rpm-ostree/docs/index.md

# What is rpm-ostree?

rpm-ostree is a hybrid image/package system.  It uses
[libOSTree](https://ostree.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) as a base image
format, and accepts RPM on both the client and server side, sharing
code with the [dnf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNF_(software)) project;
specifically [libdnf](https://github.com/rpm-software-management/libdnf).

# Getting started

If you want to try the system as a user, we recommend
[Project Atomic](http://www.projectatomic.io/). If you are
interested in assembling your own systems, see
[compose server](manual/compose-server.md).

# Why would I want to use it?

One major feature rpm-ostree has over traditional package management
is atomic upgrade/rollback.  It supports a model where an OS vendor
(such as [CentOS](https://www.centos.org/) or
[Fedora](https://getfedora.org/)) can provide pre-assembled "base OS
images", and client systems can replicate those, and possibly layer on
additional packages.

rpm-ostree is a core part of the [Project Atomic](http://www.projectatomic.io/)
effort, which uses rpm-ostree to provide a minimal host for
Docker formatted Linux containers.

We expect most users will be interested in rpm-ostree on the client
side, using it to replicate a base system, and possibly layer on
additional packages, and use containers for applications.

# Why not implement these changes in an existing package manager?

The [OSTree related projects](https://ostree.readthedocs.io/en/latest/manual/related-projects/)
section covers this to a degree.  As soon as one starts taking
"snapshots" or keeping track of multiple roots, it uncovers many
issues.  For example, which content specifically is rolled forward or
backwards?  If the package manager isn't deeply aware of a snapshot
tool, it's easy to lose coherency.

### Filesystem layout

A concrete example is that rpm-ostree moves the RPM database
to `/usr/share/rpm`, since we want one per root `/usr`.  In contrast,
the [snapper](http://snapper.io/) tool goes to some effort to
include `/var/lib/rpm` in snapshots, but
avoid rolling forward/back log files in `/var/log`.

OSTree requires clear rules around the semantics
of directories like `/usr` and `/var` across upgrades, and
while this requires changing some software, we believe the
result is significantly more reliable than having two separate
systems like yum and snapper glued together, or apt-get and BTRFS,
etc.

### User experience

Furthermore, beyond just the mechanics of things like the filesystem
layout, the implemented upgrade model affects the entire user
experience.

For example, the base system OSTree commits that one replicates from a
remote server can be assigned version numbers.  They are
released as coherent wholes, tested together.  If one is simply
performing snapshots on the client side, every client machine
can have different versions of components.

Related to this is that rpm-ostree clearly distinguishes which
packages you have layered, and it's easy to remove them, going back to
a pristine, known state.  Many package managers just implement a "bag
of packages" model with no clear bases or layering.  As the OS evolves
over time, "package drift" occurs where you might have old, unused
packages lying around.

# But still evolutionary

On the other hand, rpm-ostree in other ways is very evolutionary.
There have been many, many different package managers invented -
why not adopt or build on one of those?

The answer here is that it takes a long time for tooling to be built
on top of a package format - things like mirroring servers.  Another
example is source format representations - there are many, many
tools that know how to build source RPMs.

From the perspective of distribution which has all of that ecosystem
built up, rpm-ostree does introduce a new binary format (ostree), but
otherwise includes an RPM database, and also operates on packages.  It
is not a new source format either.