Improving EC2 boot time from 4s to 2.8s to accelerate builds

Revving up Ubuntu 24.04 for a speedier boot, we ditched dead weight like snaps, AppArmor, and cloud-init—trimming userspace boot time from 4 to 2.8 seconds. Banishing IPv6 address checks and pruning systemd services like journald shaved off more precious milliseconds. Next on the chopping block: kernel modules and deep dives into the murky waters of initramfs. Stay tuned.