initial commit
This commit is contained in:
fox
commit
ee0f662481
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The MIT License (MIT)
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Copyright 2020 "yafox"
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Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of
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this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in
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the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to
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use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of
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the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so,
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subject to the following conditions:
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The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
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copies or substantial portions of the Software.
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THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
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IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS
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FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR
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COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER
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IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN
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CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
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lix-os
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======
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a linux distribution for people who like to breathe manually.
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this repository contains documentation and helper scripts only. a working linux
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distribution with overlayfs support (preferably alpine linux) and an internet
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connection are required to bootstrap lix os. no images or binaries supplied.
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## about
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lix os uses the lix package manager to construct a musl-based linux distribution
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from source code. it is entirely composed of simple, short-as-possible,
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POSIX-compliant shell scripts. packages are built in chroots constructed from
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package directories stacked on top of each other using overlayfs. only
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dependencies explicitly listed in a package's 'deps' file are accessible during
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the package's build process. there is no concept of "indirect dependencies."
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packages are made available to the user by soft-linking package directory
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contents into the system root. packages can be added to or removed from the
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system root without uninstalling the packages entirely.
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lix os is the work of a single maintainer and follows the same "use fewer
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packages" ethos that kiss linux does. it also tries to use the smallest
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packages possible in order to create a more readily audited codebase. some
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exceptions are made in the name of usefulness and self-hosting. generally,
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suckless utilities are preferred to bsd utilities, and bsd utilities are
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preferred to gnu utilities due to the preferred in each case generally having a
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smaller, easier to understand codebase. this does mean lix os's versions of
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common linux utilities may have fewer options than one may be used to, but many
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of these missing options are either not commonly used or can be compensated for
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with a short shell script or function.
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in the opinion of lix os' maintainer, it would be ideal if everyone knew and
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understood every line of code executing on their machines. while a perfect
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realisation of this dream is unlikely, lix hopes to make the problem less
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intractable. lix os will never ship binaries.
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## caveats
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lix os is an experimental linux distribution. it may not work. it may catch on
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fire. it may be abandoned at a moment's notice for another experiment. it will
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not stop you from doing something stupid and destroying your system. it is not
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and probably never will be "production ready."
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nonetheless, the original author currently uses it daily, and it may serve the
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needs of others as well.
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## goals
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1) be self-hosting.
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2) keep a small codebase.
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3) remain easy to understand, customize, and fork.
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4) never offer more packages than one maintainer can keep up to date.
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5) build from sources obtained directly from their authors, whenever possible.
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6) support fully open source platforms. (e.g., Talos II.)
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## system hygiene
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lix helps lix os maintain system hygiene by:
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1) building and installing in chroots with only package dependencies available.
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2) patching, configuring, and building in an overlay over package source code.
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3) mounting an overlay over each chroot before entering the chroot at all.
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4) symlinking installed files from package overlays into the filesystem.
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all changes during the patching, configuration, building, and installation
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phases go into overlays maintained by `lyr`. this helps keep the source code in
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`src`'s repository pristine and makes it very simple to activate and deactivate
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packages. it also makes it easy to see what packages have supplied each file in
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one's system root.
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## fork at will
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lix os is simple. if one disagrees with a decision, one should fork away. it
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should never take more than a single person to maintain a lix os-based
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distribution and all its packages.
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## _largely_ statically linked
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there are some blockers to achieving a fully statically linked system.
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### 1) smartcard support
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smartcard support is not possible at this time without dynamic linking. in
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particular, 'scdaemon' from gnupg loads 'libpcsclite.so' at runtime. there is
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not yet a way to make it statically link the library instead. accordingly, the
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executables provided by the 'gnupg' package in lix os are linked statically and
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do not support smartcards, while the executables in the 'gnupg-dynamic' and
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'pcsc-lite' packages are linked dynamically and do support smartcards.
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### 2) gui desktops
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both x11 and wayland have dependencies which use meson as their build system.
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meson requires core python3 modules which use dynamic loading (e.g., ctypes),
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which means python3 must be dynamically linked in order to use the meson build
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system. the default python3 package is statically linked and does not contain
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many "core" modules due to their dependency on the 'dlopen' function. if a gui
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is desired, the 'python3-dynamic' package will have to be built.
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removing the meson dependency is possible. oasis linux has pioneered this
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approach. the best approach would probably be to either port the packaging or
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the build system from oasis linux. preferably the latter, since doing so would
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better enable collaboration between our projects, but in theory a lua script
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could also be written to translate oasis linux packaging into shell scripts
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for those unwilling to learn the lua-based build system.
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mesa and wayland also tend to not work well when statically linked. in theory
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it should be possible to statically link these components, but in practice it
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seems to result in segmentation faults. there is probably a way to fix this
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problem, but in the meantime a graphical desktop will require dynamic linking.
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### 3) gettext
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the `kbd` package, which supplies console utilities like `setfont`, requires
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`gettext`, and `gettext` will not build statically due to symbol collisions
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during while linking. this is also probably fixable, but it would be better to
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remove the `gettext` dependency entirely if possible.
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## why prefer static linking?
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because it should be possible to quantify all of a program's possible states at
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compile time, barring hardware-level shenanigans, from source code. a user
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should never be put in the position where they are surprised by a change in a
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program's behavior because a dynamically loaded library was updated. this seems
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analogous to lexical versus dynamic scoping in programming languages.
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there are ways to achieve these sorts of guarantees without sacrificing dynamic
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loading, but they are more complicated than simply linking statically.
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also, no dynamic loader means no dynamic loader vulnerabilities.
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## bootstrapping
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below is the "official path," but please try other ways and report back.
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it is assumed that each step is executed from the same directory. e.g., `~`.
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if one prefers to use the linux kernel which contains propietary firmware blobs,
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replace references to `linux-libre` below with `linux-kernel`.
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01. create an alpine linux installation. leave the target device untouched as
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it will need to be formatted and partitioned.
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02. install the bootstrap dependencies:
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`apk add build-base coreutils cmake git curl rsync cryptsetup autoconf
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automake libtool flex bison ncurses-dev`
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03. install a command-line text editor and set the EDITOR variable. (optional)
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e.g., `apk add vim && export EDITOR='vim'`
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(n.b.: if this step is skipped, `vi` will be used.)
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(n.b.: in a later step, libraries get moved. if this breaks the text
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editor, try another one. if all else fails, `vi` is known to work in alpine
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linux and comes installed by default.)
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04. clone the lix-os repository and its subrepositories, and install them.
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- `git clone http://git.fuwafuwaqtlkkxwc.onion/yafox/lix-os`
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- `cd lix-os`
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- `make`
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- `make install`
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05. create a bootstrap layer
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- `mkdir bootstrap`
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- `./lix-os/utilities/mkbootstrap.sh bootstrap`
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06. supply a linux kernel configuration file (strongly recommended but optional)
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- `mkdir linux-mnt`
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- `lix --bootstrap=bootstrap pull linux-libre`
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- `lix --bootstrap=bootstrap mount linux-mnt linux-libre`
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- copy the desired kernel configuration file to `linux-mnt/mnt/src/.config`
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(n.b.: many distributions have their own kernel configuration files which
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can be borrowed. lix os' maintainer keeps a public collection of examples
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in the linux-confs repository.)
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- `lix umount linux-mnt linux-libre`
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- `rmdir linux-mnt`
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07. prepare the destination device.
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- create an ext4 partition to be used as the boot partition. 100MB should
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be plenty of space, assuming no firmware blobs are to be built into the
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kernel.
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- create a LUKS-encrypted ext4 partition to be used as the root partition.
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- create whatever other partitions desired.
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08. build lix os
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- `"$utilsdir/bootstrap.sh" bootstrap`
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(n.b.: some packages will require interactive configuration via text
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editor. if a package fails, bootstrapping can be resumed from the same
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point later by passing the name of the package as a second argument. e.g.,
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`"$utilsdir/bootstrap.sh" bootstrap <failing package>`. this script just
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loops over the dependencies of the `lix-os` package, `add`s them, and then
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`up`s them in the `lix-os` chroot. it's a short script. don't be afraid
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to examine and modify it.)
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09. copy lix os to the target medium
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- `mkdir -p lix-os-tgt/boot`
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- mount the root partition to `lix-os-tgt`
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- mount the boot partition to `lix-os-tgt/boot`
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- mount any other partitions created earlier under `lix-os-tgt`.
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- `"$utilsdir/install.sh" lix-os-tgt`
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(n.b.: this script copies the contents of the lix-os chroot and the `src`
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and `lyr` repos in /usr/var to the target directory given, then chroots
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in to the target directory and replaces all the real files with softlinks
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to the appropriate targets in the `lyr` repository via `lix up -f`.)
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10. make last-minute configuration changes to boot-related partitions
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- edit the contents of `lix-os-tgt/boot/grub/grub.cfg` to point to the
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correct partitions.
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- make any additional last-minute configuration changes desired.
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at this point, if one wishes to skip using symlinks to link installed packages
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into the system root instead of having them copied from the package chroots, one
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may skip to the last step.
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11. unmount boot-related partitions
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- `umount lix-os-tgt/boot`
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- unmount any additional partitions which should not have their files
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converted to symlinks to locations in lyr's layer repository.
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(n.b.: this is one of the "sharp edges" of lix os which will one day be
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"filed down" in one way or another. in the meantime, take care to not
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`lix up` or `lix dn` anything with files related to booting.
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`linux-libre`, `lix-os-bootloader`, and `lix-os-initramfs` immediately
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come to mind as such packages.)
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12. convert everything else to symlinks
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- `"$utilsdir/softlink.sh" lix-os-tgt`
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13. clean up and reboot into lix os
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- unmount the target partitions under and at `lix-os-tgt`.
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- `rmdir lix-os-tgt/boot lix-os-tgt`
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- reboot into the target medium and make sure lix os works!
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## post-bootstrap
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if all has gone well and the system is booting, make a backup of your kernel
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and initramfs. mount the boot partition and copy `vmlinux` to `vmlinux.bak`
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and `initramfs.igz` to `initramfs.igz.bak`. this will allow for recovery by
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changing boot parameters to boot with the backup files if one misconfigures
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one's kernel or initramfs in the future.
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## editing lix-os-initramfs
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the contents of the initramfs file can be examined and modified using the
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`lix mount` command, the same as every other lix package.
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## architecture
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lix os tries to be compositional in its architecture, which should make it
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easier to replace components as desired. this flexibility comes at the
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expense of having all files relevant to a package in a single location. an
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earlier iteration of lix os (called 'mu os' in ignorance of the other linux
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distribution by that same name) opted for a tighter integration of parts, which
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was nice in some ways but which also tended toward creating a monolith.
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ideally the lix package manager should be composed of simple tools that behave
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in a clear, consistent manner and which have no notions about each other.
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## helpful scripts
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there are also a number of helpful scripts in the `lix-os-utilities` repository.
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for example, the `versions` utility, which itself also depends on `vercmp` and
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`shsort`, may be useful for keeping a lix os system up to date. `versions`
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returns a sorted list of available package versions pulled directly from each
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project maintainer's website and/or its mirrors. lix does not use it directly,
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but the author does use it periodically to update `src` packages.
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## roadmap
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- switch to a "-static-pie" build. (on ppc64le, this currently produces
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"read-only segment has dynamic relocations" errors.)
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- replace libressl with bearssl.
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- replace all gnu tools with simpler alternatives.
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[oasis linux](https://github.com/oasislinux/oasis) has the right idea here,
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but work needs to be done to add ppc64le support to cproc and the like.
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- capture file changes to "upped" packages to their own layer.
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- capture file changes to /etc (and others?) to their own layer.
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- allow unprivileged creation of user-specific lix environments, like nix os.
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- find a way to encourage running processes under least-privileged, package-
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specific user accounts whenever possible without literally making the choice
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for the user.
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- consider separating state in /var into files deterministically generated and
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files constituting non-deterministic input. (e.g., 'src' tarballs versus
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private keys.)
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- consider moving to a model that does require a 'root' user.
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- consider merging the overlayfs approach with the autotools-free, lua-as-make
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approach of oasis linux.
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it would be nice to create something like nix os that captures changed state
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rather than requiring state be constructed from a configuration file in a
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domain-specific language.
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## inspiration
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the development of lix os was inspired and aided by the examples set by the
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following projects:
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- gobo linux and nix os, for sandboxing and separation of state.
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- sabotage linux, for general approach and code-centricity.
|
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- kiss linux, for embracing a "remove as many packages as possible" ethos.
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- alpine linux, for patches and scripts showing how to build things with musl.
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- oasis linux, for helping inform userland choices.
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- sta.li, for demonstrating a simplified LHFS.
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- openbsd, for providing alternatives such as libressl and doas.
|
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- musl-cross-make, for building a ppc64le-and-musl-targeting c compiler.
|
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- suckless.org, for providing and highlighting simple alternatives, and for
|
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setting me down this path in the first place.
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@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
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# there are many ways to lix-os. this is one of them.
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||||
#
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||||
BINDIR ?= /usr/bin
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GITBASE ?= $(shell realpath $(shell git config --get remote.origin.url) | rev \
|
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| cut -d/ -f2- | rev)
|
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REPOS := src vercmp shsort how chin lmr lyr lix
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SUBREPOS := vercmp/format how/pkg
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BINS := $(foreach repo,$(REPOS),$(BINDIR)/$(repo))
|
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|
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.PHONY: default install all-repos
|
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|
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define git_clone
|
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git clone $(GITBASE)/$1 $1
|
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endef
|
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|
||||
default: all-repos .gitignore
|
||||
|
||||
install: $(BINS)
|
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||||
$(REPOS):
|
||||
$(call git_clone,$@)
|
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|
||||
all-repos: $(REPOS) $(SUBREPOS) utilities
|
||||
|
||||
$(BINS): all-repos
|
||||
cd $(shell basename $@) && make install
|
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|
||||
utilities:
|
||||
git clone $(GITBASE)/lix-os-utilities utilities
|
||||
|
||||
vercmp/format:
|
||||
cd vercmp && make lix-os-vercmp
|
||||
|
||||
how/default:
|
||||
cd how && make lix-os-defaults
|
||||
|
||||
how/pkg:
|
||||
cd how && make lix-os-pkgs
|
||||
|
||||
src/pkg:
|
||||
cd src && make lix-os-pkgs
|
||||
|
||||
.gitignore:
|
||||
$(shell echo "$(REPOS) utilities .gitignore" | tr ' ' "\\n" > .gitignore)
|
||||
Loading…
Reference in New Issue