After my first login the device did an unscheduled reboot for updates. It's like the worst feature of Windows 10, but for Linux. I think it's changeable from the command line, but that's the type of thing I'd want to control via a management portal. I started looking for device management and navigating their site makes me think I might not be the target market.
Most of the info on their site is locked behind contact us buttons. I think device management requires a personalized store which requires contacting them to have one set up manually. Also, their blog post about Ubuntu Core 18 (https://blog.ubuntu.com/2019/01/22/ubuntu-core-18-released-for-secure-reliable-iot-devices) claims "10 years low-cost security maintenance", but I can't find pricing info anywhere.
Overall it feels like they're looking for big companies with a lot of money to spend on support and value added services.
I want to build a simple hobby project to get some experience with IoT device management. I'll only set up a few devices, but want to learn how deployment to and management of those devices would work if I had a lot more. There's a good chance I'll archive the project when I'm done since I mainly want to learn.
Am I wasting my time? What does it actually cost to manage a device?