MQTT" Gateway. Raspberry Pi/Beaglebone/Alpine would be the best affordable choice for many.

For the data centre, i would prefer Ignition+Ubuntu server on good quality hardware.

You can check this article on Ubuntu core experience :
https://www.berthon.eu/2017/ubuntu-core-atomicity-rough-on-the-edges/

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thanks for the link.

I think ubuntu core makes the most sense for an OEM. And maybe an OEM delivering Ignition, or Ignition Edge.

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@heybales DId you ever progress with testing Ignition on Ubuntu Core? I tried installing Ignition Edge to no avail. couldn’t locate a java snap.

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Hey Paul,

My thinking has progressed a bit, but that is about all. I haven’t done any proof of concept yet, but I do think it makes sense for an edge device. Especially if you have or will have more than a few.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

  • As an edge device, ubuntu core offers similar modularity and security as Azure IOT Edge
  • Almost any application can be made into a snap. (there’s a spotify snap)
  • Canonical has engineers who will help you create a snap.
  • When running ubuntu core in developer mode, you have more freedom to change the runtime environment. In theory you could run Ignition outside the snap environment. This probably defeats the purpose of the snaps.

Here’s a link on java snaps.
https://docs.snapcraft.io/build-snaps/java

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@Kevin.Collins Do you foresee producing snaps similar to your docker images, where one could download Ignition from here:

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I’ve had it on my list to explore for some time… Haven’t gotten around to it yet… I think it would be pretty interesting… I’d actually reserved ignition8 and kcollins-ignition a while back in the snap registry, in the event I get there at some point…

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Awesome!

I’m hearing more about Ubuntu Core, but it’s still confusing how that ecosystem works. My high-level understanding is you get a base OS (Ubuntu Core) which is as minimal as possible to enable application snaps. This device then can check in with an App Store where it can be managed remotely.

That’s as far as I have gotten. :man_shrugging:

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Hi Kevin
Any news on that Topic?
For us it would be verry interessting to have a Ignition Snap to config a UbuntuCore20 Iso for OEM Ignition Edge devices

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Has anybody got Ignition up and running on Ubuntu Core? I don't really see why it wouldn't work, but just thought I'd ask before we tried it out.

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