Ubuntu is intensifying its efforts to support RISC-V architecture as part of its strategy to establish itself as the primary Linux distribution on this emerging platform. With the upcoming release of Ubuntu 25.10, a key requirement is RVA23-capable RISC-V hardware, which enhances its capabilities to compete with ARM and Intel processors. This initiative is not just about compatibility; it also aims to optimize the overall Ubuntu desktop experience, including its applications.
A significant development in this endeavor is the work being done on Flutter, Google’s open-source UI toolkit, which Ubuntu prefers for building its applications, including the Snap-based App Center and Security Center. However, until recently, Flutter did not natively support RISC-V processors. That is changing now.
Canonical’s Valentin Haudiquet has proposed two pull requests to the Flutter repository to introduce RISC-V support. The first aims to enable Flutter to function on RISC-V, while the second facilitates cross-compilation of a Flutter engine for RISC-V from Intel/AMD systems. Initial tests have shown that these patches are effective, with successful demos of Ubuntu’s App Center and Security Center running on RISC-V setups, although there is still room for performance enhancements.
In his progress report, Haudiquet mentioned that if the pull requests yield positive outcomes, Ubuntu might need to handle the distribution of the Flutter engine independently. This development highlights Canonical’s commitment not only to enhance the Ubuntu desktop experience across all supported platforms but also to contribute to the broader open-source community.