woof-quirky-void created at github

The last couple of months, have been exploring an "EasyOS like" distro based on the XBPS package manager and built from Void packages. Then more recently exploring btrfs for the working-partition, instead of ext4, and without a layered-filesystem nor squashfs files. I have nicknamed the latter "QV", and the last post is here:

https://bkhome.org/news/202403/qv-lockdown-implemented.html

It is starting to reach usability, well, has reached usability, so decided to put it up at github:

https://github.com/bkauler/woof-quirky-void

So, what direction to take in the future?

EasyOS Kirkstone-series will continue; it still has life in it, maybe for a couple more years. But probably updates will be infrequent.

OpenEmbedded/Yocto will be releasing the Scarthgap series in April this year. That is the schedule anyway, no definite date published. The intention is to do an OE compile when it is released, and that will become a new series to replace Kirkstone. I do intend that people who have a Kirkstone version installed, will be able to update to Scarthgap.

A few weeks ago, was working on EasyVoid, but that has now morphed into Quirky Void, or just "QV". And as mentioned above, no aufs/overlay layers nor SFS squashfs files.

QV has been fun, exploring possibilities, without really knowing whether it will become a stayer.

One disappointment is that the kernel btrfs fscrypt patches do not work; cause the kernel to crash. The last iteration is v5, about three months ago, and there doesn't seem to have been any activity since then. My crash report has gone unanswered.

So, is QV good enough to keep going, without fscrypt? It was the promise of fscrypt that attracted me to btrfs originally. That, and other features such as snapshots, compression and checksumming.

Today I tested Flapi, the Flatpak manager. Installed Frogatto and it works. Toggled to Lockdown mode then installed OpenShot; again works. Good. Haven't tried Appi, the Appimage manager yet.

A couple more things to do, then intend to release a pre-alpha.        

Tags: quirky