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On bootc and other image-based Linux systems, software and configuration changes are not all handled the same way: install user apps in user space, use the distribution’s supported local layering workflow for a one-off system change, or build a derived OS image when you want repeatable system customization. The right choice depends on the specific distribution and release; “immutable” does not mean that nothing can change.
What “image-based” means in practice
An image-based operating system delivers its base system as a versioned image or deployment rather than treating every system file as an independently maintained package. A change can therefore have different persistence and update behavior depending on where it is made.
For example, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 documentation describes image mode as a container-native way to build, deploy, and manage operating systems. In that product, the root filesystem is immutable by default except for /etc and /var. That is a specific RHEL 10 description, not a rule that applies identically to every distribution called atomic or immutable. Red Hat’s RHEL 10 image-mode guide explains that product’s model.
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In bootc, the base container image is stored using OSTree. That implementation detail helps explain why bootc-based systems and OSTree-based tooling can intersect, but it does not mean every atomic distribution uses bootc or has identical management commands. bootc’s filesystem documentation describes its OSTree dependency.
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Choose a home for each change
Before installing software, identify the exact distribution and release, then check its documentation for the supported method. A useful starting point is to decide whether the change belongs to your account, to the running system temporarily, or to the OS image itself.
| Change type | Typical fit | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| User-space application | An application intended to live and update separately from the base operating system | Which app formats and installation routes the distribution supports |
| Local system package change | A package needed on one installed system or for a local test | The distribution’s current layering or package-management workflow, and whether the change persists through reboot and upgrades |
| Derived OS image | Repeatable system packages or configuration that should travel together as a known OS setup | The image build, deployment, and update instructions for the target OS |
User applications
If an application is meant to be managed independently of the base OS, a user-space installation can keep it separate from the operating-system deployment. The appropriate format and exact install steps vary by distribution; check its documentation rather than assuming a package command that works on a conventional Linux install will work on an image-based one.
Local package layering
Some systems provide a supported way to add packages to the installed OS deployment. This is useful for a local requirement, but it is distinct from editing the image that defines the base system. Fedora’s Fedora 41 change proposal described client-side package changes through rpm-ostree layering, while distinguishing those from DNF use in container builds and unlocked systems. The proposal was last updated on October 2, 2024, so it is a release-specific record rather than a guarantee for every Fedora variant or later release. See the Fedora change proposal.
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When a package or OS-owned configuration should be part of a repeatable setup, building a derived image can keep those choices together and make them versionable. bootc’s package-manager guidance presents package installation primarily as a build-time activity for image-based systems and recommends that package managers recognize a read-only /usr and direct users toward supported workflows. This is not a reason to force every app into the OS image: use the image for changes that genuinely belong to the operating system. bootc’s package-manager integration guidance explains the distinction.
bootc and rpm-ostree are related, not interchangeable names
Do not infer a system’s management commands from the words “atomic” or “immutable,” or from the presence of bootc. The bootc project says bootc and rpm-ostree can be used together and that rpm-ostree remains maintained. Fedora’s Fedora 41 proposal likewise described retaining rpm-ostree alongside bootc and DNF5 for image-based variants. Those statements establish coexistence, not one universal workflow. Follow the instructions for the target distribution and release. bootc’s project-relationship documentation covers the relationship.
In short, use bootc-specific deployment guidance where the OS documents a bootc workflow, and use rpm-ostree instructions where the OS documents rpm-ostree. The Fedora proposal’s summary put its direction this way: “This is the start of a process to enable dnf with rpm-ostree features and a re-focus on bootc to manage image mode deployments.” The wording describes that Fedora 41 proposal, not an across-the-board command guarantee.
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What updates, tests, and rollback mean
Staged deployments
In the rpm-ostree model, an upgrade can be prepared offline and made the default deployment for the next boot. That means updating is a transition to a deployment you boot into, rather than necessarily changing the active system in place. The rpm-ostree administrator handbook documents staged upgrades and related deployment operations.
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The rpm-ostree handbook also documents usroverlay as a transient workflow: its changes do not persist across reboot. That can suit an experiment, but it is not a substitute for a durable package layer or a rebuilt image.
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The rpm-ostree model includes rollback to a previous deployment, which can help recover from an unsuccessful upgrade. Do not assume another bootc-based or third-party system exposes the same command, interface, or recovery path. A rollback also does not replace backups of personal data; keep important files protected separately from the OS deployment.
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Physical hardware, virtual machines, cloud systems, and edge devices may use different deployment paths. RHEL 10 documents Anaconda and bootc-image-builder options. In the documented bare-metal route, a generated installer ISO is copied to a USB flash drive and used for installation. The guide labels the cited bootable-ISO creation and deployment workflow as Technology Preview, so that status applies to that RHEL 10 path; it should not be generalized to every bootc installation method. Consult the RHEL 10 image-mode guide for its target-specific procedure.
Quick Recap
A practical checklist before changing an atomic system
- Record the distribution, release, and image or deployment workflow in use.
- Decide whether the software belongs in your user environment, a temporary test, a local system layer, or a derived OS image.
- Check the release-specific documentation for supported commands and persistence behavior before applying a package-manager instruction from another distribution.
- For repeatable system customization, consider whether packages and OS-owned configuration should be versioned together in a derived image.
- Know how that system stages updates and recovers from a failed deployment, and keep separate backups of important personal data.
- When comparing distributions, evaluate their target hardware and use, image-build and layering workflows, update and rollback behavior, application formats, support model, and migration guidance for the specific releases involved. The cited project documentation does not establish a complete cross-distribution feature matrix or an objective best choice.
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