Ubuntu plans to release an all-snap immutable version of Ubuntu for the desktop, a move that could be a turning point for the Linux distro.

Canonical and its Ubuntu have done more to popularize Linux than virtually any other Linux distro, making the open source operating system accessible to the masses. In recent years, however, the company has made a number of decisions that have alienated users, none as much as snaps.

Snaps are Ubuntu’s universal package format, designed to work across all distros, including Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, openSUSE, and more — all without requiring developers to build their apps for the specific distro they’re targeting.

Unfortunately, snaps have been widely criticized for slow performance compared to native packages. In addition, while the snaps themselves can be open source, the Snap Store is controlled by Canonical. Because of the criticism it’s received, the snap format is rarely used outside of Ubuntu, with the competing Flatpak format a much more popular option among other distros. At the same time, however, some Ubuntu users appreciate the simplicity of snap packages.

In reply to an article on OMG! Ubuntu detailing Ubuntu’s plans to ship CUPS printing stack as a snap, Canonical’s Oliver Grawert posted a comment, saying the company would release an immutable desktop version of Ubuntu next year, a version based on the all-snap UbuntuCore.

An immutable version exists since 2015, called UbuntuCore… there will be a desktop release of it with the next LTS (optional though, the classic desktop install will indeed not go away)

An immutable distro is one where the root file system is immutable or unchangeable without very specific action being taken. Immutable distros rely on Flatpak or snap to install apps since they can be installed in the user space without impacting the root file system.

Some believe immutable distros are the future of Linux since they offer robust security and stability since the root file system is not easily modified. It’s not surprising Ubuntu is coming out with an immutable distro, but it will be optional — at least for now.

Ultimately, the long-term success or failure of Ubuntu’s snaps may well hinge on the immutable version of the distro. If an immutable Ubuntu meets with the type of success as Fedora’s Silverblue or openSUSE’s microOS, it could help change people’s minds about snaps.