Adding Layered Packages

Add a layered package with the rpm-ostree install command:

$ rpm-ostree install --help
Usage:
  rpm-ostree install [OPTION…] PACKAGE [PACKAGE...]

Overlay additional packages

Help Options:
  -h, --help              Show help options

Application Options:
  --uninstall=PKG         Remove overlayed additional package
  -C, --cache-only        Do not download latest ostree and RPM data
  --download-only         Just download latest ostree and RPM data, don't deploy
  --os=OSNAME             Operate on provided OSNAME
  -r, --reboot            Initiate a reboot after operation is complete
  -n, --dry-run           Exit after printing the transaction
  --allow-inactive        Allow inactive package requests
  --idempotent            Do nothing if package already (un)installed
  --unchanged-exit-77     If no overlays were changed, exit 77
  --sysroot=SYSROOT       Use system root SYSROOT (default: /)
  --peer                  Force a peer-to-peer connection instead of using the system message bus
  --version               Print version information and exit

Install multiple packages

This command accepts multiple package names. To create less images, consider grouping compatable packages into a single command. This will create a single new layered image.

$ sudo rpm-ostree install git asciiquarium

Alternately, consider using containers for your applications. A container workflow can be managed separately from the OS update cycle.

Be sure to Reboot

At this point a new layer is available but not yet active. For example, the git command installed above is not yet found.

$ git --version
bash: git: command not found

Display the current status of the images:

$ rpm-ostree status
State: idle
AutomaticUpdates: disabled
Deployments:
  ostree://fedora-iot:fedora/stable/x86_64/iot
                   Version: 29.20190214.0 (2019-02-14T18:11:32Z)
                BaseCommit: 007f24873c04fea4ee96024f6ebb6e56a29f634ab2a9e9218b15444666dd719c
              GPGSignature: Valid signature by C2A3FA9DC67F68B98BB543F47BB90722DBBDCF7C
           LayeredPackages: asciiquarium git (1)

● ostree://fedora-iot:fedora/stable/x86_64/iot  (2)
                   Version: 29.20190214.0 (2019-02-14T18:11:32Z)
                    Commit: 007f24873c04fea4ee96024f6ebb6e56a29f634ab2a9e9218b15444666dd719c
              GPGSignature: Valid signature by C2A3FA9DC67F68B98BB543F47BB90722DBBDCF7C

  ostree://fedora-iot:fedora/29/x86_64/iot  (3)
                   Version: 29.20181128.1 (2018-11-28T09:16:42Z)
                    Commit: f40b0a24b9c11ee859d4cb323222d0b979873d8d11f63fcb848cba6ab8a2515e
              GPGSignature: Can't check signature: public key A20AA56B429476B4 not found

1	The new image indicates layered packages.
2	The second image listed is the active image as indicated by the ●.
3	Any older images will be removed when the system is rebooted.

Due to the atomic nature of the OS, you will have to reboot into the new image to have the layered image take effect:

$ sudo systemctl reboot

Display the status of the images:

$ rpm-ostree status
State: idle
AutomaticUpdates: disabled
Deployments:
● ostree://fedora-iot:fedora/stable/x86_64/iot
                   Version: 29.20190214.0 (2019-02-14T18:11:32Z)
                BaseCommit: 007f24873c04fea4ee96024f6ebb6e56a29f634ab2a9e9218b15444666dd719c
              GPGSignature: Valid signature by C2A3FA9DC67F68B98BB543F47BB90722DBBDCF7C
           LayeredPackages: asciiquarium git

  ostree://fedora-iot:fedora/stable/x86_64/iot
                   Version: 29.20190214.0 (2019-02-14T18:11:32Z)
                    Commit: 007f24873c04fea4ee96024f6ebb6e56a29f634ab2a9e9218b15444666dd719c
              GPGSignature: Valid signature by C2A3FA9DC67F68B98BB543F47BB90722DBBDCF7C

After the reboot, the git command will be available:

$ git --version
git version 2.20.1

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