7 KiB
apt-ostree Development Report
Project: Debian Atomic (Fedora Atomic 1:1 Parallel)
Report Date: 2025-08-17
Report Version: 1.0
Developer Contact: Debian Atomic Team
📋 Executive Summary
apt-ostree is a critical component for Debian Atomic, serving as the Debian equivalent of Fedora's rpm-ostree. The tool is currently in early development with a solid CLI foundation but limited backend implementation. This report documents the current status, testing results, and development priorities.
🔍 Current Status
Version Information
- Package:
apt-ostree_0.1.0+build88.a4a1873d_amd64.deb - Build: CI build 88 (latest stable)
- Source: Gitea Actions CI at
git.raines.xyz/particle-os/apt-ostree - License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Installation Status
- ✅ Successfully installed on Debian 13 (Trixie) systems
- ✅ Dependencies resolved automatically (ostree, systemd)
- ✅ Configuration files created automatically
- ✅ System integration working properly
🧪 Testing Results
CLI Interface Testing
- ✅ Help System:
apt-ostree --helpdisplays comprehensive command list - ✅ Version Info:
apt-ostree --versionshows proper version and license - ✅ Command Structure: 25+ commands documented with professional help system
- ✅ Error Handling: Graceful handling of missing commands
Command Implementation Status
✅ Fully Implemented Commands
--help- Complete help system--version- Version informationhelp- Subcommand help (alternative to --help)
❌ Stubbed Commands (Return "Not yet implemented")
status- System statusinstall- Package installationupgrade- System upgraderollback- System rollbacksearch- Package searchdb- Database queriescompose- Tree compositiondeploy- Deployment managementrebase- Tree switchingkargs- Kernel argumentsoverride- Package overridesreset- System resetcleanup- Cache cleanupcancel- Transaction cancellationapply-live- Live deploymentfinalize-deployment- Deployment finalizationinitramfs- Initramfs managementinitramfs-etc- Initramfs file additionuninstall- Package removalusroverlay- Transient overlayfsrefresh-md- Metadata refreshreload- Configuration reload
Integration Testing
- ✅ OSTree Detection: Automatically detects OSTree availability
- ✅ Repository Detection: Identifies OSTree repository status
- ✅ Configuration: Creates default config files automatically
- ✅ Log Rotation: Sets up proper log rotation configuration
🚧 Issues Found
1. Command Implementation Gap
Severity: Medium
Description: Most commands return "Not yet implemented"
Impact: CLI is complete but backend functionality is missing
Status: Expected for development version
2. Package Search Functionality
Severity: Low
Description: search command exists but doesn't actually search packages
Impact: Users can't find available packages
Status: Needs backend implementation
3. System Status Reporting
Severity: Medium
Description: status command doesn't provide system information
Impact: Users can't determine current system state
Status: Critical for basic functionality
🎯 Development Priorities
Phase 1: Core Functionality (High Priority)
-
Implement
statuscommand- Show current deployment information
- Display OSTree repository status
- Report system mutations
-
Implement
searchcommand- Search available packages
- Filter by package name/description
- Show package metadata
-
Implement
installcommand- Basic package installation
- Dependency resolution
- Transaction management
Phase 2: System Management (Medium Priority)
-
Implement
upgradecommand- System upgrade functionality
- Rollback capability
- Update verification
-
Implement
rollbackcommand- Previous deployment restoration
- Rollback verification
- Boot management
-
Implement
dbcommands- Package database queries
- Repository information
- Metadata access
Phase 3: Advanced Features (Low Priority)
-
Implement
composecommands- Tree composition
- Package group management
- Custom tree creation
-
Implement
kargscommands- Kernel argument management
- Boot parameter modification
- Persistent changes
🔧 Technical Recommendations
1. Backend Architecture
- Implement proper transaction management system
- Add package dependency resolution engine
- Create OSTree integration layer
- Implement rollback and recovery mechanisms
2. Error Handling
- Add comprehensive error messages
- Implement proper exit codes
- Add logging and debugging capabilities
- Create user-friendly error reporting
3. Testing Infrastructure
- Add unit tests for each command
- Implement integration tests
- Create automated testing framework
- Add performance benchmarking
4. Documentation
- Add man pages for each command
- Create user guide with examples
- Document configuration options
- Add troubleshooting guide
📊 Performance Metrics
Current Performance
- Startup Time: < 100ms
- Help Display: < 50ms
- Version Display: < 50ms
- Memory Usage: Minimal (basic CLI)
Target Performance
- Package Search: < 500ms
- Installation: < 5s for small packages
- System Upgrade: < 30s
- Status Check: < 200ms
🔗 Integration Points
OSTree Integration
- Repository management
- Commit handling
- Deployment management
- Rollback support
APT Integration
- Package database access
- Dependency resolution
- Repository management
- Package metadata
System Integration
- systemd service management
- Bootloader integration
- User management
- Security policies
📝 Testing Notes
Test Environment
- OS: Debian 13 (Trixie) Stable
- Architecture: amd64
- VM: QEMU with 20GB disk, 4GB RAM
- Container: Podman runtime
Test Methodology
- Manual command testing
- CLI interface validation
- Integration testing with OSTree
- Error condition testing
🎉 Success Criteria
Short Term (1-2 months)
statuscommand fully functionalsearchcommand workinginstallcommand basic functionality- Error handling improved
Medium Term (3-6 months)
- All core commands implemented
- Full OSTree integration
- APT package management
- Rollback functionality
Long Term (6+ months)
- Performance optimization
- Advanced features complete
- Production deployment ready
- Full Fedora Atomic parity
📞 Contact Information
Project: Debian Atomic
Repository: git.raines.xyz/particle-os/debian-atomic
Issues: Use Gitea issue tracker
Documentation: See project README.md
Report Generated: 2025-08-17
Next Review: 2025-09-17
Status: Development in Progress