debian-atomic/README.md

# Debian Atomic

A pure Debian-based immutable operating system, bringing the benefits of atomic updates and immutable deployments to the Debian ecosystem.

## 🎯 Project Status: **Foundation Complete, Tools in Development**

**Current State**: We have a working build system that can create Debian-based container images with OSTree tools installed. The core immutable OS foundation is solid and tested, but we're building the atomic functionality piece by piece.

**What This Means**: You get a solid foundation that's ready for the next phase of development, with core tools actively being developed in parallel.

## 📋 Debian Atomic vs Fedora Atomic: Realistic Assessment

### **✅ What's Actually Working (Proven & Tested)**

| Feature | Debian Atomic | Fedora Atomic | Status |
|---------|---------------|---------------|---------|
| **Build System** | ✅ Working justfile-based recipes | ✅ Working justfile-based recipes | **Identical** |
| **Container Images** | ✅ All variants build successfully | ✅ All variants build successfully | **Identical** |
| **OSTree Tools** | ✅ ostree, ostree-boot installed | ✅ ostree, ostree-boot installed | **Identical** |
| **Unified /usr** | ✅ Symlinks: /bin -> /usr/bin | ✅ Symlinks: /bin -> /usr/bin | **Identical** |
| **Pure Debian Base** | ✅ Debian 13 (Trixie) stable | ✅ Fedora 42+ | **Different** |
| **UEFI Boot Support** | ✅ efibootmgr, shim-signed | ✅ efibootmgr, shim-signed | **Identical** |
| **Registry Integration** | ✅ Push to Forgejo registry | ✅ Push to container registry | **Parallel** |

### **🔄 What's In Active Development (Separate Repositories)**

| Component | Repository | Status | Description |
|-----------|------------|---------|-------------|
| **apt-ostree** | [particle-os/apt-ostree](https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/apt-ostree) | 🔄 **Active Development** | Debian equivalent of rpm-ostree for atomic package management |
| **deb-bootc-image-builder** | [particle-os/deb-bootc-image-builder](https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/deb-bootc-image-builder) | 🔄 **Active Development** | Debian-native bootc image builder for deployment workflows |
| **deb-bootupd** | [particle-os/deb-bootupd](https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/deb-bootupd) | 🔄 **Active Development** | Debian-native bootloader update daemon |
| **bootc** | [particle-os/bootc](https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/bootc) | 🔄 **Active Development** | Debian-native bootable container deployment tool |

### **❓ What's Planned (Not Yet Implemented)**

| Feature | Debian Atomic | Fedora Atomic | Status |
|---------|---------------|---------------|---------|
| **Atomic Updates** | ❓ apt-ostree integration needed | ✅ rpm-ostree working | **Planned** |
| **System Rollbacks** | ❓ apt-ostree integration needed | ✅ Instant rollback working | **Planned** |
| **Immutable Base** | ❓ apt-ostree integration needed | ✅ Read-only /usr working | **Planned** |
| **Deployment Workflow** | ❓ deb-bootc-image-builder needed | ✅ bootc-image-builder working | **Planned** |
| **Bootloader Updates** | ❓ deb-bootupd integration needed | ✅ bootupd working | **Planned** |

### **🔍 What's Different (Debian-Specific Choices)**

| Aspect | Debian Atomic | Fedora Atomic | Status |
|--------|---------------|---------------|---------|
| **Security Model** | 🔄 AppArmor (planned) | ✅ SELinux enabled | **Different** |
| **Firewall** | 🔄 iptables/nftables (planned) | ✅ firewalld | **Different** |
| **Package Ecosystem** | 🔄 Debian repositories (planned) | ✅ Fedora repositories | **Different** |

## 🚀 Quick Start

### Prerequisites

- **Host System**: Debian 13 (Trixie) or newer, Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) or newer
- **Container Runtime**: Podman 4.0+ or Docker 24.0+
- **Build Tools**: `just` command runner
- **Registry Access**: Forgejo registry (or configure for your preferred registry)

### Clone and Setup

```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/debian-atomic.git
cd debian-atomic

# Install just command runner (if not already installed)
cargo install just

# Configure registry (optional - defaults to git.raines.xyz/robojerk)
# Edit variants/*/Containerfile to change registry URLs
```

### Build All Variants

```bash
# Build all variants (base, workstation, server, testing, debian-bootc-base)
just build-all

# Check build status
just status

# Clean all images
just clean
```

### Individual Variant Builds

```bash
# Build specific variants
just compose-base
just compose-workstation
just compose-server
just compose-testing
just compose-debian-bootc-base

# Build and push to registry
just build-deploy base
just build-deploy workstation
```

## 🏗️ Repository Structure

```
debian-atomic/
├── variants/                    # Container image definitions
│   ├── base/                   # Minimal Debian base
│   ├── workstation/            # Desktop environment
│   ├── server/                 # Server tools
│   ├── testing/                # Testing/development tools
│   └── debian-bootc-base/     # OSTree-enabled base
├── treefiles/                  # Package group definitions
│   ├── common.yaml            # Common packages for all variants
│   ├── tasks.yaml             # Debian task definitions
│   └── *.yaml                 # Variant-specific packages
├── scripts/                    # Build and utility scripts
│   └── comps-sync.py         # Package synchronization
├── docs/                       # Documentation
│   ├── process-overview.md    # Technical manual
│   └── ostree-reference-investigation.md
├── reports/                    # Component status reports
├── justfile                    # Build system orchestration
└── README.md                   # This file
```

## 🔧 Build System

### Available Just Recipes

```bash
# Core build commands
just compose-{variant}          # Build specific variant
just build-all                  # Build all variants
just build-deploy {variant}     # Build and push to registry

# Utility commands
just status                     # Show build status
just clean                      # Remove all images
just sync-packages              # Sync package groups
just build-iso                  # Generate ISO (planned)
```

### Package Management

```bash
# Sync package groups from Debian tasks
just sync-packages

# This updates treefiles/*.yaml with current Debian package groups
# Based on Debian's official task definitions
```

## 📊 Current Status

### **✅ What's Working Today**

- **Build System**: All variants build successfully and push to registry
- **OSTree Foundation**: Basic OSTree tools and structure in `debian-bootc-base`
- **Container Images**: Pure Debian 13 (Trixie) base with no Fedora dependencies
- **Registry Integration**: Successfully pushing to Forgejo registry
- **Package Synchronization**: Automated sync with Debian task definitions

### **🔄 What's In Development**

- **apt-ostree**: Atomic package management (separate repository)
- **deb-bootc-image-builder**: Deployment workflow (separate repository)
- **deb-bootupd**: Bootloader updates (separate repository)
- **bootc**: Container deployment (separate repository)

### **❓ What's Planned Next**

- **Integration Testing**: Test core tools with our images
- **Deployment Workflow**: End-to-end atomic deployment
- **System Administration**: SSH, user management, networking
- **Performance Validation**: Boot time, memory usage, update speed

## 🛠️ Development Workflow

### **Phase 1: Foundation (✅ Complete)**
- Build system working
- Container images building
- Registry integration working
- OSTree tools installed

### **Phase 2: Core Tools (🔄 In Progress)**
- apt-ostree development
- deb-bootc-image-builder development
- deb-bootupd development
- bootc development

### **Phase 3: Integration (❓ Planned)**
- Tool integration testing
- Deployment workflow validation
- System administration tools
- Performance optimization

### **Phase 4: Production (❓ Future)**
- Production deployment testing
- Community documentation
- Performance benchmarking
- Security hardening

## 🔍 What We Don't Do

- **Fedora Dependencies**: We're building pure Debian, not Fedora-based
- **Traditional Package Management**: We're building atomic, not traditional
- **Application Containers**: We're building OS images, not app containers
- **Legacy Support**: We're building modern, not legacy-compatible

## 📚 Technical Details

### OSTree Repository Structure

Our `debian-bootc-base` variant includes:
- `/ostree/repo` with proper OSTree repository structure
- `debian-atomic/base` ref for bootc compatibility
- Bare repository mode for container images

### Container Build Process

1. **Base Image**: Start with `debian:trixie-slim`
2. **Package Installation**: Install OSTree tools and system packages
3. **OSTree Setup**: Initialize repository and create base commit
4. **Image Finalization**: Clean up and optimize for deployment

### Package Synchronization

We automatically sync with Debian's official task definitions:
- `debian-atomic-base`: Minimal system
- `debian-atomic-workstation`: Desktop environment
- `debian-atomic-server`: Server tools

## 📖 Documentation

- **[Technical Manual](docs/process-overview.md)**: Step-by-step build instructions
- **[OSTree Investigation](docs/ostree-reference-investigation.md)**: Technical findings
- **[Component Reports](reports/)**: Status reports for each component

## 🤝 Contributing

### **Current Development Focus**

1. **Core Tools**: Help develop apt-ostree, deb-bootc-image-builder, deb-bootupd, bootc
2. **Integration**: Test core tools with our container images
3. **Documentation**: Improve technical documentation and user guides
4. **Testing**: Validate build system and deployment workflows

### **How to Contribute**

1. **Fork the repository**
2. **Create a feature branch**
3. **Make your changes**
4. **Test thoroughly**
5. **Submit a pull request**

### **Development Guidelines**

- **Test on Debian 13+**: Ensure compatibility with target distributions
- **Follow Debian Standards**: Use Debian packaging and development practices
- **Document Changes**: Update relevant documentation and reports
- **Validate Builds**: Ensure all variants still build successfully

## 🙏 Acknowledgments

- **Debian Project**: For the rock-solid base system
- **OSTree Project**: For the immutable filesystem foundation
- **Fedora Project**: For inspiration and architectural guidance
- **Forgejo**: For hosting our development infrastructure

## 🔗 Related Projects

- **[apt-ostree](https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/apt-ostree)**: Atomic package management for Debian
- **[deb-bootc-image-builder](https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/deb-bootc-image-builder)**: Debian-native bootc image builder
- **[deb-bootupd](https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/deb-bootupd)**: Debian-native bootloader update daemon
- **[bootc](https://git.raines.xyz/particle-os/bootc)**: Debian-native bootable container deployment

## 📈 Roadmap

### **Q3 2025: Core Tools Development**
- Complete apt-ostree basic functionality
- Complete deb-bootc-image-builder core features
- Complete deb-bootupd basic functionality
- Complete bootc Debian compatibility

### **Q4 2025: Integration and Testing**
- Integrate core tools with container images
- Validate deployment workflows
- Performance testing and optimization
- Security hardening and validation

### **Q1 2026: Production Readiness**
- Production deployment testing
- Community documentation and guides
- Performance benchmarking
- Security audit and compliance

## 🎯 Bottom Line

**Debian Atomic today gives you a working, proven build system with the same architecture as Fedora Atomic. The core immutable OS foundation is solid and tested. What's missing is the atomic functionality - but that's being actively developed in parallel repositories.**

**You're getting a solid foundation that's ready for the next phase of development, with core tools actively being developed by the community. This is a realistic, honest assessment of where we are and where we're going.**