deb-orchestrator/parallel_projects/README.md

Parallel Projects

Overview

This directory contains the three foundational tools that make up Debian's complete bootc ecosystem. These tools are being developed in parallel rather than sequentially, following the strategy outlined in the developmental roadmap.

The Three Tools

1. deb-bootc-compose (Main Project)

• Location: ../ (root of the repository)
• Purpose: Main orchestrator for Debian bootc image creation
• Role: Coordinates the entire compose process (like Pungi)
• Status: Foundation development (Phase 1)

2. deb-orchestrator (Koji Equivalent)

• Location: deb-orchestrator/
• Purpose: Distributed build orchestration system
• Role: Manages package building at scale (like Koji)
• Status: Foundation development (Phase 1)

3. deb-mock (Mock Equivalent)

• Location: deb-mock/
• Purpose: Chroot build environment manager
• Role: Creates isolated build environments (like Mock)
• Status: Foundation development (Phase 1)

Why Parallel Development?

The Problem with Sequential Development

If we built these tools one by one:

1. deb-compose would be built first (6 months)
2. deb-orchestrator would be built second (6 months)
3. deb-mock would be built third (6 months)
4. Integration would happen last (6 months)
5. Total time: 24 months

The Solution: Parallel Development

By building all three tools simultaneously:

1. All three tools developed in parallel (6 months)
2. Integration happens during development (6 months)
3. Production features added (4 months)
4. Ecosystem expansion (2 months)
5. Total time: 18 months

Benefits of Parallel Development

• Faster delivery: Complete ecosystem in 18 months vs 24 months
• Better integration: Tools designed to work together from the start
• Reduced risk: Integration issues discovered early
• Team efficiency: Developers can work on different tools simultaneously

Development Strategy

Phase 1: Foundation Development (Months 1-6)

All three tools developed simultaneously to basic functionality:

• deb-bootc-compose: Basic orchestration framework
• deb-orchestrator: Basic task management and build coordination
• deb-mock: Basic chroot management and package installation

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

Focus on making tools work together:

• Tool integration: REST APIs, shared configuration, state management
• Advanced features: Plugin systems, caching, performance optimization
• Testing: Integration testing, end-to-end workflows

Phase 3: Production Readiness (Months 11-14)

Make tools production-ready:

• Security hardening: Authentication, authorization, audit logging
• Monitoring: Performance metrics, alerting, observability
• Documentation: User guides, API documentation, deployment guides

Phase 4: Ecosystem Expansion (Months 15-18)

Build actual Debian bootc variants:

• Debian Atomic: Base bootc images for Debian
• Particle-OS: Custom Debian bootc variants
• Community tools: Tools for creating custom variants

Current Status

Week 1-8 Goals

• deb-bootc-compose: Basic compose engine working
• deb-orchestrator: Basic task management working
• deb-mock: Basic chroot management working
• Integration: Basic communication between tools

Week 9-12 Goals

• End-to-end workflow: Can create minimal Debian bootc images
• Basic integration: Tools can coordinate basic operations
• Error handling: Basic error handling across tool boundaries

Development Workflow

Daily Development

1. Morning standup: Coordinate across all three tools
2. Development: Work on assigned tool(s)
3. Integration testing: Test tool interactions
4. Evening sync: Share progress and blockers

Weekly Milestones

1. Monday: Plan week's work across all tools
2. Wednesday: Mid-week integration testing
3. Friday: Review progress and plan next week

Integration Testing

• Continuous integration: Automated testing of tool interactions
• End-to-end testing: Complete workflow testing
• Performance testing: Tool interaction performance
• Error scenario testing: Failure handling across tools

Team Structure

Core Development Team

• 3-4 developers: Core tool development
• 1 developer: Integration and testing
• 1 developer: Documentation and user experience

Skill Distribution

• Go programming: deb-bootc-compose, deb-orchestrator
• Python programming: deb-mock
• OSTree and containers: All tools
• Debian tooling: All tools
• Integration expertise: Cross-cutting concern

Getting Started

For New Developers

1. Choose a tool: Pick one of the three tools to focus on
2. Set up environment: Follow the tool's setup instructions
3. Understand integration: Learn how your tool fits with the others
4. Start contributing: Begin with basic functionality

For Integration Work

1. Understand all tools: Learn the basics of all three tools
2. Focus on APIs: Design clean interfaces between tools
3. Test interactions: Ensure tools work together smoothly
4. Document workflows: Document how tools coordinate

Communication

Cross-Tool Coordination

• Daily standups: Coordinate across all tools
• Integration meetings: Focus on tool interactions
• Architecture reviews: Ensure tools work together
• Blockers: Identify and resolve cross-tool issues

Documentation

• Individual tool docs: Each tool has its own documentation
• Integration docs: How tools work together
• Workflow docs: End-to-end processes
• API docs: Tool-to-tool communication

Success Metrics

Phase 1 Success

• All three tools have basic functionality
• Basic integration between tools working
• Can create minimal Debian bootc images
• Development team is productive and coordinated

Phase 2 Success

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

Phase 3 Success

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

Phase 4 Success

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

Conclusion

This parallel development approach allows us to build Debian's complete bootc ecosystem faster and more efficiently than a sequential approach. By developing all three tools simultaneously and focusing on integration from the beginning, we can deliver a complete, working system in 18 months instead of 24 months.

The key to success is coordination and communication across all three tools. Each developer needs to understand not just their own tool, but how it fits into the larger ecosystem.

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Next Steps: Choose a tool to focus on, set up your development environment, and start contributing to Debian's bootc ecosystem!