[HN Gopher] Vanilla Handbook
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Vanilla Handbook
Author : doener
Score : 32 points
Date : 2023-03-14 20:25 UTC (2 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (handbook.vanillaos.org)
(TXT) w3m dump (handbook.vanillaos.org)
| yumraj wrote:
| Can someone ELI5 what exactly is immutable in an OS?
|
| Are all applications run as sandboxed containers or something?
|
| If so, do they natively support switching between multiple
| versions of, say python?
|
| _In-line Edit:_ if they do, awesome, how about drivers and say
| CUDA?
|
| More importantly, does it break the usual install scripts of
| packages and require special handling OR do things just work?
| behnamoh wrote:
| My understanding is that the core apps and functionalities are
| immutable, but you can install apps on top of that rock solid
| core. In theory, I don't think containerization is necessary to
| have an immutable OS.
| youainti wrote:
| > Can someone ELI5 what exactly is immutable in an OS?
|
| I'll do my best. An immutable OS has a set of core features
| which are updated with a way to roll-back if the update fails.
| The idea is that the core doesn't generally get touched by
| users or even the administrators. All user or server software
| will be installed in some sort of container.
|
| > Are all applications run as sandboxed containers or
| something?
|
| Yes, for some definition of container. For example, Fedora
| Silverblue uses podman to install OCI containers for server
| work, toolbx (a wrapper around podman) to setup CLI tools with
| access to the home dir, and use flatpak for GUI applications.
|
| > If so, do they natively support switching between multiple
| versions of, say python?
|
| My understanding is that you can write your own bash aliases to
| do that.
|
| > In-line Edit: if they do, awesome, how about drivers and say
| CUDA?
|
| Typically your drivers are going to be managed by the "core" of
| the OS so you won't be swapping those out.
|
| > More importantly, does it break the usual install scripts of
| packages and require special handling OR do things just work?
|
| My understand is this depends on how you set things up. - If
| you add something to the immutable core, it will come from a
| package manager. - If you install a cli application in a
| container it will not update itself. - Flatpak will provide
| updates. - full on containers such as podman/docker do their
| own thing.
| [deleted]
| INTPenis wrote:
| So this is Ubuntu's response to Fedora Silverblue then, but
| without ostree according to the FAQ.
|
| I love that this trend is catching on because I'm a fairly recent
| convert to Silverblue and I think all distros should do this.
| dysoco wrote:
| Actually from what I've read the other day (I had no prior
| knowledge of VanillaOS) they are switching base to Debian Sid:
| https://www.phoronix.com/news/Vanilla-OS-2.0-Debian
| orblivion wrote:
| IIRC the reason I most recently chose Ubuntu again instead of
| switching to Debian on one of my laptops is that it would
| more likely have all of the hardware covered easily. I wonder
| if Vanilla plans to move over Ubuntu's selection of drivers.
| p4bl0 wrote:
| I wanted to see what exactly is this project. There is no way to
| go back to vanillaos.org from handbook.vanillaos.org without
| manually editing the URL bar, at least on mobile. This is _so_
| frustrating.
| petercooper wrote:
| For the benefit of anyone else who did this too:
|
| Vanilla OS is an immutable and atomic Ubuntu Linux-based Point
| Release distribution, that receives updates at the right time,
| neither before nor after, without sacrificing security and
| functionality.
| yeahdef wrote:
| hey - you figured it out!
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(page generated 2023-03-14 23:02 UTC)