[jumpyvi]

This lets you restore the dpkg database at runtime so you can use APT like normal if you make /usr writable.

The DB can be restored with:

sudo addgroup --system ssl-cert
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/dpkg
sudo tar -xzvf /usr/share/factory/dpkg/dpkg.tar.gz -C /
sudo /usr/bin/apt update

After that, you can install any packages from Ubuntu like on classic.

[github-actions]

Installer builds for 4a36b4a

Do not use these installers for production systems. They are intended for testing purposes only. They will update to the latest PR build, which will break your install eventually.

Arch	ISO	Checksum
amd64	elementaryos-9.0-proposed-x86-64.20261023185734.iso	sha256
arm64	elementaryos-9.0-proposed-arm64.20261023185737.iso	sha256

[github-actions]

Installer builds for 6a764d4

Do not use these installers for production systems. They are intended for testing purposes only. They will update to the latest PR build, which will break your install eventually.

Arch	ISO	Checksum
amd64	elementaryos-9.0-proposed-x86-64.20261023192816.iso	sha256
arm64	elementaryos-9.0-proposed-arm64.20261023192814.iso	sha256

[lewisgoddard]

Could we ship the database unpacked at /usr/share/factory/var/lib/dpkg instead of as a tarball? Then dpkg-query --admindir=/usr/share/factory/var/lib/dpkg -l can list the image's packages without restoring anything, and images are compress already.

[jumpyvi]

Could we ship the database unpacked at /usr/share/factory/var/lib/dpkg instead of as a tarball? Then dpkg-query --admindir=/usr/share/factory/var/lib/dpkg -l can list the image's packages without restoring anything, and images are compress already.

I want to keep it tar/compressed on clients devices, to not use to much spaces/files count if they don't need it.

And the main goal for it to be restored in /var/lib/dpkg so apt can fonction as expected when mutable sysexts are enabled

[lewisgoddard]

Could we ship the database unpacked at /usr/share/factory/var/lib/dpkg instead of as a tarball? Then dpkg-query --admindir=/usr/share/factory/var/lib/dpkg -l can list the image's packages without restoring anything, and images are compress already.

I want to keep it tar/compressed on clients devices, to not use to much spaces/files count if they don't need it.

And the main goal for it to be restored in /var/lib/dpkg so apt can fonction as expected when mutable sysexts are enabled

With images compressed already I assumed this wouldn't change much.

[jumpyvi]

Yeah, but theses images are decompressed when they end up on a disk

[lewisgoddard]

Okay then, a couple of restrictions:

1. This won't have packages from sysexts.
2. After each sysupdate it will need copying manually again.

(This loses any old package info on update, but those packages presumably got wiped anyway.)

[jumpyvi]

Okay then, a couple of restrictions:

1. This won't have packages from sysexts.
2. After each sysupdate it will need copying manually again.

(This loses any old package info on update, but those packages presumably got wiped anyway.)

Yeah, this is for debugging/testing or "emergency package install", not for persistant packages.

[jumpyvi]

I will test this out tmrw to see if it works as expected

[github-actions]

Installer builds for 5436d9c

Do not use these installers for production systems. They are intended for testing purposes only. They will update to the latest PR build, which will break your install eventually.

Arch	ISO	Checksum
amd64	elementaryos-9.0-proposed-x86-64.20261023235154.iso	sha256
arm64	elementaryos-9.0-proposed-arm64.20261023235216.iso	sha256

[github-actions]

Installer builds for 66b2ffe

Do not use these installers for production systems. They are intended for testing purposes only. They will update to the latest PR build, which will break your install eventually.

Arch	ISO	Checksum
amd64	elementaryos-9.0-proposed-x86-64.20261024193248.iso	sha256
arm64	elementaryos-9.0-proposed-arm64.20261024193256.iso	sha256