bb031ca92f
Bookworm became oldstable in July 2026 (standard support ended 2026-07-11). A new distro should be built on the current stable, which is now Trixie (13.6): newer kernel (6.12 LTS vs 6.1, whose LTS ends Dec 2026), newer systemd/containers/toolchains, KDE 6 for the workstation edition, and a year of stability behind it (full support until 2028-08-09). - versions.mk / common.sh: DEBIAN_SUITE bookworm -> trixie, kernel 6.1 -> 6.12 - package list header comments: bookworm -> trixie - GitLab CI: debian:bookworm -> debian:trixie build images - docs (architecture, building): base references updated All packages used across the three editions exist in Trixie unchanged.
86 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
86 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
# Arcline OS — architecture
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This is the foundation ("the wires") for Arcline OS: a hardened, Debian-derived
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operating system for people who run infrastructure. The landing page describes
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the product; this repository is how it gets built.
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## Design goals
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1. **Secure by default** — hardened kernel, default-deny firewall, AppArmor,
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locked-down ssh. You opt *in* to exposure, never out.
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2. **Zero telemetry** — no phone-home, no analytics, no cloud integration.
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3. **btrfs-native** — snapshots and boot-to-snapshot rollback are built in.
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4. **Production-ready from first boot** — observability pre-configured, tools
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pre-installed, everything documented.
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5. **Auditable** — every script and config is plain text in this repo.
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## How a build flows
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```mermaid
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flowchart LR
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A[editions/* metadata] --> B[debootstrap<br/>Debian trixie]
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B --> C[install edition<br/>packages.list]
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C --> D[apply overlays<br/>base + edition]
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D --> E[configure-system.sh<br/>in chroot]
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E --> F[rootfs .tar.xz]
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F --> G[grub-mkrescue + squashfs<br/>→ live ISO]
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E -.toolchain .debs.-> C
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```
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Pipeline stages live in `scripts/`:
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| Stage | Script | What it does |
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|-------|--------|--------------|
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| bootstrap | `build-rootfs.sh` | debootstrap minbase, apt sources, package install |
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| overlay | `apply-overlays.sh` | copies `overlays/base` + `overlays/<edition>` into the rootfs |
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| configure | `configure-system.sh` | runs *in the chroot*: hostname, locale, kernel cmdline, services, live-boot, toolchain |
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| package | `build-iso.sh` | kernel + initramfs + squashfs → hybrid BIOS/UEFI ISO |
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| image | `build-image.sh` | rootfs → bootable qcow2/raw disk image (via `deploy-disk.sh`) |
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| deploy | `deploy-disk.sh` | partition → btrfs layout → copy rootfs → GRUB + fstab (shared by image + installer) |
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| install | `install.sh` | scripted installer for a real disk (confirmation-gated) |
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| orchestrate | `build-edition.sh` / `Makefile` | wire the above to `make iso-<edition>` |
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## The source trees
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| Path | Role |
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|------|------|
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| `editions/` | per-edition **manifests**: package lists, kernel cmdline, fstab, metadata |
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| `overlays/` | **files that land in the image**, organised as layered rootfs trees |
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| `scripts/` | the **build pipeline** (all plain bash, readable top to bottom) |
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| `btrfs/`, `toolchain/`, `tests/`, `ci/` | supporting subsystems |
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| `scripts/secureboot/` | MOK key generation + boot-chain signing (optional) |
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There is no hidden magic: the Makefile is a thin wrapper, `versions.mk` /
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`scripts/common.sh` hold the single source of truth for versions and paths.
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## Zero telemetry, enforced
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- No distro telemetry packages are installed (`ubuntu-report`,
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`popularity-contest`, snapd are never in a package list).
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- apt automatic-update timers are **masked** in every edition's metadata.
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- The firewall's output chain never initiates calls on its own.
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- cloud-init is pointed only at the configured cloud datasource.
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- The smoke tests (`tests/smoke/verify-rootfs.sh`) fail the build if telemetry
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artifacts are found.
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## What "the wires" now covers
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The four original follow-up items are implemented:
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1. **Disk images** — `make image-<edition>` produces bootable qcow2/raw images;
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the cloud edition ships as a qcow2 by default.
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2. **Installer** — `scripts/install.sh <device>` installs to a real disk
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(explicit confirmation, reuses the deploy module).
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3. **Grafana/Loki/Promtail `.debs`** — `make vendor` packages them so the full
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observability stack installs without upstream repos.
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4. **Secure boot** — MOK-based signing (`scripts/secureboot/`), off by
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default, enabled with `ARCLINE_SIGN=1`.
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## Still on the horizon
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- A signed Microsoft-KEK boot chain (only relevant for commercial
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distribution; the MOK path covers self-hosted use).
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- ARM64 (`arm64`) as a first-class arch (one-line change in `versions.mk`).
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- Boot-time verification tests for installed systems (the smoke tests cover
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the image contents, not a booted VM yet).
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