Tool Comparison: uBlue-OS vs Particle-OS

This document provides a comparison of the core tools used in uBlue-OS and their equivalents in Particle-OS.

Core System Tools

uBlue-OS Tool	Particle-OS Equivalent	Description
rpm-ostree	apt-layer	Package management and atomic system updates. rpm-ostree handles RPM packages on Fedora, while apt-layer manages DEB packages on Ubuntu with atomic transactions and rollback capabilities.
bootc	bootc-alternative	Container-native bootable image management. Handles deployment, staging, rollback, and status reporting for immutable OS images. Particle-OS version includes Bazzite-style status output and deployment tracking.
bootupd	bootupd-alternative	Bootloader management and configuration. Manages UEFI/GRUB entries, kernel arguments, and boot configuration for atomic OS deployments.
skopeo	skopeo	Container image inspection, copying, and verification. Essential for secure image management, signature verification, and registry operations. Used by both systems for image handling.

Particle-OS Tool	Description
particle-config.sh	Centralized configuration management for Particle-OS. Manages paths, settings, and system configuration across all Particle-OS tools.
particle-logrotate.sh	Log rotation and management for Particle-OS tools. Ensures proper log file maintenance and prevents disk space issues.
dracut-module.sh	Dracut module management for kernel initramfs generation. Handles custom kernel modules and boot-time initialization for Particle-OS.
Official ComposeFS Tools	ARCHIVED: composefs-alternative.sh moved to archive. Particle-OS now uses official `mkcomposefs` and `mount.composefs` from upstream with automatic backend selection and fallback support.
install-particle-os.sh	Professional installation script for Particle-OS tools. Installs all core tools to `/usr/local/bin/` with standardized names and proper permissions.
install-ubuntu-particle.sh	Complete Ubuntu Particle-OS system installation. Installs dependencies, creates directory structure, sets up systemd services, and configures the full immutable system environment.
oci-integration.sh	OCI (Open Container Initiative) integration utilities. Particle-OS-specific wrapper that uses skopeo under the hood for registry operations, image pulling, and OCI compliance. Provides higher-level automation and workflow integration for Particle-OS tools.

Ubuntu Tool	Particle-OS Integration	Description
erofs-utils	EROFS Backend for ComposeFS	Enhanced Read-Only File System utilities. Provides better performance than SquashFS for metadata operations, native fs-verity support, and LZ4/Zstandard compression. Integrates with composefs-alternative for official ComposeFS compatibility.
erofsfuse	FUSE Mount Support	FUSE Mount Utility for EROFS File System. Enables user-space mounting of EROFS filesystems, useful for rootless operations and enhanced security.
overlayroot	Boot-time Immutability	Native Ubuntu tool for read-only root filesystem with overlayfs. Provides system immutability, boot-time protection, and easy rollback capabilities. Integrates with dracut-module for enhanced boot-time security.
fuse-overlayfs	Rootless Container Support	Implementation of overlay+shiftfs in FUSE for rootless containers. Enables container operations without root privileges, enhancing security for container-based workflows.
golang-github-bep-overlayfs-dev	Go Library Integration	Composite Afero filesystem Go library. Provides programmatic access to overlayfs functionality for Go-based tools and services in the Particle-OS ecosystem.

Performance: EROFS is optimized for read-only metadata operations, providing better performance than SquashFS
Compression: Native support for LZ4 and Zstandard compression algorithms
Security: Built-in fs-verity support for filesystem integrity verification
Standards Compliance: Aligns with official ComposeFS implementation using EROFS for metadata trees
Fallback Support: Graceful fallback to SquashFS when EROFS is not available

System Immutability: Provides read-only root filesystem with writable overlay
Boot-time Protection: Protects system from modifications during runtime
Easy Rollback: Simple way to discard changes and return to clean state
Ubuntu Integration: Native Ubuntu tool with excellent system integration
dracut-module Enhancement: Can replace or enhance current dracut-module approach

Rootless Operations: Enable container and filesystem operations without root privileges
Enhanced Security: User-space implementations provide additional security layers
Flexibility: Support for various filesystem types and overlay configurations
Container Integration: Better integration with modern container workflows

Skopeo is a shared dependency used by both uBlue-OS and Particle-OS for container image operations
Official ComposeFS Tools: Particle-OS now uses official mkcomposefs and mount.composefs from upstream. The alternative implementation has been archived.
EROFS integration provides a path to official ComposeFS compatibility while maintaining Particle-OS enhancements
Overlayroot offers a simpler alternative to complex dracut-module implementations for boot-time immutability
FUSE-based tools enable enhanced security and rootless operations
Particle-OS tools maintain compatibility with uBlue-OS workflows while adding Ubuntu-specific features and optimizations
All Particle-OS tools include comprehensive error handling, logging, and user-friendly interfaces
Ubuntu ecosystem integration leverages native Ubuntu tools for better performance and compatibility