A Red Hat engineer showed Ubuntu users how to manage their operating systems like simple containers using a tool called bootc.
At the recent Ubuntu Summit, a Red Hat engineer demonstrated how to use Red Hat’s own infrastructure tool, bootc, to build and deploy systems running a competitor’s operating system, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. This presentation highlights a growing trend in the tech industry where entire computer operating systems are packaged and managed exactly like application containers.
The tool behind this setup is bootc, an open-source project that updates operating systems safely using standard Docker-style container images. Instead of using traditional Ubuntu tools and standard software updates to manage a machine, bootc bundles everything—including the core Linux kernel—into a single container image. This allows system administrators to manage actual physical servers or virtual machines using the exact same container tools they already use for basic apps.
This approach eliminates the need for complicated setup scripts and heavy server management automation software. Because the entire operating system is delivered as a single image, updates happen instantly and cleanly. If an update causes an issue, the entire system can roll back to its previous working state right away, preventing system corruption and keeping servers running smoothly.
