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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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Are we going to see arch based immutable distros in the near future? (slrpnk.net)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hi there folks, I'm still learning about Linux and have yet to dip my toes properly in any arch based distro. Have for the moment fallen in love with the immutable distros based on Universal Blue project. However I do want to learn about what arch has to offer to and plan on installing default arch when I have time. But have been wondering why I haven't heard of any immutable distros from arch based distros yet.

So, am left wondering if there are talks within that Arch community of building immutable distros?

While writing this post I found a project called Arkane Linux, which seem to be very interesting. Does anyone have nay experience with it? Is there a specific reason why immutable wouldn't be a good idea when based on Arch?

Project: https://arkanelinux.org/

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[+] timewarp -9 points 5 months ago (3 children)

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

lol

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Both features are important IMO, reproducibility is for being able to define certain aspects of your machine in a way that you can nuke it and, as long as you have its configuration (declarative for Nix, other implementations might have it as imperative), bring it back just how it was set up, without differences or breakages; while immutability is for being always confident that whatever* you do to your machine, you won't be able to break it because the root, which holds the functioning core of your system, can't be messed around with, NixOS has both I believe.

*not really "whatever", because there are still some ways to break, but you have to be very deliberate in doing it (think rm -rf /*), but in normal operation you won't just somehow install something or upgrade your packages and be left with an unusable system

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No, just because it is reproducible doesn't mean you are able to (re)produce something that works. With something like fedora silverblue you know that this specific composition of packages and their versions has been tested, and that all the other users run this exact composition as well.

When you roll your own composition, where you install whatever stuff, you may be the one finding out that there's some conflict between package a version u.v.w and package b version x.y.z.

[–] thedeadwalking4242 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Unless you both use exactly the same config files.... Which is the point of nixos.... Everything is versions locked. If you have a working config you can give it to your buddy and build it and it'll work the same way

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

If you have a working config, thats exactly the point. Before you built your config, you don't know. If you deploy silverblue, you know it will work beforehand because exactly this config, including /etc, has been tested upstream before. What you are to your buddy, Fedora Atomic is to me. The difference is, it is not just one person that tested some config they decided on on their single piece of hardware, it is the effort of a full blown distro team.