What is our primary use case?
My main use case for Ubuntu Linux is hosting the Kubernetes server, MicroK8s, for containerization, hosting databases in Ubuntu Server version, and supporting continuous deployment CD/CI environments within my company.
A specific example of how Ubuntu Linux has facilitated continuous deployment or Kubernetes management in my organization is that Kubernetes comes super well integrated in Ubuntu Linux, and during the installation you already get a template designed so that you can directly install MicroK8s or Kubernetes. Docker is also super integrated within the installation.
Basically, all the production machines in my work environment run Ubuntu Linux.
What is most valuable?
I consider the best features offered by Ubuntu Linux to be the ecosystem and cloud provider support, with many SDKs that connect directly from, for example, Azure to Ubuntu and report certain functionalities in real time. There are many agents implemented with very clear, well-defined five-year LTS versions that can also be extended with Ubuntu Pro, hardware support that is very well designed, and immense package management and documentation. Above all, Ubuntu Pro for companies means that we have live patches and production systems that are very reliable.
Ubuntu Linux has positively impacted my organization through stability, scalability, and performance. Stability comes because we have LTS versions directly with Ubuntu Server, where you set up Ubuntu Linux without a graphical interface, maintaining impeccable uptime with the standard LTS kernel channel. Scalability comes because the images are minimal allowing for very fast provisioning either with Terraform or Ansible, and performance comes because it is based on Debian, very well prepared for virtualization workloads, containers, and microservices.
What needs improvement?
I think Ubuntu Linux could improve in the area of packages, as Snap packages are being imposed on us and we are migrating to certain versions where we are losing APT. To have a pure terminal experience we should depend only on APT update and upgrade. I note that the LTS versions do not always have five years of support, but overall, except when moving from one LTS version to another where frictions are generated, the rest are good things.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Ubuntu Linux for more than 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Ubuntu Linux is a very stable platform.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My organization's experience in terms of the scalability of Ubuntu Linux has been fantastic because we can take and modify all parts of the system, and upgrading from one version to another is super simple.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for Ubuntu Linux has been adequate for me, as I have not needed it. Whenever I have had questions, I have simply looked at community forums.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not used any other solution before Ubuntu Linux, as we have been using Ubuntu because historically it has worked for a very long time, and I have always been a Debian user, finding Ubuntu a sensible option to scale my knowledge into production environments.
How was the initial setup?
Before choosing Ubuntu Linux, I evaluated options such as Red Hat Linux and SUSE Linux, but we chose Ubuntu because of the license cost.
What was our ROI?
I have observed a clear return on investment, particularly in savings on license costs, as we have Ubuntu Linux LTS and do not depend on distributions such as Red Hat or SUSE, where we would indeed have to pay for a license.
A concrete result I have observed, such as reduced deployment times or cost savings, is that being free software, we have very significant savings in licensing costs compared with other distributions such as Red Hat Linux or SUSE. We only have one commercial subscription, which is Ubuntu Pro, when your LTS time ends, to extend that support period.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
My experience with the pricing, implementation costs, and licenses of Ubuntu Linux shows that it is free software, so the licensing cost is zero. Having the Ubuntu Pro licensing option, where you have extended and personalized support, gives much more substance to the solution.
What other advice do I have?
Ubuntu Linux is still the most sensible and efficient default option for most back-end and cloud deployments. System administrators and infrastructure teams must actively manage Canonical's packaging policies, especially those related to Snap, which is why I give Ubuntu Linux a nine out of ten instead of a perfect score, to keep environments clean and predictable.
My advice to other organizations considering using Ubuntu Linux is that it is a stable, reliable, secure, and quite robust distribution, with many years of history and a benchmark in the Linux sector. I rate Ubuntu Linux overall as a nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure