[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)
 
web link (handbook.vanillaos.org)
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)