SavOS PPAs for Ubuntu Linux
SavOS PPAs (“Personal Package Archives”) provide an inline upgrade solution for computer systems running Ubuntu Linux, bringing a wide variety of newer popular software to the past eight years of LTS (Long Term Support) versions. My name is Rob Savoury, and I started the “SavOS” project in August 2019. That is when I first began uploading new software to the excellent Launchpad service provided by Ubuntu/Canonical. Since then tens of thousands of Ubuntu Linux users all around the world have made use of the many SavOS PPAs.
Intel/AMD only so far, no ARM support
Until now only software built for Intel/AMD processor architectures has been available at the many SavOS PPAs, as these are the most common processors for Ubuntu desktop systems (and so far I only run Ubuntu on Intel/AMD myself). To date there have been no builds at all done for ARM processors, as that would require consistent extra work by me (eg. all the extra hours of debugging ARM-specific build issues).
ARM interest from SavOS PPA users
For several years now people have periodically asked me if I would please build all the software at my PPAs for ARM processor architecture as well. Building the software at my SavOS PPAs also for ARM would allow the PPAs to be used on a whole range of additional computing devices. Billions of modern handheld devices on the planet use ARM processors, plus all modern Macs now use ARM as well.
Growing interest in the past year for me to build all the software at my SavOS PPAs for ARM has now led to this crowd funding campaign. If enough users of SavOS PPAs want ARM builds, which will be shown by the funding goal being met, then I will do builds for ARM! This will only be for 22.04 LTS and newer (including upcoming 24.04 LTS), as recent download stats show that a vast majority of SavOS PPA users are already running 22.04 LTS based systems. Also, it will only be for 64-bit hardware (aarch64 or arm64).
Contributions and perks
SavOS stadium ARM – under $20 (no perks)
Those who just want to help the campaign succeed, but without any specific perks in return.
SavOS supporter ARM – $20 (ARM private PPA access)
- Access to a new ARM-specific private PPA on Ubuntu’s Launchpad service.
SavOS special ARM – $200 x 20 (ARM private PPA access plus one hour support time)
- Access to a new ARM-specific private PPA on Ubuntu's Launchpad service.
- One hour of dedicated support time for the ARM-specific PPA (three months expiry).
SavOS supreme ARM – $1000 x 5 (ARM private PPA access plus six hours support time)
- Access to a new ARM-specific private PPA on Ubuntu's Launchpad service.
- Six hours of dedicated support time for the ARM-specific PPA (six months expiry).
Timing for completion
There are now almost 1,000 software packages for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS systems at my PPAs that will need to be rebuilt for ARM. At the fastest pace that I work, and only for very small and trivial packages (eg. many for the Rust programming language), I can upload around 10 packages per hour. However, many packages take much more of my time than a few minutes, due needing to fix build failures and also due making improvements to default Debian/Ubuntu package code.
Then there are some packages that take even many hours to get building successfully. So it is easy to see that doing all these ARM rebuilds will take time. If the funding goal is achieved packages for upcoming Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (“Noble Numbat” to be released late April 2024) would be built for ARM from the outset. Also, note that some complex software such as Blender would be built later in the overall schedule, due all the many dependencies and sub-dependencies involved.
Funding
The specific funding goal for this campaign is based on an estimate for the minimum number of hours that will be required of me to do all the rebuilds for ARM processors. If the funding goal is achieved I estimate it will be a three or so month long process for me to do all the rebuilds for ARM processor architecture. This is based on my approximately half-time working hours commitment to maintaining all the SavOS PPAs.
If an amount of funding wildly over the target is achieved then I’ll dedicate as much time as I can to ARM rebuilds. It would be closer to full-time work for me in that case (based on how much time I need for my non-PPA work obligations), to get it all done more quickly.
Conclusion
If you want ARM processors supported at the SavOS PPAs then here’s your big chance to help make it happen! Please also send this campaign link to any people you know, and Ubuntu Linux blogs you read, if there might be interest there in running up-to-date software on ARM-based Ubuntu LTS systems. The more who know about this campaign the more likely it is to succeed. Thank you for your interest.
Disclaimer
The three-ish month timeline for delivery is an estimate only, absolutely no guarantee is given that any ARM packages will be published by any specific date. Dedicated support time hours will be based on my availability and will need to be booked in advance (half hour multiples only), and there are absolutely no guarantees about me giving support within a particular time frame. Dedicated support hours will also only be available for a limited number of months (three months for "SavOS special ARM" or six months for "SavOS supreme ARM") from the go live date, after which they will expire.
