Canonical, the company behind the widely used Linux distribution Ubuntu, has recently announced that it is taking over the LXD project, a development that has caused a considerable amount of confusion in the tech world. LXD, an open-source container management tool that builds on top of Linux Containers (LXC), was previously maintained under the auspices of the Linux Containers project, with maintainership completely independent of Canonical. Now, however, the LXD project has been taken in-house by Canonical.
Background
LXD has been around for quite some time, with its announcement dating back to 2014 and the first release included in Ubuntu 15.10 the following year. LXC, on the other hand, is an older tool, first mentioned as an up-and-coming option in 2011. It's important to note that while you can use LXC without using LXD, LXD depends on LXC for some of its functionalities. LXD even uses some of the LXC command-line tools. However, they are not the same thing.
With the continuous rise of containerization technologies, LXC now has many rivals, such as Docker, crun, runc, and systemd-nspawn, which have been enabled by the broad compatibility of the OCI initiative specifications. Docker, one of the most famous systems, actually used LXC to run its containers in its early days.
The Change
A short statement posted on the Linux Containers website announced the change: “The LXD project is no longer part of the Linux Containers project but can now be found directly on Canonical’s websites.” Despite the change, Canonical assures that LXD will remain distro-independent, licensed as before, and not reliant on Snaps. However, it was also stated that the LXD snap is the 'easiest' way to install and utilize the tech on Linux.
The Linux Containers team expressed regret but respect for the decision made by Canonical. With the change announced, the LXD project source repo is now listed under Canonical’s GitHub, the LXD website and associated ephemera are live on the Ubuntu website, and the LXD community forum is in the process of being wound down and discussion diverted to Ubuntu’s Discourse site.
Implications
The move taken by Canonical comes as no surprise to those who have been watching closely the development of LXD. Canonical has been the main contributor to the project for the past eight years. With Canonical’s expertise and resources, LXD has the potential to become the go-to solution for developers and businesses looking to harness the power of container technologies.
It is expected that under Canonical's wing, the project will get the boost it needs. However, the company's track record with ventures ending ingloriously should be taken into consideration. It will be interesting to see how the LXD Containers project will evolve and thrive under Canonical’s stewardship in the coming months and years.