docs/doc/source/introduction/consuming.rst

Consuming StarlingX

While is a ready-to-use solution, it is important to understand some limitations to what you can do with the open source software and Community ISO builds. Software features like secure boot, live software update/patching and live software upgrades are not fully enabled by the community.

• The community does not provide signed software images, which are needed to implement security features such as Secure Boot. Providing signed images is typically the responsibility of commercial vendors or the users themselves.
• The community does not provide software updates/patches (i.e. for bug fixes or new vulnerabilities) to released ISOs.
• The community does not support or test software upgrades from one release to the next Release. Very often, for software upgrades to work from release N (old/existing) to release N+1 (new), a software-upgrade-enabling 'update/patch' is required for release N. Because the community does not provide/build software update patches, this patch is not available from the community, and therefore software upgrades may not necessarily work and are not tested by the community.

Here are three ways in which you can consume .

Deploy the open source code

You can use the open source software directly. Our community partner Wind River provides a mirror with ready-to-run ISO images of the current releases and daily builds.

View the StarlingX mirror.

As previously mentioned, these images are not signed and thus do not support secure booting. Also, as previously mentioned, live software updates may not necessarily work without software patches, which are not currently provided by the community.

The community recommends that users planning to deploy the open source software use the tested and validated release images.

Developers planning to work against the tip of the source trees typically use the daily builds.

Deploy an internal version of StarlingX

Your company can form a team to create their own version of for internal use. Such a team can do acceptance testing of the open source software, customize it as needed, sign their own internal images (to enable features such as Secure Boot), and build and deliver software updates/patches that will also enable testing and support of software upgrades.

Deploy code from a vendor

You can consume a commercial vendor's -based product or solution. Vendors provide signed images and support for software updates/patches and software upgrades. They may also add features or content to the open source software and they may provide other services such as technical support.

The community expects several vendors to provide -based products and solutions. We hope to see more as our community grows.