ALP aims to require the least amount of intervention possible
SUSE unveiled by posting the second prototype launch of its new distribution SUSE ALP «Punta Baretti» (Adaptable Linux Platform), positioned as a continuation of the development of the SUSE Linux Enterprise distribution.
The key difference between ALP is the division of the distribution's core foundation into two parts: a simplified "host operating system" to run on top of hardware, and an application support layer focused on running in containers and virtual machines.
About SUSE ALP
The architecture of ALP is based on development on the "host OS" of the environment, the minimum necessary to support and control equipment. It is proposed that all applications and userspace components should not run in a mixed environment, but rather in separate containers or virtual machines that run on top of the "host operating system" and are isolated from each other. This organization will allow users to focus on the applications and abstract workflows of the hardware and the low-level system environment.
The SLE Micro product, based on the developments of the MicroOS project, is used as the basis for the "host operating system".
Of the characteristics of the system environment, mentions the use default disk encryption (FDE, Full Disk Encryption) with the ability to store keys in the TPM, the root partition is mounted read-only and does not change during the operation.
Unlike SUSE Linux Enterprise, ALP development is initially carried out through an open development process, in which intermediate builds and test results are publicly available to all, allowing interested parties to make a monitor work in progress and participate in development.
What's new in the second ALP prototype?
In this second released prototype of SUSE ALP we can find that use the D-Installer, where the user interface is separated from the internal YaST components and multiple interfaces can be used, including an interface to manage the installation via a web interface.
The basic interface for plant management is built using web technologies and includes a controller that provides access to D-Bus calls via HTTP and the web interface itself. The web interface is written in JavaScript using the React framework and PatternFly components.
To ensure security, D-Installer supports installation on encrypted partitions and allows you to use the TPM (Trusted Platform Module) to decrypt the boot partition, using keys stored on the TPM chip instead of passwords. Some YaST clients (bootloader, iSCSIClient, Kdump, firewall, etc.) run in separate containers.
Another change that stands out is that Two types of containers are implemented: control containers for working with YaST in text mode, in the GUI and via the web interface, and test containers for automated text messages.
It is worth mentioning that several modules are also adapted for use in systems with transactional updates. For the integration with openQA, the libyui-rest-api library is proposed with the implementation of the REST API.
In addition to this, the execution implemented in the Cockpit platform container, based on which the web interface of the configurator and installer is built and the possibility of using Full Disk Encryption (FDE) in installations on conventional equipment, and not only in virtualization systems and cloud systems.
On the other hand, GRUB2 is used as the main bootloader, plus configurations were added to implement containers to build a firewall (firewalld-container) and centralized system and cluster management (warewulf-container).
Download and try SUSE ALP
For those interested in being able to try ALP, you should know that the builds are prepared for the x86_64 architecture. ALP is initially developed using an open development process, where intermediate builds and test results are publicly available to everyone.
Finally, if you are interested in knowing more about it, you can consult the details In the following link.