Ubuntu for Raspberry Pi vs. OmniOS

As your innovation transitions into a physical product, the Raspberry Pi compute module emerges as a powerful, industrial-grade system-on-module that acts as the central processing unit for a wide range of hardware applications, including robotics and server infrastructures. Nowadays, open source has established itself as the key driver of software advancement across diverse areas—spanning from cloud computing and edge devices to containerization and the Internet of Things (IoT); this includes applications in artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomous vehicles, and nanosatellite technology, with major companies worldwide utilizing open source to further technological progress. The Raspberry Pi is built on the ARM instruction set, akin to the architecture found in Android and iOS smartphones, as well as the most recent Mac computers. While it might appear similar to Ubuntu operating on a conventional PC, the distinctive architecture and device integration present a uniquely innovative approach. This evolution not only equips developers with powerful tools but also cultivates a collaborative space for ongoing technological enhancement, ultimately driving the industry toward remarkable advancements. Embracing this open-source philosophy allows for a shared pool of knowledge and resources, empowering a diverse community to innovate collectively.

OmniOS is a server operating system that is open-source and focuses on incorporating only the most necessary features. Featuring ZFS as its native file system, it combines a volume manager with advanced data protection mechanisms that ensure integrity. Users can easily share storage volumes through various protocols, including iSCSI, CIFS, and NFS. Moreover, OmniOS provides the capability to run lightweight virtual machines, whether they're running OmniOS or Linux in containers, which helps eliminate the overhead typically associated with traditional hypervisors while maintaining effective resource management. For users who require comprehensive hardware virtualization, it also supports virtualization technologies such as bhyve and KVM, enabling the use of diverse guest operating systems like Microsoft Windows and FreeBSD. The network infrastructure can be efficiently virtualized using Crossbow, which facilitates the creation of virtual interfaces and switches, and offers the ability to assign dedicated resources for particular applications. DTrace acts as a sophisticated dynamic tracing framework that significantly aids troubleshooting across the entire software stack, providing real-time instrumentation as necessary. As an open-source initiative, OmniOS operates in a self-hosting manner, with its development actively overseen on GitHub; this platform allows contributors to submit pull requests while granting anyone interested the ability to access the source code to compile their own version. This collaborative environment not only promotes community engagement but also ensures a high level of transparency throughout the development process, encouraging contributions from a diverse range of developers.