Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment

#1

Post by mrtedbear » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 2:55 AM UTC

Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment
a-cup-of.coffee

Re: Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment

#2

Post by Borealid » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 5:25 AM UTC

I like the idea of using the same format for kernel-included VMs as I use for containers.

Next up, backups stored as layers in the same OCI registries.

I am not, however, sure ostree is going to be the final image format. Last time I looked work was in progress to replace that.

Re: Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment

#3

Post by mroche » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 6:35 AM UTC

Borealid wrote: post #2

I like the idea of using the same format for kernel-included VMs as I use for containers. Next up, backups stored as layers in the same OCI registries. I am not, however, sure ostree is going to be the final image format. Last time I looked work was in progress to replace that.

It is not, the future is currently pointing to composefs:

https://github.com/bootc-dev/bootc/issues/1190

There's a GitHub org that builds bootc-ready images for non-Red Hat family distributions using this backend.

https://github.com/bootcrew

Re: Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment

#4

Post by selfhosting_sh » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:51 AM UTC

[flagged]

Re: Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment

#5

Post by pojntfx » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 8:48 AM UTC

bootc and OSTree are both very neat, but the leading edge of immutable Linux distros (GNOME OS, KDE Linux) is currently converging on a different proposal by systemd developers that's standardized by the UAPI Group (https://uapi-group.org/specifications/). It fixes quite a few of the complexities with OSTree (updates are handled by `systemd-sysupdate`/`updatectl` and are just files served via HTTP) and is quite a bit easier to extend with things like an immutable version of the Nvidia drivers or codecs thanks to system extensions handled by `systemd-sysext` (which in turn are just simple squashfs files overlayed over `/usr`) and configuration via `systemd-confext`. `mkosi`, also by systemd, is quickly becoming _the_ way to build custom images too, and is somewhat tied to these new standards.

Re: Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment

#6

Post by smashed » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 8:57 AM UTC

pojntfx wrote: post #5

bootc and OSTree are both very neat, but the leading edge of immutable Linux distros (GNOME OS, KDE Linux) is currently converging on a different proposal by systemd developers that's standardized by the UAPI Group ( https://uapi-group.org/specifications/ ). It fixes quite a few of the complexities with OSTree (updates are handled by `systemd-sysupdate`/`updatectl` and are just files served via HTTP) and is quite a b…

> the bleeding edge of immutable Linux distros (GNOME OS, KDE Linux)

These are words but they don't make sense.

Re: Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment

#7

Post by znpy » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 9:02 AM UTC

pojntfx wrote: post #5

bootc and OSTree are both very neat, but the leading edge of immutable Linux distros (GNOME OS, KDE Linux) is currently converging on a different proposal by systemd developers that's standardized by the UAPI Group ( https://uapi-group.org/specifications/ ). It fixes quite a few of the complexities with OSTree (updates are handled by `systemd-sysupdate`/`updatectl` and are just files served via HTTP) and is quite a b…

From https://uapi-group.org/ :

> Contributing members include people from Ubuntu Core, Debian, GNOME OS, Fedora CoreOS, Endless OS, Arch Linux, SUSE, Flatcar, systemd, image-builder/osbuild, mkosi, tpm2-software, System Transparency, buildstream, BTRFS, bootc, composefs, (rpm-)ostree, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta.

Note systemd, (rpm-)ostree and bootc.

My understanding is that uapi is another initiative but not completely separated from bootc and ostree. Maybe complementary.

Re: Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment

#8

Post by rurban » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 9:24 AM UTC

pojntfx wrote: post #5

bootc and OSTree are both very neat, but the leading edge of immutable Linux distros (GNOME OS, KDE Linux) is currently converging on a different proposal by systemd developers that's standardized by the UAPI Group ( https://uapi-group.org/specifications/ ). It fixes quite a few of the complexities with OSTree (updates are handled by `systemd-sysupdate`/`updatectl` and are just files served via HTTP) and is quite a b…

Typo: (CoreOS and Fedora Silverblue) are the bleeding edge of immutable distros. Those mentioned are just users.

Re: Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment

#9

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 9:35 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Bootc and OSTree: Modernizing Linux System Deployment

#10

Post by n42 » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 9:37 AM UTC

smashed wrote: post #6

pojntfx wrote: post #5

bootc and OSTree are both very neat, but the leading edge of immutable Linux distros (GNOME OS, KDE Linux) is currently converging on a different proposal by systemd developers that's standardized by the UAPI Group ( https://uapi-group.org/specifications/ ). It fixes quite a few of the complexities with OSTree (updates are handled by `systemd-sysupdate`/`updatectl` and are just files served via HTTP) and is quite a b…

> the bleeding edge of immutable Linux distros (GNOME OS, KDE Linux) These are words but they don't make sense.

"some of the newer ideas happening in this space are in the GNOME OS project and the KDE Linux project"