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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Anyone made a DIY immutable distro? (lemmy.zip)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

12 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I know you can build a Debian system with debootstrap. Using debootstrap it should be possible to create a custom image. The main partition could be read only with separate mounts for anything that need to be read write.

Using containers it should be possible to create a filesystem image. I think the tricky part it testing the image and then updating the existing partition. Maybe some custom ostree tool could do the trick. If not there is always rsync and btrfs snapshots.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Does it have to be Debian based? Otherwise uBlue is a great project!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago

I'm using NixOS, it's really freaking awesome and super repeatable but it's also like smashing myself in the face with a brick every time I want to do something slightly unusual.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

uBlue is good, but only if you follow the official templates. I was following some other thing which did things very differently and my custom iso ended up broken i.e Anaconda was crashing and installation was impossible.

Edit: the thing is called Bluebuild. I'd recommend to steer clear of Bluebuild and just using the official template on Github. I'm still yet to do that myself but it seems like it might actually work, unlike Bluebuild.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I use Silverblue on my main machine. I want something lightweight for my other machine.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Well, uBlue can be as light as you want it to be.

Some other projects I'm thinking of:

VanillaOS (Debian based)
NixOS
Fedora CoreOS
uCore (based on CoreOS)
openSUSE MicroOS
EndlessOS (Debian based)
blendOS

Is it for a personal computer or a server?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Obviously, lightweight is open to some interpretation but Silverblue can be made very lightweight by simply uninstalling the default flatpaks. You'll be left with a very basic GNOME shell and greeter, without any of the common GNOME extras. From there you could easily install your own window manager, greeter, and whatever apps you need.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

mount -o remount,ro /

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Also, not Debian, but https://github.com/cleanroom-team/cleanroom is very a DIY unusable system. I didn't build (most) off it, but I use it on my daily driver and a couple of other machines.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

unusable

I hope that's autocorrect?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's like a whole nother level of immutable.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Can't break it if you can't use it!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I use unusable Linux btw.