Debark
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Status and known limitations

Understand release maturity and the validation behind each workflow and platform.

ReferenceUpdated

On this page

Debark is pre-1.0, with public CLI and desktop releases. Minor releases may introduce breaking changes; published schemas have their own compatibility rules. Read the changelog when updating.

What has been exercised

Workflow Recorded validation and limits
Captured snapshot An end-to-end Debian 12 demo builds, verifies, and installs a signed bundle with target networking disabled. Integration fixtures cover additional packages and failure conditions.
Target release matrix Scheduled amd64 fixtures cover Debian 12/13 and Ubuntu 22.04/24.04/26.04. arm64 runs require manual dispatch with emulation.
Baseline OS Recorded Linux and Windows runs cover Ubuntu 24.04 amd64. Original baseline validation did not complete a signed build followed by a real target installation. Fidelity measurements are narrower than the available baseline list.
Windows containers A recorded run covers one release and architecture. It does not establish coverage for every host/target combination.
macOS Source build only; no release artifact, CI job, or recorded container run.
Desktop Linux amd64 is the supported package. Windows is experimental. Accessibility, packaging, security, and performance reports each record their own scope.

This is a summary of the repository’s validation record, not a live report of remote CI results. Follow that record for links to tests and measured runs.

Baselines are assumptions

A baseline assumes an installed package set. Packages assumed present but missing on the real target are reported as warnings. Those warnings do not repair the bundle or block installation. Prefer a captured snapshot for a customized machine, and review debark install ./bundle --key operator.pub --status before installing a signed bundle.

Offline installation still depends on the packages

A valid signature identifies a signer and detects changed bundle contents. It does not establish that packages are free of vulnerabilities or network-dependent maintainer scripts. Changes to the target after capture can also make a plan unsuitable. See the trust model and troubleshooting.

Distribution and updates

There is no project apt repository, Homebrew or WinGet channel, or dedicated published resolver image. Use release downloads, the Linux CLI installer, or a source build. Debark has no telemetry, crash uploads, or background update checks. Running the installer again explicitly checks for a release.

Security fixes land on main and ship in the next release. Superseded pre-1.0 releases do not receive separate backports. Follow the security policy.

Reproducible bundles require the same target input, package bytes and indexes, resolver, options, signing setup, and initial output/store state. A live apt repository can change. Desktop builds also depend on their native libraries and compiler.

Help improve coverage

Additional target fixtures, baseline measurements, container runs, and accessibility checks are welcome. Include the source revision, host and target, commands, results, and any skips when reporting a result.