deb-orchestrator/dev-architecture-docs/developmental-roadmap.md

Debian Bootc Ecosystem Development Roadmap

Executive Summary

This roadmap outlines the development of Debian's complete bootc ecosystem - three foundational tools that work together to create Debian bootc images. This is Debian's answer to Fedora's Pungi-Koji-Mock ecosystem, designed to support Debian Atomic, Particle-OS, and other Debian bootc variants.

The True Scope: Three Foundational Tools

We are building three major tools that work together, not just one:

┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│ deb-bootc-      │    │ deb-orchestrator│    │    deb-mock     │
│   compose       │    │   (Koji equiv)  │    │   (Mock equiv)  │
│ Orchestrator    │    │ Build System    │    │Build Environment│
└─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘
         │                       │                       │
         │ Coordinates           │ Manages               │ Creates
         │ entire process        │ package building      │ isolated
         │                       │ at scale              │ environments

Development Philosophy

Ecosystem-First Approach

• Build all three tools simultaneously rather than sequentially
• Focus on integration from the beginning
• Ensure tools can work together before adding advanced features

Incremental Value Delivery

• Each tool should provide immediate value to users
• Tools should be usable before they are "complete"
• Focus on core functionality first, polish later

Debian-Native Design

• Built specifically for Debian's tooling and processes
• Integrate with existing Debian infrastructure (sbuild, schroot, apt)
• Follow Debian's development and packaging standards

Phase 1: Foundation Development (Months 1-6)

Parallel Development of All Three Tools

1.1 deb-bootc-compose (Weeks 1-8)

Priority: CRITICAL - Main orchestrator Dependencies: None (starts the ecosystem)

Core Development:

• Compose Engine: Basic orchestration framework
• Treefile Parser: JSON-based configuration system
• Phase Management: Simple phase execution system
• OSTree Integration: Basic apt-ostree integration
• Output Management: Container and disk image generation

Success Criteria:

• Can create minimal Debian bootc images
• Treefile validation working
• OSTree commits generated correctly
• Container images build successfully
• Basic error handling

Why Parallel: This is the main orchestrator - other tools need to integrate with it.

1.2 deb-orchestrator (Weeks 1-8)

Priority: CRITICAL - Build system foundation Dependencies: None (parallel development)

Core Development:

• Task Management: Basic task creation and scheduling
• Build Host Management: Simple builder host coordination
• Package Repository Integration: Basic Debian repository management
• Build Coordination: Simple build orchestration
• Database Integration: Basic PostgreSQL integration

Success Criteria:

• Can schedule build tasks
• Can manage build hosts
• Can coordinate package builds
• Basic repository management working
• Simple task scheduling functional

Why Parallel: This provides the package foundation that deb-compose needs.

1.3 deb-mock (Weeks 1-8)

Priority: CRITICAL - Build environment foundation Dependencies: None (parallel development)

Core Development:

• Chroot Management: Create and manage isolated build environments
• Package Installation: Install packages using apt/dpkg
• Build Environment Isolation: Ensure builds don't interfere with host
• Basic Plugin System: Simple plugin framework
• Configuration Management: YAML-based configuration system

Success Criteria:

• Can create isolated chroot environments
• Can install packages in chroots
• Basic isolation working
• Simple plugin system functional
• Configuration system working

Why Parallel: This provides the build environments that deb-orchestrator needs.

Phase 1 Integration (Weeks 9-12)

Focus: Make the three tools work together

Integration Goals:

• deb-compose ↔ deb-orchestrator: Coordinate package building
• deb-orchestrator ↔ deb-mock: Manage build environments
• deb-compose ↔ deb-mock: Create build environments when needed
• Basic Workflow: End-to-end image creation working

Success Criteria:

• Can create a complete Debian bootc image using all three tools
• Basic integration between tools functional
• End-to-end workflow working
• Error handling across tool boundaries

Phase 2: Integration & Enhancement (Months 7-10)

2.1 Enhanced Integration (Weeks 13-20)

Focus: Deepen integration between tools

Integration Enhancements:

• Unified Configuration: Single configuration system across all tools
• Shared State Management: Coordinated state across tool boundaries
• Error Propagation: Proper error handling across the ecosystem
• Logging Integration: Unified logging and monitoring
• Performance Optimization: Optimize tool interactions

Success Criteria:

• Tools work seamlessly together
• Performance is acceptable for basic use cases
• Error handling is robust across tool boundaries
• Monitoring and logging provide clear visibility

2.2 Advanced Features (Weeks 21-28)

Focus: Add advanced capabilities to each tool

deb-bootc-compose Enhancements:

• Multi-Variant Support: Support for different Debian variants
• Advanced OSTree Features: Sophisticated OSTree operations
• Multiple Output Formats: Various container and disk image formats
• Quality Gates: Validation and testing integration

deb-orchestrator Enhancements:

• Advanced Scheduling: Sophisticated task scheduling algorithms
• Build Optimization: Parallel builds and resource management
• Repository Management: Advanced repository operations
• Security Integration: Package signing and verification

deb-mock Enhancements:

• Advanced Isolation: Sophisticated environment isolation
• Plugin Ecosystem: Rich plugin system for extensibility
• Caching System: Advanced caching for performance
• Multi-Architecture Support: Support for different CPU architectures

Success Criteria:

• Advanced features working across all tools
• Performance meets production requirements
• Security features implemented
• Plugin system provides extensibility

Phase 3: Production Readiness (Months 11-14)

3.1 Production Features (Weeks 29-36)

Focus: Make tools production-ready

Production Enhancements:

• Security Hardening: Security audit and hardening
• Performance Optimization: Production-level performance
• Monitoring & Alerting: Comprehensive monitoring system
• Backup & Recovery: Data protection and recovery
• Documentation: Complete user and developer documentation

Success Criteria:

• Tools pass security audit
• Performance meets production requirements
• Monitoring provides comprehensive visibility
• Documentation is complete and accurate

3.2 Community Integration (Weeks 37-44)

Focus: Integrate with Debian community

Community Integration:

• Debian Policy Compliance: Ensure compliance with Debian standards
• Package Integration: Integrate with Debian's package management
• Community Testing: Community testing and feedback
• Upstream Contribution: Contribute improvements back to community
• Training Materials: Create training and onboarding materials

Success Criteria:

• Tools comply with Debian policy
• Integration with Debian infrastructure working
• Community feedback is positive
• Training materials are available

Phase 4: Ecosystem Expansion (Months 15-18)

4.1 Debian Atomic & Particle-OS (Weeks 45-52)

Focus: Build actual Debian bootc variants

Debian Atomic Development:

• Base Image Creation: Create Debian Atomic base images
• Variant Support: Support for different Debian Atomic variants
• Testing Framework: Comprehensive testing of Debian Atomic images
• Distribution: Distribution and update mechanisms

Particle-OS Development:

• Custom Variants: Create Particle-OS specific variants
• Application Integration: Integrate Particle-OS applications
• Customization Tools: Tools for customizing Particle-OS
• Community Variants: Support for community-created variants

Success Criteria:

• Debian Atomic images are production-ready
• Particle-OS variants are functional
• Testing framework catches issues
• Distribution system works reliably

4.2 Advanced Use Cases (Weeks 53-60)

Focus: Support advanced use cases

Advanced Capabilities:

• Cloud Integration: Direct deployment to cloud platforms
• CI/CD Integration: Integration with CI/CD systems
• Automated Testing: Automated testing and validation
• Security Scanning: Automated security vulnerability scanning
• Performance Optimization: Advanced performance optimization

Success Criteria:

• Cloud integration working
• CI/CD integration functional
• Automated testing catches issues
• Security scanning identifies vulnerabilities

Development Team Structure

Phase 1-2 (Months 1-10)

Core Development Team:

• 3-4 developers focused on core tool development
• 1 developer on integration and testing
• 1 developer on documentation and user experience

Skill Requirements:

• Go programming (primary language for deb-compose and deb-orchestrator)
• Python programming (for deb-mock)
• OSTree and container technologies
• Debian packaging and tooling
• Linux system administration

Phase 3-4 (Months 11-18)

Expanded Team:

• 2-3 developers on production features
• 1-2 developers on Debian Atomic and Particle-OS
• 1 developer on testing and quality assurance
• 1 developer on community integration
• 1 developer on documentation and training

Technical Architecture Decisions

Language Choices

• deb-bootc-compose: Go (performance, concurrency, ecosystem)
• deb-orchestrator: Go (performance, concurrency, ecosystem)
• deb-mock: Python (existing Debian tooling, rapid development)

Integration Patterns

• REST APIs: For tool-to-tool communication
• Shared Configuration: Unified configuration across tools
• Event-Driven Architecture: For coordination and state management
• Plugin System: For extensibility in each tool

Data Management

• PostgreSQL: For deb-orchestrator state management
• File-based State: For deb-compose and deb-mock
• Shared Storage: For build artifacts and images
• Backup Strategy: For production data protection

Risk Mitigation

Technical Risks

High Risk:

• Integration Complexity: Three tools working together
• Performance Issues: Tool interaction overhead
• State Management: Coordinating state across tools

Mitigation:

• Early Integration Testing: Test integration from Phase 1
• Performance Testing: Performance testing from early stages
• State Management Design: Careful design of state management

Medium Risk:

• Debian Integration: Integration with Debian infrastructure
• Community Adoption: Community acceptance and adoption
• Security Vulnerabilities: Security in custom code

Mitigation:

• Early Debian Community Engagement: Engage community from start
• Security Review Process: Security review for all code
• Community Feedback: Regular community feedback and iteration

Timeline Risks

High Risk:

• Scope Creep: Adding features beyond core functionality
• Integration Delays: Delays in tool integration
• Resource Constraints: Insufficient development resources

Mitigation:

• Strict Scope Management: Focus on core functionality first
• Parallel Development: Develop tools in parallel
• Resource Planning: Realistic resource planning and allocation

Success Metrics

Phase 1 Success (Months 1-6)

• All three foundational tools are functional
• Basic integration between tools working
• Can create minimal Debian bootc images
• Development team is productive and coordinated

Phase 2 Success (Months 7-10)

• Tools work seamlessly together
• Performance meets basic requirements
• Advanced features are functional
• Integration is robust and reliable

Phase 3 Success (Months 11-14)

• Tools are production-ready
• Security audit passed
• Performance meets production requirements
• Community integration is successful

Phase 4 Success (Months 15-18)

• Debian Atomic images are production-ready
• Particle-OS variants are functional
• Advanced use cases are supported
• Ecosystem is self-sustaining

Alternative Scenarios

Scenario A: Rapid Development

If resources are abundant:

• Complete each tool to 90% before integration
• Parallel development of advanced features
• Extensive testing and documentation
• Target completion in 12 months

Scenario B: Resource Constrained

If resources are limited:

• Focus on core functionality in all tools
• Minimal viable versions with basic integration
• Community-driven development for advanced features
• Target core completion in 14 months

Scenario C: Community-Driven

If community interest is high:

• Open source development model
• Community contributions welcome
• Focus on documentation and examples
• Flexible timeline based on contributions

Next Steps

Immediate Actions (Next 2 Weeks)

1. Set up development environment for all three tools
2. Create project structure and repositories for all tools
3. Begin parallel development of all three foundational tools
4. Engage Debian community for feedback and collaboration

First Month Goals

1. All three tools have basic structure and can run
2. Basic functionality working in each tool
3. Integration points defined between tools
4. Development workflow established for parallel development

Quarter 1 Goals

1. Complete Phase 1 with all three tools functional
2. Basic integration working between tools
3. End-to-end workflow functional for minimal images
4. Community feedback gathered and incorporated

Conclusion

This roadmap represents a comprehensive approach to building Debian's complete bootc ecosystem. By developing all three foundational tools in parallel and focusing on integration from the beginning, we can create a robust, maintainable system that provides Debian users with the same benefits that Fedora users enjoy.

The key to success is parallel development with early integration testing. Rather than building tools sequentially, we build them simultaneously and ensure they can work together from the beginning. This approach reduces integration risk and allows us to deliver value incrementally.

By following this roadmap, Debian can establish itself as a first-class bootc platform within 18 months, providing users with a complete ecosystem for creating immutable, atomic operating systems built on Debian's solid foundation.

Key Success Factors

1. Parallel Development: Build all three tools simultaneously
2. Early Integration: Test integration from the beginning
3. Community Engagement: Engage Debian community throughout
4. Incremental Delivery: Deliver value at each phase
5. Quality Focus: Maintain quality throughout development

This roadmap provides a realistic path to building Debian's complete bootc ecosystem while managing complexity and ensuring success.