Dubbed Ubuntu JeOS (Just Enough Operating System), the software has been stripped from drivers and utilities that are bundled with the regular Ubuntu Server distribution. There is no need for hardware drivers in a virtual system, and utilities are typically available in a server’s main operating system.

“We can scale up the image. We have a minimal core. We can extend that to support even GUI applications. All that is done with the same packages that people already know from Ubuntu Server.”

The Ubuntu JeOS (pronounced: juice) kernel has been optimized to run on VMware. Other virtualization platforms may be added based on customer demand, Shuttleworth said.

A virtual appliance is a bundle of an application with operating system that users can load directly into their virtual machine monitor. This liberates them from the need to manually install and configure the operating system and application.

The operating system furthermore can be tailored towards the targeted application, allowing for a reduction in the software’s overall size. This reduces the number of potential bugs, thereby increasing a system’s stability and security.