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Debian Atomic

🎯 Overview

Debian Atomic is a 1:1 parallel to Fedora Atomic for the Debian ecosystem. This project implements the exact same architecture, principles, and techniques that make Fedora Atomic successful, but adapted for Debian.

🏗️ Architecture

Fedora Atomic 1:1 Parallel

Debian Atomic mirrors Fedora Atomic's architecture exactly:

OSTree Integration: Same atomic update mechanism
Filesystem Restructuring: Unified /usr hierarchy implementation
Variant System: Inherit from base image (like Fedora variants)
Package Management: Debian-native with atomic operations
Boot Process: Same GRUB + systemd + initramfs approach
Container Support: Native OCI container format

Variant Equivalents

Debian Atomic	Fedora Atomic	Purpose
base	base-atomic	Foundation system
workstation	silverblue	GNOME desktop
kde	kinoite	KDE Plasma desktop
sway	sway-atomic	Sway/Wayland desktop
server	coreos	Server infrastructure

🚀 How It Works

1. Build Base Image

just compose-base

2. Build Variants

# Build all variants
just compose-variants

# Build specific variant
just compose-legacy variant=workstation
just compose-image variant=kde

3. Create Bootable Images

# Create bootable ISO
just build-iso variant=workstation output=/tmp/output

📁 Directory Structure

debian-atomic/
├── treefiles/              # YAML treefile definitions (Fedora pattern)
│   ├── common.yaml         # Common packages and configs
│   ├── base.yaml           # Base variant definition
│   ├── workstation.yaml    # GNOME desktop (Silverblue equivalent)
│   ├── kde.yaml            # KDE desktop (Kinoite equivalent)
│   ├── sway.yaml           # Sway desktop (Sway Atomic equivalent)
│   └── server.yaml         # Server (CoreOS equivalent)
├── variants/                # Containerfile-based builds
│   ├── base/               # Base OSTree system
│   ├── workstation/        # GNOME variant
│   ├── kde/                # KDE variant
│   ├── sway/               # Sway variant
│   └── server/             # Server variant
├── scripts/                 # Build and sync scripts
│   ├── comps-sync.py       # Debian package group sync
│   └── bootc-image-builder.sh # ISO creation
├── justfile                 # Fedora-style build recipes
└── README.md                # This file

🔧 Fedora Atomic Integration

1. Treefile System

Debian Atomic uses the exact same YAML treefile approach as Fedora:

# workstation.yaml (Silverblue equivalent)
include: common.yaml
ref: debian-atomic/workstation
packages:
  - gnome
  - gnome-shell
  - gnome-session
  # ... GNOME packages

2. Build System

The justfile provides Fedora-equivalent recipes:

compose-legacy: Classic OSTree commits (Fedora default)
compose-image: OCI container images (Fedora's new approach)
sync-comps: Debian package group sync (Fedora comps-sync equivalent)

3. Variant Inheritance

Variants inherit from base image, just like Fedora:

base → workstation (Silverblue equivalent)
base → kde (Kinoite equivalent)
base → sway (Sway Atomic equivalent)
base → server (CoreOS equivalent)

🎯 Benefits of Fedora Atomic 1:1 Parallel

1. Standards Compliance

Follows established immutable OS patterns
Same sophistication level as Fedora Atomic
Compatible with Fedora Atomic tooling

2. Developer Familiarity

Fedora Atomic developers can contribute easily
Same workflow and concepts
Familiar variant structure

3. Ecosystem Integration

Can leverage Fedora Atomic documentation
Compatible with existing tools and scripts
Same deployment and management patterns

4. Quality Assurance

Proven architecture from Fedora Atomic
Same testing methodologies
Established best practices

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

# Install just command runner
sudo apt install just

# Install container tools
sudo apt install podman buildah

Build System

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/debian-atomic/debian-atomic
cd debian-atomic

# Show available commands
just

# Build base image
just compose-base

# Build all variants
just compose-variants

# Build specific variant
just compose-legacy variant=workstation

# Create bootable ISO
just build-iso variant=workstation output=/tmp/output

Testing

# Test specific variant
just test-variant variant=kde

# Test all variants
just test-all-variants

# Show build status
just status

🔍 Comparison: Fedora Atomic vs Debian Atomic

Aspect	Fedora Atomic	Debian Atomic
Base System	Fedora + rpm-ostree	Debian + apt-ostree*
Package Manager	rpm-ostree	apt-ostree*
Architecture	OSTree + atomic layout	OSTree + atomic layout
Variant System	Inherit from base	Inherit from base
Build Process	Treefile + Pungi	Treefile + Container
Update Mechanism	OSTree commits	OSTree commits
Container Support	Native OCI	Native OCI

*Note: apt-ostree is being developed to provide Debian package management with atomic operations, similar to rpm-ostree.

🎉 Conclusion

Debian Atomic provides a 1:1 parallel to Fedora Atomic for the Debian ecosystem. By implementing the exact same architecture, principles, and techniques, we achieve:

Same sophistication level as Fedora Atomic
Debian-native foundation for familiar package ecosystem
Fedora Atomic compatibility for tooling and workflows
Professional-grade immutable OS for Debian users

This puts Debian users on equal footing with Fedora Atomic users, providing the same advanced features, reliability, and user experience in a Debian-native way.

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