this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
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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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Yeah - I'm quite familiar with containers. I just don't see the value they're adding here. Maybe for experimental things or "project-specific" stuff. but otherwise don't you just end up maintaining a container same as you would your "host OS" in a non-immutable distro?
Your immutable OS stays stable. For example, running a sudo pacman -Syu with a bunch of stuff from AUR in your Arch container for example will not bring down your OS or otherwise make it unstable. The immutable image you first install has been tested and it is the same image as the testers -- same with the upgrades and updates, so long as you don't overlap the image with rpm-ostree in this case.
Immutability keeps your OS stable and if something does happen to go wrong, you just roll it back.
If that isn't something you need/want then that's not something you need/want.
It's definitely not - I've just been trying to understand the problem it solves for others though and see if it is something I would be interested in.
From what I can tell I can get all of the advantages in a "mutable" distro (flatpak, distrobox, etc.) without the overly-complex "immutable host" stuff.
I honestly don't get the fear of "some random update ruins your OS". Perhaps because I'm not an Arch user.
I am an Arch user and I still don't get it either. When Arch borks something it's rarely catastrophic. At worst it's throw in the live USB, mount your drive and fiddle. And if you are going in as an Arch user, fiddling is something you sign up for.