🔥 Ignis Philosophy

Ignis is AeherOS’s own expression of Linux: a stable, predictable Arch-based system designed for real workloads—not constant churn.

Ignis exists because Arch alone does not guarantee stability, and most “stable Arch derivatives” simply slow updates instead of enforcing discipline. We want something better.

Why Ignis exists

Ignis combines:

• Arch for simplicity and transparency
• SteamOS-style stability
• Qubes-style compartmentalization principles
• AeherOS reproducibility + trust model

Ignis is not a remix. It is a policy-driven distribution layered on Arch fundamentals.

Core guarantees

Ignis promises:

• curated, versioned package snapshots
• predictable update cadences
• reproducible builds
• signed repositories
• minimal secure base system
• tightly controlled dependency surfaces

When you install Ignis, the system state is knowable and repeatable.

What Ignis is not

Ignis does not:

• track Arch rolling releases
• guarantee access to the newest package versions
• encourage uncontrolled update behavior

Ignis prioritizes reliability over novelty.

Controlled escape hatches

Ignis includes optional access to:

• Aer repository (rolling AeherOS packages)
• Arch upstream repositories (for users who accept risk)

These paths are available, but:

Rolling behavior is unsupported. Users assume full responsibility for breakage when leaving the stable channel.

Ignis stays predictable only as long as users stay within its curated repo set.

Stability as a first-class design constraint

Ignis enforces stability through:

• versioned package snapshots
• rollback-friendly repo structure
• explicit repo ordering
• no uncontrolled dependency ripple
• reproducible build constraints
• deterministic pacman configs
• signature verification requirements

There is no “just update and hope”—Ignis updates are released only when verified.

Why Arch?

Because Arch provides:

• clarity rather than abstraction
• no hidden automation
• no opinionated defaults about software stacks
• excellent tooling for packaging
• deterministic builds when disciplined

Arch gives Ignis a foundation where predictability is possible—not guaranteed. Ignis provides the discipline Arch intentionally does not.

Why containerisation principles matter

Ignis draws influence from QubesOS—not by copying its full VM model, but by embracing the idea that:

• software trust boundaries must be explicit
• systems should isolate concerns
• “installed software = trusted software” must be intentional

Ignis evolves toward a system where application confinement is built into the workflow, not bolted on afterward.

Long-term vision

Ignis aims to become:

• the first reproducible, stable Arch-based distribution
• secure by design, not by plugins
• modular instead of monolithic
• predictable without sacrificing control
• minimal but extensible
• usable by professionals, not hobbyists only

A system you can:

• audit
• backup
• roll forward
• roll back
• reproduce on any machine

without fear.

Summary

Ignis exists to prove a point:

Linux can be both predictable and empowering. You can have Arch’s control without Arch’s chaos.

Ignis provides stability and trust by default. Users who want rolling behavior are free to break away—on their own terms and at their own risk.

Got it. Let’s define Aer cleanly and at the same level of rigor as Ignis.

This will be your authoritative Aer philosophy document.