f9fb8d3bd0
- Fixed sfdisk PATH issue in Containerfile.base (sfdisk is in /usr/sbin) - Updated Containerfile.minimal to use full path for grub-install - Enhanced test-bootc-deployment.sh to properly check utility locations - Added comprehensive section about related projects (apt-ostree, deb-bootupd, debian-bootc-corrected) - Updated validation script to handle Debian-specific utility locations - Improved error messages with specific solutions for PATH and utility issues This addresses the critical requirements from scope.md regarding disk utilities and PATH environment variables for bootc deployment.
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6.9 KiB
Markdown
108 lines
No EOL
6.9 KiB
Markdown
# Fedora Atomic and ublue-os Terminology
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This document clarifies the key terms and the relationships between them in the Fedora and ublue-os ecosystem.
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## What is ublue-os?
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**ublue-os** (Universal Blue) is not a traditional Linux distribution. It's a "manufacturing process" that builds and maintains immutable operating system images based on Fedora Atomic Desktops. It uses cloud-native tools and principles, like containerization and GitOps, to provide a stable, continuously delivered, and community-driven desktop experience. The images are built from standard OCI-compliant container images, which allows for fast, reliable updates and easy rollbacks.
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## Fedora Atomic Desktops
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### What they are
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A family of operating systems, including **Fedora Silverblue** and **Fedora Kinoite**, that use `rpm-ostree` technology. They are often referred to as "immutable" because the core operating system is a read-only, atomic deployment. Though commonly called "immutable," these systems more precisely feature an immutable base OS layer while allowing user modifications in specific areas.
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### Purpose
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These are designed for desktop and workstation use, providing a stable, reliable, and predictable foundation for users who want to run containerized applications with tools like:
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- **Podman**
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- **Toolbox**
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- **Distrobox**
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They also include a graphical desktop environment and use **Flatpak** as a key technology for application delivery.
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### Connection to ublue-os
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**ublue-os does not build the Fedora Atomic project itself.** Instead, it uses the official Fedora Atomic Desktop base images as a foundation and builds custom images on top of that stable, immutable base. Think of it like this:
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- **Fedora Atomic Desktop** is the foundation or "chassis" - it provides the core operating system, the `rpm-ostree` technology, and the stability
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- **ublue-os** is the "car manufacturer" that takes this chassis and builds complete, customized vehicles
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ublue-os then builds a variety of custom images on top of them, adding pre-configured software, drivers, and tweaks to create specialized desktop environments for different use cases:
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- **Bazzite** - Gaming-focused
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- **Aurora** - General purpose
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- **Bluefin** - Developer-focused
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## Fedora CoreOS
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### What it is
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A minimal, automatically-updating operating system specifically for running containerized workloads securely and at scale. It is the successor to both the **Fedora Atomic Host** and **CoreOS Container Linux**, with development of those two projects merging to create a unified offering.
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### Purpose
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Fedora CoreOS is **not designed for a desktop environment**. Its primary use is for:
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- Servers
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- Cloud deployments
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- Container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes
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Its entire life cycle is managed with a declarative approach.
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### Key Features
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- Uses `rpm-ostree` for atomic updates
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- Update strategy handled by the **Zincati** agent, which implements a phased rollout system
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- Initial provisioning and configuration handled by **Ignition**, a tool that takes a declarative configuration file and applies it on the first boot
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### Connection to ublue-os
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The ublue-os project has a custom image called **ucore**. This image is a "batteries included" version of Fedora CoreOS that adds useful tools like:
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- **Cockpit**
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- **Tailscale**
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- Optional **NVIDIA driver** support
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## Core Technologies
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### rpm-ostree
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This is the hybrid image/package system at the core of Fedora Atomic Desktops. It combines `libostree` for managing the immutable filesystem and `RPM` for package management. It allows for the base operating system to be composed on a server (like a container image) and then replicated on the client. It also provides a way to "layer" additional RPM packages on top of the immutable base, which can be reverted with a single command.
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### bootc (Bootable Containers)
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`bootc` is a command-line tool that enables the use of OCI/Docker container images as bootable operating systems. It allows the entire OS, including the kernel and drivers, to be packaged and managed like a container. **ublue-os is a major adopter of this technology**, using it to deliver its images to users. This simplifies the build and deployment process, making it consistent with modern cloud-native workflows.
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### bootc-image-builder
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This is a containerized tool used to create disk images from a `bootc` container image. It's used in the build process to take a bootable container image and turn it into a format that can be installed on a physical or virtual machine, such as a QCOW2 or ISO file.
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### bootupd
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`bootupd` is a tool for updating bootloaders in a consistent, distribution-independent manner. It is used in **ublue-os** and other `rpm-ostree` and `bootc`-based systems to manage updates to the bootloader components (like GRUB and shim for UEFI firmware), ensuring they are handled safely and reliably.
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## ublue-os Image Variants
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### Aurora
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Aurora is a specific **ublue-os** image described as a "delightful KDE desktop experience." It is built on top of the **ublue-os** core and features a lightly customized KDE Plasma desktop. It's designed for general users and aims to provide a maintenance-free, stable, and user-friendly experience.
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### Bazzite
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Bazzite is another **ublue-os** image, specifically a "next generation of Linux gaming" desktop. It's also built on a Fedora Atomic Desktop base but is heavily customized with gaming-focused features, including:
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- Pre-installed Steam and Lutris
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- Enhanced hardware support (including for handhelds)
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- Pre-installed Nvidia drivers
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The name **Bazzite** comes from the character Bazz-i-te in the game Dungeons & Dragons.
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### Bluefin
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Bluefin is a developer-focused **ublue-os** image, optimized for software development workflows and tools.
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## Shared Technologies
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### OCI Images
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ublue-os distributes all its variants as OCI container images that can be rebased to using `rpm-ostree`.
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## System Architecture Relationship
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The relationship between these pieces is as follows:
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1. **Fedora Atomic** provides the base immutable system
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2. **rpm-ostree** is the core technology that manages this immutable system and its transactional updates
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3. **bootc** is a more modern approach to this, treating the entire OS as a container image
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4. **ublue-os** is the project that uses these underlying technologies (`rpm-ostree`, and increasingly `bootc`) to build and distribute its own customized images
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5. **Aurora**, **Bazzite**, and **Bluefin** are examples of end-user images produced by the **ublue-os** project, each with a different focus
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6. **bootc-image-builder** and **bootupd** are tools that are part of the larger ecosystem, used to build and maintain these images and their bootloaders
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## Summary
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**In a nutshell:**
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- **Fedora Atomic Desktops** are the base for ublue-os's custom desktop images
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- **Fedora CoreOS** is the base for ublue-os's custom server images, such as ucore
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- **ublue-os** is the manufacturing process that creates specialized variants
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- **bootc** is the modern container-based approach that ublue-os increasingly adopts |