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With bootc, you can define and distribute a Linux host operating system as a container image, then install that image on a machine. You customize it much like a container image—starting with a compatible distribution image, adding packages and files in a Containerfile, and building a versioned artifact. The result is not an application running inside a container: it includes a Linux kernel and boots as a normal host system.
What bootc does—and what it does not do
bootc uses container images as a way to build and deliver an operating system. The image contains the operating-system components, including the kernel; after deployment, the machine runs the system as its host environment, not as an app container. The bootc project describes its CLI and API as stable, while clarifying that this status applies to the surface APIs and does not necessarily mean the underlying logic is stable.
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The approach is designed around atomic updates and rollback: a system should boot into an old or new image rather than a partly applied mixture, with rollback to a previous bootable image where supported. The deployed image is read-only by default. Machine-specific writable state is preserved in designated locations, including /etc and /var by default. Disk partitioning is generally determined by the installer or deployment infrastructure, not by an image update. These are design goals and behaviors described by the Bootable Container Images project; confirm how a specific distribution implements them.
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Choose a bootc-compatible distribution first
There is no universal bootc base image, package command, or installation procedure that applies to every Linux distribution. Pick the distribution you intend to deploy, then verify its current bootc-compatible image, supported architecture, package manager, and installation path. The generic image-building guidance explains the common pattern, but it is not a guarantee that every distribution supports the same commands or deployment options.
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- Use a base image explicitly intended to work with bootc.
- Check that it supports the machine architecture you plan to run.
- Follow that distribution’s package names, image-building tools, and installation instructions.
Customize the operating system in a Containerfile
Describe the desired system as a version-controlled image build. A Containerfile can install packages with the base distribution’s package manager and copy in configuration or other files. The commands below show the shape of the work, not runnable commands: replace each illustrative item with the exact image, package manager, package names, and cleanup procedure documented by your chosen distribution.
FROM <bootc-compatible base image>
RUN <distribution package manager> install <packages> && <clean package metadata>
COPY <files> <destination>During the container build, image contents can be modified as packages and files are added. After deployment, the image’s files are read-only by default; changes that need to persist as machine-specific runtime state belong in writable state locations rather than being treated as edits to the built image. The bootc build guidance covers this distinction and the expected package-installation workflow.
Build and test before installing on hardware
Build the image using the container tooling and workflow supported by your chosen distribution. Then test it in a virtual machine before directing an installer at a physical disk. There is no single official test matrix that covers every distribution and device, so make the checks fit your intended system:
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- Confirm the image boots and that you can sign in using the access method you configured.
- Test networking and the system services your intended use requires.
- Check that updates work as expected and that rollback is available for your distribution.
- Where possible, test against the hardware and peripherals you plan to use.
A virtual-machine test does not require a USB drive. For physical installation, some workflows can create ISO-on-USB or raw-image artifacts; the Podman Desktop bootc extension project describes VM, ISO-on-USB, and raw-image formats. Availability and supported options depend on the distribution and tooling.
Choose an installation route
A container image alone is not a bootable disk. The installed system also needs boot components, a root filesystem, and installation logic. bootc’s installation tooling bridges the image-to-machine gap. Its installation overview describes direct-to-disk installation and installation into an existing filesystem; some distributions provide external installers for more involved provisioning.
| Route | Use it for | Key consideration |
|---|---|---|
bootc install to-disk |
Direct installation to a block device using the image’s embedded installation logic. | The documented basic path uses a simple layout. Treat the target device carefully: installing to a real disk can overwrite data. |
bootc install to-filesystem |
Installing into a filesystem that already exists. | Use this route when the filesystem or storage arrangement is being managed separately; follow the distribution’s instructions. |
| Distribution installer or generated artifact | Provisioning flows that need additional installer behavior, or creating formats such as VM, ISO-on-USB, or raw images where supported. | Formats and capabilities vary by distribution and tool. A USB installer is optional and only relevant to a physical-installation workflow. |
Simple direct-to-disk installation
The bootc install-to-disk manual documents privileged access to block devices and includes a disk-wipe example. Do not copy a destructive example onto a physical target without verifying the device name and understanding that its contents may be erased. Test against a disposable virtual disk first. The manual for bootc 1.11 says its documented default uses the Discoverable Partitions Specification; check the manual version and your distribution’s guidance before relying on that behavior.
More complex storage
The same manual recommends the filesystem-oriented route for more complex arrangements such as RAID, LVM, or LUKS. Decide how the storage is created and managed before deployment, and use the installer instructions for the chosen distribution rather than assuming the basic direct-to-disk layout can handle it.
Understand updates and persistent state
bootc’s update model aims to replace the running system with a new image as a unit, with the possibility of returning to a previous bootable image where supported. Writable locations such as /etc and /var preserve machine-specific state by default. This separation helps distinguish what you release as the operating-system image from what belongs to an individual installed machine.
Do not assume every bootc-based system checks for or installs updates daily. The upstream bootc-fetch-apply-updates.service manual describes a service that checks its source registry, downloads a new image when available, and reboots; the companion upstream timer is enabled daily. The project also expects distributions to choose their own defaults, and checking, downloading, and applying updates can be separated. Follow the policy and controls supplied by your distribution.
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