System76 CEO blames Ubuntu flip-flopping for shift to Pop!_OS, talks up benefits of in-house OS development
In the Linux community, System76 is largely known for Pop!_OS, a highly-customised Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, that it ships by default on all of its Linux-based laptops and desktop computers. However, before Pop!_OS, System76 used to default to Gnome for its operating system needs. In a recent interview with Brodie Robertson on Tech Over Tea on YouTube, the System76 CEO and co-founder, Carl Richell, explains that the move was largely motivated by consistency, a polished desktop experience, and after-sales support.
Richell says that the move came shortly after Canonical announced that it would switch away from Unity as its desktop environment just a few short years after adopting it. He mentions that “change for users can be hard,” and big moves, like Ubuntu's 2017 switch from Unity to Gnome, can affect the user experience and break or remove features and software support that users depend on.