Open Source Summit Europe 2022

In 2015, the RAUC update framework was started as an Open Source project to end the era of home-grown shell-script Embedded Linux and IoT system update 'solutions'. More than seven years later, RAUC has been used in a number of very diverse projects and platforms, of which one of the most popular is probably Valve's Steam Deck. Over time, the number of new requirements and use cases increased and the project had to overcome some limitations of the early design without compromising the original goals: clearly defined scope, flexibility, use of standard tools/protocols and robust security. The introduction of the new 'verity' bundle format as a turning point in recent development allowed adding features such as built-in HTTP(S) network streaming support, bundle encryption and incremental updates. The talk will give a deep dive into these developments and show how they leverage existing Linux kernel functionality like the verity or crypt device-mapper targets and network block device support. Also current and potential future enhancements such as integrated life-cycle handling, installation history, group (m-of-n) signatures and simple rollout scheduling will be addressed.