Base Images
OpenFactory recipes select a base-image identifier that is resolved by a specific worker and upstream source. The console’s current picker and the validated normalized recipe are the source of truth for which identifiers are available now.
Choose by evidence requirements
| Need | Starting family | Verify before use |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative server or appliance | Debian or Ubuntu LTS | Upstream support window, package source, unattended-update policy, hardware drivers |
| Desktop or GPU workstation | Ubuntu or another available desktop image | Desktop packages, proprietary-driver licensing, installer, suspend/resume, target GPU |
| Newer developer packages | Fedora or openSUSE where selectable | Release lifetime, package names, SELinux/AppArmor behavior |
| Virtualization lab | A selectable Proxmox target | Nested-virtualization support, storage, networking, installer, physical-host boot |
| Edge or board image | A worker explicitly supporting the board | Architecture, boot firmware, partition layout, peripherals, recovery path |
These are starting points, not production recommendations. Upstream image availability does not mean OpenFactory implements every customization for that family.
Compatibility rules
- Package names and repositories vary by family and release.
- A feature can be supported on one worker and ignored, substituted, or blocked on another.
- Desktop themes and settings depend on the installed desktop environment.
- CIS catalogs are distribution-and-release specific. A fallback catalog is visible as a substitution warning and is not equivalent certification.
- ISO boot in the hosted VM harness does not prove UEFI, Secure Boot, firmware, driver, suspend, or installer behavior on physical hardware.
- Upstream URLs, signatures, and support windows can change independently of OpenFactory.
Selection workflow
- Select the exact base in the console.
- Validate the recipe and review substitutions and unsupported-feature warnings.
- Build and inspect the artifact metadata and source provenance.
- Require prompt-specific VM assertions in addition to the default suite.
- Test installers and hardware-bound behavior on representative hardware.
- Pin a known-good recipe and source identity for repeatability.
See Understanding recipes and Testing.