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Ubuntu's "AI Kill Switch" Is Achieved By Removing Snaps, Initially Opt-In - Phoronix (www.phoronix.com)
submitted 2 days ago by not_IO@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/linux@programming.dev
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[-] recursive_recursion@piefed.ca 35 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Jon Seager as the VP of Engineering at Canonical

Seager explained in this morning's update while there won't be a "global kill switch" for AI features on Ubuntu, their plan is to deliver all the AI features via Snap packages. So removing AI features on Ubuntu will come down to removing Snaps.

lmao

At this point if snaps are being installed on your system you might want to have a talk with the admin/IT guy, unless you are the admin in which case you do you🤷‍♀️. Carry on good sir/lady/person.

The AI bros on the other hand are probably drooling all over this as AI and Ubuntu basically goes hand in hand.

[-] curbstickle@anarchist.nexus 19 points 2 days ago

unless you are the admin in which case you do you🤷‍♀️. Carry on good sir/lady/person.

But dont come anywhere near my systems please.

[-] ghen@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

Well I need a distro that has documented active directory support to connect to the existing servers. Tried OpenSUSE which had problems just installing let alone running, so Ubuntu is really all there is left. Linux at work is just not as fully featured as Windows unfortunately. Local group policy servers are so useful.

[-] nao@sh.itjust.works 20 points 2 days ago

The AI-backed features will initially be as a "preview" and "strictly opt-in basis" for Ubuntu 26.10. For Ubuntu 27.04 and beyond, the plan is to have an initial setup wizard around prompt users on the AI native features they may want or not.

I don't see a problem if they do it like this.

[-] voxthefox@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 2 days ago

Operative word here is "initially"

[-] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 days ago

So for me it'll be an upgrade to 26.04 then stay there till I figure out a migration plan to Debian for my main workstation/server currently on 22.04.

[-] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 14 points 2 days ago

Ubuntu has always been this ugly, slow as shit distro for me. I ran my first Minecraft server on a potato with Ubuntu and it barely worked at all. Just switching to Debian made it viable.

[-] ZombieCyborgFromOuterSpace@piefed.ca 11 points 2 days ago

It's been solid reliable for me since 2004.

Unfortunately, it's time to change.

[-] woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Unfortunately, it’s time to change.

If you didn't switch to a credible distribution after all the shit Canonical pulled already, you won't switch away from Ubuntu this time either.

[-] ZombieCyborgFromOuterSpace@piefed.ca 1 points 22 hours ago

I could get around all their bullshit before and still have a very good, very usable Linux OS.

Now if you remove Snaps, the system breaks. And so if you have to remove Snaps to get rid of the AI... I mean, I draw the line at forcing Snaps to have a functioning system. But the AI is the cherry on top of the swirl of shit this distro is about to become.

I think I made my mind. I'm going to go with Tumbleweed. I was thinking Debian, but it's missing too many quality of life features and it's a bit old.

[-] Scoopta@programming.dev 8 points 2 days ago

How was that stint where they sent your desktop search results to Amazon?

[-] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 days ago

Mild inconvenience, it was a different time, Amazon was still cool among many.

[-] TeamAssimilation@infosec.pub 2 points 2 days ago

On a potato you were supposed to use Xubuntu or Lubuntu, not Gnome.

[-] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 7 points 2 days ago

Well it was headless, so

[-] TeamAssimilation@infosec.pub 1 points 1 day ago

You mean you ran Ubuntu Server and found it slow?! That’s amazing, specially back then. Truly a potato.

[-] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 4 points 1 day ago

Since, like I said, the machine ran just fine with Debian, it probably wasn't the machine.

[-] Aatube@piefed.social 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I think I'm going to trust Ubuntu more since the pretty ambitious 25.10 release. They made telemetry opt-in (it was opt-out) in 26.04.

[-] mintiefresh@piefed.social 8 points 2 days ago

Feels in line with Ubuntu.

Luckily it's simple enough to switch to a different distro. 🤷‍♂️

[-] Cris_Citrus@piefed.zip 4 points 2 days ago

I had really hoped Ubuntu would find some way to get themselves right. For all the new users who might switch via Ubuntu or stay with it out of familiarity :(

[-] boredsquirrel@slrpnk.net 2 points 2 days ago

All these nonsense comments...

So you need to remove separate snaps per feature? Ok that makes sense? I dont think you need to remove all snaps, or that installing snap would add AI features?

Think, people...

this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2026
80 points (98.8% liked)

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