Ubuntu Certification Going Forward

As you might have heard, we are planning to close down the “Ubuntu Ready” programme in time for Oneiric Final Release.

The aim is to simplify the public Canonical endorsed certification programme to only one:“Ubuntu Certified“.

To straighten out any confusion about what our certification offering will be here is a quick fact sheet about certification:

Existing Ubuntu Ready Certificates

We will not be offering new “Ubuntu Ready” services to OEM/ODMs. The existing Ubuntu Ready certificates will be maintained on the public website until the applicable releases reach end of life.

Remote Testing
We will continue to offer testing tools to partners and the community.The objective is for a common test tool for partners and community will be available within the Ubuntu ISO (from Oneiric).

Ubuntu Certified for Clients

Ubuntu Certified will continue to require hardware to be submitted to Canonical for testing. Ubuntu fortnightly Stable Release Updates means that certified systems are required to be tested every 2 weeks to ensure no regressions are introduced.

Remote testing can be used by partners as a way to assess if certification will be successful before engaging in a contract with Canonical.

Ubuntu Certified for Servers
While Certification of single servers follows the same process than client certification, we are concentrating our efforts on Certifying full server lines from OEMs.

In order to achieve this objective, the full server line is analysed by the appropriate TAM, a component matrix is produced and small representative set of servers is provided to Canonical by the OEM to test in-house, while the rest of servers are test remotely.

Ubuntu Certified (Pre-install Only)
A OEM or ODM shipping a pre-install custom ISO with their systems can apply for Ubuntu Certified (Pre-install Only).

Ubuntu Friendly
Ubuntu Friendly in not a Canonical certification programme. Ubuntu Friendly is a Ubuntu community hardware validation programme that recognises the need for community and partners to list various degrees of working Ubuntu hardware publicly. At the same time, we expect this initiative to increase the visibility of which hardware components work with Ubuntu.

Participation in Ubuntu Friendly is free, done in the open and will utilise the remote testing tools provide by Platform Services.