# particle-os Container Compatibility Analysis

**Date**: August 17, 2025  
**Status**: Analysis and Planning Phase  
**Scope**: Debian-native equivalent to bootc-image-builder for particle-os containers

---

## 🎯 **Project Scope Clarification**

### **What We're Building**
- **Input**: particle-os containers (Debian-based, OSTree + bootc + bootupd)
- **Process**: Convert to bootable disk images
- **Output**: Bootable Debian OS images
- **Architecture**: Debian-native equivalent to bootc-image-builder

### **The Complete Workflow**
1. **particle-os** creates Debian-based container images (similar to ublue-os)
2. **deb-bootc-image-builder** (our tool) processes those containers into bootable disk images
3. **Result**: Bootable Debian OS images that can be deployed to hardware

---

## 🔍 **particle-os Ecosystem Analysis**

Based on the provided context, here's what we understand about the particle-os ecosystem:

### **Core Components**

| Component | Repository | Status | Purpose |
|-----------|------------|--------|---------|
| **debian-atomic** | `git.raines.xyz/particle-os/debian-atomic` | **Similar to Fedora Atomic** | Base atomic OS foundation |
| **particle-os** | `git.raines.xyz/particle-os/particle-os` | **ublue-os equivalent for Debian** | Custom OS image creation |
| **apt-ostree** | `git.raines.xyz/particle-os/apt-ostree` | **Early development** | Debian equivalent to rpm-ostree |
| **bootc** | `git.raines.xyz/particle-os/bootc` | **Unchanged fork** | Boot management with Debian packaging |
| **deb-bootupd** | `git.raines.xyz/particle-os/deb-bootupd` | **Early development** | Debian equivalent to bootupd |

### **Key Insights**
1. **debian-atomic**: Provides the atomic OS foundation (similar to Fedora Atomic)
2. **particle-os**: Creates custom OS images (equivalent to ublue-os)
3. **apt-ostree**: Package management for atomic updates (equivalent to rpm-ostree)
4. **bootc**: Boot management (unchanged from upstream, just Debian packaged)
5. **deb-bootupd**: Boot update management (equivalent to bootupd)

---

## 🏗️ **Architecture Requirements**

### **What We Need to Implement**

#### **1. OSTree Integration (apt-ostree)**
- **Repository Operations**: Handle apt-ostree repositories
- **Deployment Management**: Manage OSTree deployments
- **Boot Configuration**: Configure OSTree boot settings
- **Package Management**: Integrate with apt-ostree for atomic updates

#### **2. bootc Integration**
- **Configuration**: Parse and apply bootc configuration
- **Boot Management**: Handle bootc boot processes
- **Deployment**: Integrate with bootc deployment workflows
- **Compatibility**: Ensure compatibility with Debian-packaged bootc

#### **3. bootupd Integration (deb-bootupd)**
- **Update Management**: Handle bootupd update processes
- **Boot Configuration**: Manage bootupd configuration
- **Deployment**: Integrate with bootupd deployment workflows
- **Compatibility**: Ensure compatibility with Debian-packaged bootupd

---

## 🔧 **Implementation Strategy**

### **Phase 1: OSTree Integration (apt-ostree)**

#### **Required Stages**
```yaml
- type: org.osbuild.debian.ostree
  options:
    repository_url: "https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/debian-atomic"
    branch: "main"
    deployment_type: "atomic"
    package_manager: "apt-ostree"

- type: org.osbuild.debian.ostree_boot
  options:
    boot_config: "ostree"
    deployment_name: "particle-os-deployment"
    kernel_args: "ostree=/ostree/boot.1/debian-atomic/main/0"
```

#### **Implementation Requirements**
- **apt-ostree Integration**: Handle Debian-specific OSTree operations
- **Repository Management**: Clone and manage apt-ostree repositories
- **Deployment Creation**: Create OSTree deployments
- **Boot Configuration**: Configure bootloader for OSTree

### **Phase 2: bootc Integration**

#### **Required Stages**
```yaml
- type: org.osbuild.debian.bootc
  options:
    config_file: "/etc/bootc/config.yaml"
    deployment_type: "atomic"
    boot_method: "ostree"
    kernel_args: "bootc.ostree=/ostree/boot.1/debian-atomic/main/0"
```

#### **Implementation Requirements**
- **Configuration Parsing**: Parse bootc configuration files
- **Boot Process**: Integrate with bootc boot management
- **Deployment**: Handle bootc deployment workflows
- **Compatibility**: Ensure Debian packaging compatibility

### **Phase 3: bootupd Integration (deb-bootupd)**

#### **Required Stages**
```yaml
- type: org.osbuild.debian.bootupd
  options:
    config_file: "/etc/bootupd/config.yaml"
    update_method: "atomic"
    deployment_source: "ostree"
    auto_update: true
```

#### **Implementation Requirements**
- **Configuration Management**: Handle bootupd configuration
- **Update Process**: Integrate with bootupd update workflows
- **Deployment**: Manage bootupd deployment processes
- **Compatibility**: Ensure Debian packaging compatibility

---

## 📋 **Stage Implementation Plan**

### **New Stage Types to Implement**

#### **1. OSTree Stages**
```go
// org.osbuild.debian.ostree
type OSTreeStage struct {
    RepositoryURL string `yaml:"repository_url"`
    Branch        string `yaml:"branch"`
    DeploymentType string `yaml:"deployment_type"`
    PackageManager string `yaml:"package_manager"`
}

// org.osbuild.debian.ostree_boot
type OSTreeBootStage struct {
    BootConfig    string `yaml:"boot_config"`
    DeploymentName string `yaml:"deployment_name"`
    KernelArgs    string `yaml:"kernel_args"`
}
```

#### **2. bootc Stages**
```go
// org.osbuild.debian.bootc
type BootcStage struct {
    ConfigFile    string `yaml:"config_file"`
    DeploymentType string `yaml:"deployment_type"`
    BootMethod    string `yaml:"boot_method"`
    KernelArgs    string `yaml:"kernel_args"`
}
```

#### **3. bootupd Stages**
```go
// org.osbuild.debian.bootupd
type BootupdStage struct {
    ConfigFile    string `yaml:"config_file"`
    UpdateMethod  string `yaml:"update_method"`
    DeploymentSource string `yaml:"deployment_source"`
    AutoUpdate    bool   `yaml:"auto_update"`
}
```

---

## 🧪 **Testing Requirements**

### **Test Recipes Needed**

#### **1. Basic OSTree Recipe**
```yaml
name: "ostree-test"
description: "Test OSTree integration with debian-atomic"
base-image: "debian:trixie-slim"

stages:
  - type: org.osbuild.debian.ostree
    options:
      repository_url: "https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/debian-atomic"
      branch: "main"
      deployment_type: "atomic"
      package_manager: "apt-ostree"

  - type: org.osbuild.debian.ostree_boot
    options:
      boot_config: "ostree"
      deployment_name: "test-deployment"
      kernel_args: "ostree=/ostree/boot.1/debian-atomic/main/0"
```

#### **2. Complete particle-os Recipe**
```yaml
name: "particle-os-complete"
description: "Complete particle-os container processing"
base-image: "debian:trixie-slim"

stages:
  - type: org.osbuild.debian.ostree
    options:
      repository_url: "https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/debian-atomic"
      branch: "main"
      deployment_type: "atomic"
      package_manager: "apt-ostree"

  - type: org.osbuild.debian.bootc
    options:
      config_file: "/etc/bootc/config.yaml"
      deployment_type: "atomic"
      boot_method: "ostree"
      kernel_args: "bootc.ostree=/ostree/boot.1/debian-atomic/main/0"

  - type: org.osbuild.debian.bootupd
    options:
      config_file: "/etc/bootupd/config.yaml"
      update_method: "atomic"
      deployment_source: "ostree"
      auto_update: true

  - type: org.osbuild.qemu
    options:
      formats: ["raw", "qcow2"]
      size: "10G"
      filename: "particle-os-complete"
```

---

## 🚨 **Critical Dependencies**

### **System Requirements**
- **apt-ostree**: Debian equivalent to rpm-ostree
- **bootc**: Boot management tool
- **deb-bootupd**: Boot update management tool
- **OSTree**: Atomic update system

### **Development Dependencies**
- **Go 1.21+**: For binary compilation
- **Development Tools**: For building and testing
- **Documentation**: For understanding particle-os ecosystem

---

## 📊 **Implementation Timeline**

### **Phase 4b: particle-os Container Compatibility (2-3 weeks)**

| Week | Focus | Deliverables |
|------|-------|--------------|
| **Week 1** | OSTree Integration | Basic OSTree stages, repository operations |
| **Week 2** | bootc Integration | bootc stages, configuration management |
| **Week 3** | bootupd Integration | bootupd stages, update management |

### **Success Criteria**
- [ ] OSTree stages execute successfully
- [ ] bootc stages execute successfully
- [ ] bootupd stages execute successfully
- [ ] Complete particle-os container processing works
- [ ] Test recipes validate all functionality

---

## 🎯 **Next Steps**

### **Immediate Actions (When Go Available)**
1. **Recompile binary** with current sudo fixes
2. **Test basic stages** to ensure foundation works
3. **Begin OSTree integration** implementation
4. **Create test recipes** for validation

### **Research Requirements**
1. **Study apt-ostree**: Understand Debian OSTree implementation
2. **Analyze bootc**: Understand boot management requirements
3. **Examine deb-bootupd**: Understand update management requirements
4. **Review debian-atomic**: Understand base atomic OS structure

---

## 💡 **Key Insights**

### **What We've Learned**
1. **particle-os is the ublue-os equivalent** for Debian systems
2. **debian-atomic provides the foundation** (similar to Fedora Atomic)
3. **apt-ostree handles package management** (equivalent to rpm-ostree)
4. **bootc and deb-bootupd handle boot management** (equivalent to upstream tools)

### **What This Means for Our Project**
1. **We need to implement OSTree integration** for apt-ostree compatibility
2. **We need to implement bootc integration** for boot management
3. **We need to implement bootupd integration** for update management
4. **We need to understand debian-atomic** for base OS foundation

---

## 🏆 **Conclusion**

The particle-os ecosystem provides a **complete Debian-native equivalent** to the ublue-os ecosystem. Our **deb-bootc-image-builder** needs to implement:

1. **OSTree integration** for atomic updates and deployments
2. **bootc integration** for boot management
3. **bootupd integration** for update management
4. **Complete container processing** from particle-os containers to bootable images

This represents a **significant implementation effort** but will result in a **production-ready tool** that can process particle-os containers just like bootc-image-builder processes ublue-os containers.

---

**Last Updated**: August 17, 2025  
**Status**: Analysis and Planning Complete  
**Next Phase**: Implementation of OSTree, bootc, and bootupd Integration  
**Timeline**: 2-3 weeks for particle-os container compatibility
