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2026


ntpd-rs: it's about time!

·1084 words·6 mins

Ubuntu is transitioning to the Rust-based ntpd-rs as its default time synchronization utility, replacing chrony, linuxptp, and gpsd to deliver a unified, memory-safe solution for NTP, NTS, and PTP.

This move, in partnership with the Trifecta Tech Foundation, strengthens Ubuntu’s resilience goals, with full adoption planned across the Ubuntu 26.10 and 27.04 releases.

An update on upki

·1521 words·8 mins

This post provides an update on the Canonical-supported upki project, which brings browser-grade Public Key Infrastructure to Linux through the efficient CRLite data format, with the core revocation engine now functional and available to test.

Beyond current progress, this post explores broader integration, performance, and future capabilities like Certificate Transparency enforcement and Merkle Tree Certificates.

Developing with AI on Ubuntu

·1897 words·9 mins

AI-assisted tooling is becoming more and more common in the workflows of engineers at all experience levels. As I see it, our challenge is one of consideration, enablement and constraint.

We must enable those who opt-in to safely and responsibly harness the power of these tools, while respecting those who do not wish to have their platform defined or overwhelmed by this class of software.

2025


Addressing Linux's Missing PKI Infrastructure

·1274 words·6 mins
Announcing work on upki, a universal tool for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems for handling X.509 certificate revocation lists in system utilities.

Ubuntu Summit 25.10: Personal Highlights

·1391 words·7 mins

I recently had the privilege of attending the Ubuntu Summit 25.10 - an event hosted by Canonical to celebrate the release of Ubuntu 25.10, and provide a platform for open source projects from around the globe to showcase their work.

This post includes some personal highlights and a brief summary of some of the talks.

Ubuntu Engineering in 2025: A Retrospective

·1429 words·7 mins

In February this year, I posted a manifesto to to modernise the design, build and release of Ubuntu.

This week, we released Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka, which was the first full engineering cycle under this new manifesto, This post is a look back at the progress made since that original post.

The Immutable Linux Paradox

·1653 words·8 mins

Immutable Linux distributions are gaining popularity due to their resilience and security, with mainstream operating systems adopting similar principles.

This post explores how different Linux distributions achieve immutability, the trade-offs, and why you should give it a try!

2024


Workstation VMs with LXD & Multipass

·2259 words·11 mins
An overview of Multipass and LXD, and how I use them for creating, managing and enjoying virtual machines on my workstations and servers. I use Multipass for creating ‘headless’ development machines, and I break out to LXD for more complex scenarios like booting and testing desktop distributions.

Secure Boot & TPM-backed Full Disk Encryption on NixOS

·2887 words·14 mins
An explanation of how to enable secure boot on NixOS, using a community project named ‘Lanzaboote’, and further how to automatically unlock a LUKS-encrypted disk using a TPM with systemd-cryptenroll.