ARM Readme:https://github.com/NextFerret/arvor/blob/main/README-ARM.md
Arvor Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution designed to provide atomic system updates without relying on an immutable root filesystem.
Unlike many modern atomic distributions, Arvor separates the concepts of atomicity and immutability. The project focuses on reliable, transactional upgrades while preserving a traditional, fully mutable Linux environment.
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe different concepts.
Atomicity is the property of an operation that either:
- completes successfully; or
- does not happen at all.
No partially applied state is ever exposed.
Examples:
- Transactional database commits
- Transactional operating system updates
Atomicity prevents incomplete upgrades from leaving the system in an inconsistent state.
Immutability means an object or filesystem cannot be modified after it has been created.
Examples include:
- Read-only root filesystems
- OSTree deployments
- Container image layers
Immutability is one possible implementation strategy for atomic updates, but it is not a requirement.
Arvor provides atomic upgrades while maintaining a traditional mutable Linux system.
Instead of using technologies such as:
- OverlayFS
- OSTree
- Read-only root filesystems
Arvor relies on:
- LVM snapshots
- Transactional package operations
- Rollback support
- Native Debian compatibility
The result is a system that remains familiar to Linux administrators while providing recovery from failed upgrades.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| napt | Transactional package manager compatible with APT workflows. |
| nsm | Snapshot Manager responsible for creating, managing and restoring system snapshots. |
| nlc | Lightweight chroot environment manager used internally by Arvor. |
Minimum requirements:
- CPU: Any x86_64 processor from approximately the last 15 years
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Storage: 32 GB available disk space
Recommended:
- SSD
- 8 GB RAM or more
Arvor intentionally avoids technologies commonly used by immutable distributions.
| Technology | Used |
|---|---|
| OverlayFS | ❌ |
| OSTree | ❌ |
| Read-only root filesystem | ❌ |
| LVM Snapshots | ✅ |
| Mutable root filesystem | ✅ |
| Transactional updates | ✅ |
No.
Arvor intentionally avoids OverlayFS due to its long history of privilege escalation vulnerabilities and because it does not fit the project's design goals.
No.
Arvor implements its own transactional update model.
No.
Arvor is fully mutable while still supporting atomic upgrades and rollbacks.
No.
Earlier releases relied heavily on Python.
Beginning with Arvor 2.1, the Project Xesta initiative migrated most core utilities to C and C++ to improve performance, reduce runtime dependencies and simplify distribution.
NF-Tree was Arvor's original snapshot manager based on Btrfs.
During the development of Arvor 2.1, it was replaced by NSM (NextFerret Snapshot Manager) after a major redesign of the snapshot infrastructure.
NSM provides a cleaner architecture and serves as the foundation for future releases.
Software Cujo Código é Aberto (SCCA)
Copyright © NextFerret
Licensed under the Arvor License v1.