Goobuntu

{{short description|Ubuntu derivative that was once used internally within Google}}

{{distinguish|Gobuntu|ChromeOS}}

Goobuntu was a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu LTS (long-term support). It was used by almost 10,000 Google employees.{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/business/11ubuntu.html?_r=2&th&emc=th|title = A Software Populist Who Doesn't Do Windows |access-date = 2009-02-22|last = Vance|first = Ashlee |author-link=Ashlee Vance |date=2009-01-11 | work=The New York Times}} It added a number of packages for in-house use, including security features and disabled the installation of some applications, but was otherwise similar. Thomas Bushnell, a Google technical leader for the company's Linux desktops, displayed Goobuntu at LinuxCon 2012. Bushnell explained that "Goobuntu is simply a light skin over standard Ubuntu."{{cite web|last=Vaughan-Nichols |first=Steven J. |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-truth-about-goobuntu-googles-in-house-desktop-ubuntu-linux/ |title=The truth about Goobuntu: Google's in-house desktop Ubuntu Linux |publisher=ZDNet |date=2012-08-29 |access-date=2012-09-04}}

Some suggested Google might plan to market the distribution more widely, but Goobuntu was never officially released.{{cite news|last1=King|first1=Ben|title=Google at work on Linux|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/31/google_goes_desktop_linux/|access-date=2015-02-05|publisher=The Register|date=2006-01-31}}{{cite web|title=GoogleOS Scenarios|url=http://slashdot.org/story/06/11/22/1415221/googleos-scenarios|website=Slashdot|access-date=2015-02-05|date=2006-11-22}}{{cite web|title=Google Working on Desktop Linux|url=http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/31/1519224|website=Slashdot|access-date=2015-02-05|date=2006-01-31}} While both Google and Mark Shuttleworth, who spearheaded the development of Ubuntu, confirmed the existence of Goobuntu,{{cite web|last1=Shuttleworth|first1=Mark|author-link1=Mark Shuttleworth|title=Absolutely no truth to the rumour|url=http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/20|access-date=2015-02-05|date=2006-02-13}} both denied that Google had any plans to market the operating system.{{cite news|publisher=Ars Technica|url=https://arstechnica.com/old/content/2006/01/6087.ars|title=Google denies plans to distribute OS based on Ubuntu|date=31 January 2006|first=Anders|last=Bylund}}

Mark Shuttleworth confirmed that Google has contributed patches to Ubuntu.

Google used Puppet to manage its installed base of Goobuntu machines.

In 2018, Google replaced Goobuntu with gLinux, a Linux distribution based on Debian Testing.{{cite news|publisher=it's FOSS|url=https://itsfoss.com/goobuntu-glinux-google/|title=No More Ubuntu! Debian is the New Choice For Google's In-house Linux Distribution|date=17 January 2018| first=Abhishek | last=Prakash}}