Canonical has announced the first official Ubuntu desktop image for the Qualcomm DragonWing platform.
A beta image of Ubuntu 24.04 desktop compatible with Qualcomm Dragonwing QCS6490 and QCS5430 processors, and specifically tailored for the Qualcomm RB3 (Gen 2) Vision Kit and RB3 (Gen 2 Lite) Vision Kit is available for testing.
Ubuntu 24.04 server images were previously available for the same model vision kits, so it’s the addition of desktop builds that is an interesting development.
Canonical say marrying a full Ubuntu desktop experience married with “powerful AI acceleration with high-performance graphics” in the Dragonwing devices provides “a powerful development environment for building next-generation AI-driven edge applications.”
And who am I to argue with a device that looks like a cyberpunk View-Master!?
The build also supports the onboard cameras, sensors, etc, and provide “significant enhancements” for the Dragonwing platform in general. That makes these sanctified images a better fit than a generic Ubuntu ARM image would, since it lacks optimisation.
Beta for now, certified soon
Fully certified versions of Ubuntu 24.04 (both desktop and server) are planned. Both will comes backed by long-term support and maintenance, encompassing a myriad of changes, setting and hardware enablement needed for this device.
While many of you reading might be a bit “and?” about this news—as someone who hadn’t heard of DragonWing prior to now, me too —but Ubuntu has to be at the edge of innovation, meeting developers where they are, to stay relevant, in mindshare, and part of what’s next.
Knowing it is? That’s reassuring.
And, with more devices powered by Qualcommm Dragonwing tech either on the way, including the $149 RUBIK Pi 3 single-board computer that drew itself a lot attention at CES 2025, Ubuntu’s footing in the future of edge computing looks to be a firm one.
Download the Image
Developers can download Ubuntu 24.04 (beta) for Qualcomm Dragonwing from the Ubuntu website, but should read the release notes (linked there) to learn what is and isn’t supported out of the box.
For instance, USB A host ports and the eDP interface are not currently supported, and an Ubuntu Qualcomm PPA containing extra core packages and hardware drives needs to be added post-install.