For the first time in Nepal, the “UbuCon Asia 2025” conference was held on Bhadra 14 and 15. The event, organized by the Ubuntu Community Asia, included various workshops and conferences about Ubuntu, which is a free and open source software.

At this event, Canonical, the company that founded Ubuntu and has been working on free and open source software had also attended. In that context, we spoke with Canonical’s Community Engineer Mauro Gaspari. Presented here is the edited version of the conversation.

What is Ubuntu?

The word “Ubuntu” is an African word, which in English means “humanity to others.” Ubuntu is a Linux distribution. Many people know it as Ubuntu desktop. But it is also available on servers. Ubuntu Core is Ubuntu’s full snap version. Also, Ubuntu is tied to many technologies. Right now Ubuntu cloud images, IoT images, Raspberry Pi, and images for multiple architectures are available.

On what occasion has Ubuntu come to Nepal?

We have come for UbuCon Asia 2025 organized by Ubuntu Asia. The Ubuntu Asia community holds UbuCon Asia every year. It does not always take place in the same country. Usually each year it happens in a different country, university, or company that expresses interest. It goes where there is enthusiasm and energy about what can be done with Ubuntu, Linux and open source.

How can Ubuntu and open source software help Nepal’s digital transformation?

Ubuntu and open source software can be run free of charge. This gives you digital freedom and you don’t have to pay any fees to run it.

If you are a startup, you can run it for free. If the business grows you can run Ubuntu to provide services to customers. Only after that would you pay Canonical for Ubuntu to keep it up to date, up to speed, and for consulting. You can run it for free and scale up or down according to your needs. This is usually how open source technologies and projects work.

But if you have a special requirement in open source software, you can change the code. In simple terms, you can customize open source software according to your needs. For example, take translation: if users are not comfortable with the English language, you can change it into the local language. You don’t have to depend on others.

Open source gives importance to freedom. The government can also use it, so it doesn’t have to remain dependent on software developed by other companies. You can build and customize as required. There is freedom in this.

How does Canonical plan to work with Nepali developers, universities and IT professionals?

We have already had conversations during UbuCon Asia 2025 to collaborate in Nepal. We are very excited to collaborate because participants were asking how this collaboration can continue after the event. Our plan is to work to grow the local Ubuntu community and to contribute to local events.

Ubuntu is one of the most widely used Linux distributions in the world. How is Canonical working to shape the future of global open source software?

Canonical is not just using existing open source. Those involved in open source know this. We have plans to shape the future of open source. There are projects created around Ubuntu.

Projects and products like LXD, Rocks, Multipass and many other open source products go beyond a bootable laptop with Wi-Fi to provide support. This is one way Canonical contributes to open source. All our projects are open source. In this, users can add their opinions to our work. We can discuss things together. Also, we have been working on training and workshop parts.

How does this spirit of openness and collaboration apply in today’s business world?

We are seeing a large transformation in open source, one we never imagined at the company. We have code, programs and software. We have invested millions of dollars in it. It is open. Everyone can run it and modify it. Change is coming and growth is happening. Companies are also doing good work in this.

To use open source software, we must encourage other people and companies. It will not usually be a problem for your finances. Many times it gets a boost. You will be able to find many people who will contribute to your code.

How is Canonical positioning Ubuntu in the era of cloud, AI/ML and IoT?

Canonical has many partners. Ubuntu has partnerships with various cloud service providers. If you want to work on AI and machine learning, you can go to your cloud service provider and deploy Ubuntu there to work.

What are Canonical’s long-term plans for Nepal?

I’ll answer this from my point of view. Ultimately, it depends on you. It depends on how much you want to engage. I am very encouraged by the active participation I saw at UbuCon Asia 2025. Here, people are not just present, they are actively working. They are asking questions.

Again, how much you want to engage is up to you. We are always ready to collaborate.

What makes Ubuntu relevant and reliable in a rapidly changing technology world?    

Canonical is just over 20 years old. We are looking at the next 20 years as well as the last 20. We don’t live in the past. We take the past as a learning experience to grow. We want to remain at the forefront of technology for many years.

Meaning of Ubuntu in Nepali is “humanity toward others”. How is this meaning applicable in Canonical's motto in its work?

The word “Ubuntu” is an African word. In English it is “humanity to others.” Canonical has always emphasized the importance of working together. No one can succeed alone. To succeed, you need the help of others. This is the motto that Ubuntu follows. Wherever we work, we live by this motto. We help others succeed. Their success is our success. This is how the Ubuntu community works.

Our code of conduct is not what you might think. You may imagine rules like “you must do this” or “you must not do that.” But ours is not like that. As you read it, you will also find it inspiring.

We believe in each other’s excellence. If someone comes to such an event, we first ask them to read the code of conduct and sign it.

If you expect goodness from others, you must also be good to others. What we do, we do with the belief that we should be good to each other.

Finally, what would you like to say to Nepali youth and the open source community?    

Dream big. Learn a lot. Also have fun together. Let passion drive you. Get engaged. This is a beautiful time.