# Arcline OS — architecture

This is the foundation ("the wires") for Arcline OS: a hardened, Debian-derived
operating system for people who run infrastructure. The landing page describes
the product; this repository is how it gets built.

## Design goals

1. **Secure by default** — hardened kernel, default-deny firewall, AppArmor,
   locked-down ssh. You opt *in* to exposure, never out.
2. **Zero telemetry** — no phone-home, no analytics, no cloud integration.
3. **btrfs-native** — snapshots and boot-to-snapshot rollback are built in.
4. **Production-ready from first boot** — observability pre-configured, tools
   pre-installed, everything documented.
5. **Auditable** — every script and config is plain text in this repo.

## How a build flows

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    A[editions/* metadata] --> B[debootstrap<br/>Debian trixie]
    B --> C[install edition<br/>packages.list]
    C --> D[apply overlays<br/>base + edition]
    D --> E[configure-system.sh<br/>in chroot]
    E --> F[rootfs .tar.xz]
    F --> G[grub-mkrescue + squashfs<br/>→ live ISO]
    E -.toolchain .debs.-> C
```

Pipeline stages live in `scripts/`:

| Stage | Script | What it does |
|-------|--------|--------------|
| bootstrap | `build-rootfs.sh` | debootstrap minbase, apt sources, package install |
| overlay | `apply-overlays.sh` | copies `overlays/base` + `overlays/<edition>` into the rootfs |
| configure | `configure-system.sh` | runs *in the chroot*: hostname, locale, kernel cmdline, services, toolchain |
| live | `build-live.sh` | clone clean rootfs → live session (live-boot + X + graphical installer) |
| package | `build-iso.sh` | live rootfs → hybrid BIOS/UEFI ISO, plus the clean install archive |
| image | `build-image.sh` | rootfs → bootable qcow2/raw disk image (via `deploy-disk.sh`) |
| deploy | `deploy-disk.sh` | partition → btrfs layout → copy rootfs → GRUB + fstab (shared by image + installer) |
| install | `install.sh` | scripted installer for a real disk (confirmation-gated) |
| GUI install | `installer/arcline-installer` | GTK frontend booted by the live ISO (drives `deploy-disk.sh`) |
| orchestrate | `build-edition.sh` / `Makefile` | wire the above to `make iso-<edition>` |

## The source trees

| Path | Role |
|------|------|
| `editions/` | per-edition **manifests**: package lists, kernel cmdline, fstab, metadata |
| `overlays/` | **files that land in the image**, organised as layered rootfs trees |
| `scripts/` | the **build pipeline** (all plain bash, readable top to bottom) |
| `btrfs/`, `toolchain/`, `tests/`, `ci/` | supporting subsystems |
| `scripts/secureboot/` | MOK key generation + boot-chain signing (optional) |

There is no hidden magic: the Makefile is a thin wrapper, `versions.mk` /
`scripts/common.sh` hold the single source of truth for versions and paths.

## Zero telemetry, enforced

- No distro telemetry packages are installed (`ubuntu-report`,
  `popularity-contest`, snapd are never in a package list).
- apt automatic-update timers are **masked** in every edition's metadata.
- The firewall's output chain never initiates calls on its own.
- cloud-init is pointed only at the configured cloud datasource.
- The smoke tests (`tests/smoke/verify-rootfs.sh`) fail the build if telemetry
  artifacts are found.

## What "the wires" now covers

The four original follow-up items are implemented:

1. **Disk images** — `make image-<edition>` produces bootable qcow2/raw images;
   the cloud edition ships as a qcow2 by default.
2. **Installer** — `scripts/install.sh <device>` installs to a real disk
   (explicit confirmation, reuses the deploy module).
3. **Grafana/Loki/Promtail `.debs`** — `make vendor` packages them so the full
   observability stack installs without upstream repos.
4. **Secure boot** — MOK-based signing (`scripts/secureboot/`), off by
   default, enabled with `ARCLINE_SIGN=1`.
5. **Graphical installer** — the live ISO now boots straight into a GTK
   installer (`installer/arcline-installer`) that drives `deploy-disk.sh`,
   instead of dropping to a tty.

## Still on the horizon

- A signed Microsoft-KEK boot chain (only relevant for commercial
  distribution; the MOK path covers self-hosted use).
- ARM64 (`arm64`) as a first-class arch (one-line change in `versions.mk`).
- Boot-time verification tests for installed systems (the smoke tests cover
  the image contents, not a booted VM yet).