this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2023
96 points (92.9% liked)
Linux
48375 readers
1639 users here now
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Rules
- Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
- No misinformation
- No NSFW content
- No hate speech, bigotry, etc
Related Communities
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I can definitely see what you’re saying. But if you start to add packages, what do you gain in terms of known stability? Seems to me you might as well then just “be good” about not adding too many packages to a malleable distribution.
If you use the workflow of an immutable system on a traditional one, you have almost all the disadvantages of the first and pretty much no advantages of the second.
The "immutability" (you can still change stuff) is the wrong thing to look at.
I prefer the term "image based", that fits better. Everytime you update your image system for example, it gets "pulled" or compared to the original image.
On a traditional one, you have your original image you once downloaded, and that's it.
Over time, it will still change due to updates and stuff. An immutable is basically a "fresh install" every time.
Most immutables use layering, so you still pull the original image, but after that some stuff gets changed.
It is generally strongly discuraged to install stuff (like GIMP and so on) directly. It should only be the last option, like for drivers.
But even when you directly install, you don't use all the benefits. The OS is still rebuilt every time and package drift barely happens.
And, back to the beginning, the pros and cons.
It's like with PDFs. Yeah, it sucks that you can't edit them. But that's what they're built for. They can't be tampered with, but therefore they look the same on every device and you don't have to worry about fonts, formatting or symbols.
And on immutables it's the same: some stuff is a bit more different/ complicated for some, but at the same time, they're less buggy, more secure, offer instant rollbacks, can be customized and rolled out super quickly, and much more. Read my other comment for more information, including customization by building custom images :)