Garden Linux

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Packaging Ecosystem ​

This document explains how Garden Linux packages are built using the tools in the package-build repository and how they fit into the broader packaging ecosystem.

Release Hierarchy ​

Garden Linux uses a three-tier release hierarchy to deliver a complete operating system.

This document is about the first tier, the Packaging.

Package Build Tools Repository (package-build) ​

The package-build repository provides:

  • Standardized build scripts for creating Debian packages
  • GitHub Actions workflows for automated building
  • Common functions and utilities used by all package repositories
  • Documentation for local and CI-based package building

Source Package Repositories (package-*) ​

Each custom-built package has its own GitHub repository following the naming convention package-{package_name} (e.g., package-containerd, package-openssh). These repositories contain:

  • The source code or references to upstream sources
  • Build scripts and configuration
  • Debian packaging files (debian/ directory)
  • Package-specific build instructions

These repositories are built using the tools in the package-build repository.

Package Flow Process Overview ​

  1. Source Management: Package source lives in package-{package_name} repos
  2. Building: Packages are built using tools from package-build repo
    • Can be done locally or via GitHub Actions
  3. Release Assembly: Built packages are collected and assembled into APT repositories by the repo workflow
  4. Distribution: Final APT repository is published and made available to users

Key Relationships ​

  • Each package-* repo declares its build dependencies in its source
  • The package-build repo provides common tooling used by all package-* repos
  • The repo orchestrates the final release by collecting built packages and dependencies
  • Users access packages through the standard APT system pointing to Garden Linux repositories

Understanding Package Versions ​

Garden Linux packages typically follow versioning like:

<upstream_version>-<debian_revision>~gardenlinux<sequence>

For example: 1.2.3-1~gardenlinux0

Where:

  • 1.2.3 is the upstream version
  • -1 is the Debian revision
  • ~gardenlinux0 indicates this is the first Garden Linux rebuild

When creating patch releases or backports, the suffix is incremented (e.g., ~gardenlinux1, ~gardenlinux2) or modified for specific use cases (like ~bp1443 for backports).