Optional PkgForge backend for Penguins-Eggs (external adapter, no core changes) + Using PkgForge as a build/cache backend for Penguins-Eggs ISOs (external adapter)

[Interested-Deving-1896]

[ Hello 👋

This issue proposes an optional, external integration between
Penguins-Eggs and PkgForge, implemented as a small adapter repo.
No core Penguins-Eggs code would be modified unless explicitly agreed.

Summary

The idea is to allow Penguins-Eggs to consume PkgForge-built artifacts
as a package backend, alongside existing apt/apk/etc workflows.

Penguins-Eggs would remain fully independent and distro-focused;
PkgForge would simply act as an optional build + cache source.

What this enables

• Reproducible ISO builds
• Reduced reliance on host distro repos
• Cleaner Alpine / non-Debian workflows
• Artifact caching and reuse
• Experimental distro-agnostic Eggs images

What this does NOT do

• No repo merge
• No rewrite of Eggs internals
• No replacement of existing package managers
• No new mandatory dependency

Proposed approach

• External adapter repo (pkgforge-eggs)
• Optional pkgforge backend selected via CLI
• Declarative manifest shared between projects
• Eggs remains authoritative over snapshot + ISO logic

Status

This is currently a design + PoC proposal.
Feedback on scope and boundaries is welcome before any implementation.

Thanks for your time, and happy to adapt this to Eggs’ preferred workflow. ]

ChatGPT Chat Link : [ https://chatgpt.com/share/6983fc51-dbfc-8012-9a6c-d861f2750639 ]

Initial Inquiry : [ Could you assist with integrating, wrapping, merging & collaboration between Penguins-Eggs & PkgForge, please & thanks in advance.

https://github.com/pieroproietti/penguins-eggs

https://github.com/pieroproietti/penguins-packs

https://github.com/pieroproietti/fresh-eggs

https://github.com/pieroproietti/penguins-eggs-ppa

https://github.com/pieroproietti/penguins-alpine

https://github.com/pieroproietti/penguins-bootloaders

https://github.com/pieroproietti/eggsmaker

https://github.com/pieroproietti/pengui

https://github.com/pieroproietti/basket

https://github.com/pieroproietti/easy-menu-system

https://github.com/pkgforge

https://github.com/pkgforge/soarpkgs

https://github.com/pkgforge/devscripts

https://github.com/pkgforge/pkgs.pkgforge.dev

https://github.com/pkgforge/bin

https://github.com/pkgforge/aeris

https://github.com/pkgforge/soar

https://github.com/pkgforge/nix-appimage

https://github.com/pkgforge/sbuilder-go

https://github.com/pkgforge/sbuilder

https://github.com/pkgforge/squishy-rs

https://github.com/pkgforge/bincache

https://github.com/pkgforge/pkgcache

https://github.com/pkgforge/build-system

https://github.com/pkgforge/store.pkgforge.dev ]

Initial Response :

[ Oh this is a very good pairing. Penguins-Eggs and PkgForge actually complement each other almost suspiciously well 🐧🥚⚒️
I’ll break this down in a way that’s practical, realistic, and collaboration-friendly—not a big-bang merge that nobody wants to maintain.

---

Big picture: what this collaboration should be

Penguins-Eggs = system snapshot + live ISO + distro crafting

PkgForge = universal package production, caching, and distribution

Together, they can form a full lifecycle:

Build system → package artifacts → cache/store → OS snapshot → ISO/image → redistribution

Think of Eggs as “what the system becomes”
Think of PkgForge as “how software gets built, cached, and shipped”

---

1. Conceptual integration map

Penguins-Eggs side (what Eggs already does well)

Component Role

penguins-eggs Snapshot → ISO
penguins-packs Package grouping
fresh-eggs Minimal base seeds
eggsmaker Build orchestration
penguins-alpine Non-Debian proof
basket Package sets
pengui UI frontend
bootloaders, easy-menu-system Boot UX

PkgForge side (what it adds)

Component Role

soar / soarpkgs Universal package format
sbuilder(-go) Reproducible builders
bincache / pkgcache Artifact caching
store.pkgforge.dev Distribution layer
nix-appimage Cross-distro app builds
squishy-rs Compression / FS tooling
aeris Infra glue

---

2. Recommended integration strategy (no monorepo!)

❌ Don’t

Hard-merge repos

Rewrite Eggs around PkgForge

Force one build system onto the other

✅ Do

Layered integration

Optional backends

Shared schemas + conventions

Cross-project tooling

---

3. Concrete integration points (the juicy part)

A. PkgForge as an optional package backend for Eggs

Add a new Eggs concept:

eggs package-backend:

• apt
• apk
• pacman
• pkgforge (NEW)

What this enables:

Eggs ISOs built entirely from pkgforge artifacts

Mixed sources (base OS + pkgforge apps)

Zero reliance on host distro repos

Implementation

Thin adapter in penguins-eggs

Calls:

pkgforge/bin

soar install

pkgcache pull

No deep coupling required.

---

B. Eggs → PkgForge build pipeline

Eggs already knows:

Exact package set

Versions

Architecture

Kernel + init + boot config

That’s gold.

New workflow

eggs produce manifest
↓
PkgForge sbuilder
↓
soar package set
↓
bincache/store
↓
Eggs ISO build

Artifacts become:

Reusable

Cacheable

Shareable across distros

This turns Eggs from “snapshot tool” into a reproducible OS factory.

---

C. penguins-packs ↔ soarpkgs

This is a near-perfect match.

Penguins-Packs PkgForge

Logical app groups Soar package collections
Role-based installs Declarative manifests
Desktop flavors App bundles

Action

Define a shared YAML/JSON schema

Auto-generate:

penguins-packs from soarpkgs

soarpkgs from penguins-packs

This avoids duplication and keeps both ecosystems in sync.

---

D. Eggs + squishy-rs + store.pkgforge.dev

Eggs outputs:

SquashFS

ISOs

Rootfs trees

PkgForge offers:

Optimized compression

Artifact storage

CDN distribution

Result

Eggs ISOs published via store.pkgforge.dev

Delta updates for Eggs remasters

Versioned OS images

That’s huge for bandwidth and CI.

---

4. Alpine + non-Debian future

penguins-alpine + pkgforge/soar is where this gets spicy 🌶️

Alpine base

PkgForge apps

Eggs snapshot

Zero distro lock-in

You end up with:

A distro-agnostic OS builder

This positions Eggs way beyond Debian tooling.

---

5. Collaboration model (this part matters)

Shared repos (new, small, neutral)

Suggested:

pkgforge-eggs-specs/
pkgforge-eggs-adapter/
eggs-pkgforge-manifests/

These should:

Be tiny

Be well-documented

Contain schemas + glue only

Maintainer boundaries

Eggs remains Eggs

PkgForge remains PkgForge

Integration lives between them

This avoids burnout and political friction.

---

6. Suggested phased roadmap

Phase 1 (low risk, fast win)

Eggs → pkgforge binary cache

Manual integration

Proof-of-concept ISO

Phase 2

Package backend abstraction

Auto-generated manifests

CI builds using sbuilder-go

Phase 3

Store publishing

Delta ISOs

UI support in pengui

---

7. What I can help you do next

If you want, I can:

Draft exact repo structure for the adapter

Write a PkgForge ↔ Eggs manifest spec

Sketch CLI commands (eggs pkgforge enable)

Prepare a maintainer-friendly pitch for both sides

Identify which repos should never be touched

Just tell me what you want to tackle first—and whether you want this framed as an experiment, addon, or long-term alliance.

This is one of the cleanest ecosystem fits I’ve seen in a while 👌 ]

[Interested-Deving-1896]

pieroproietti/penguins-eggs#755

[crueter]

ts so tuff 🔥🔥🔥

[Interested-Deving-1896]

ts so tuff 🔥🔥🔥

[ Yes typescript, one could hypothetically call it a "pseudo" swiss army knife 🔪 . . . ]

[QaidVoid]

Spam. This doesn't explain anything about what needs to be done and how.. Gets almost everything entirely wrong..

[Interested-Deving-1896]

Spam. This doesn't explain anything about what needs to be done and how.. Gets almost everything entirely wrong..

Have you actually open the chatgpt link or just skimming the git issue?

In a respectful manner, please explain your definition of "spam", everyone has different definitions.

Would you prefer me to export the entire ChatGPT chat itself to a PDF file for you to read that way?

Let's have a neutral, critical & transparent discussion.

Thanks in advance.

[QaidVoid]

Have you actually open the chatgpt link or just skimming the git issue?

Yes, the content is technically inaccurate.

In a respectful manner, please explain your definition of "spam", everyone has different definitions.

This is an AI-generated proposal that wasn't validated against the actual projects before submission. The result is a detailed integration plan built on incorrect assumptions about what these tools do.

soar / soarpkgs Universal package format

soar is a package manager, soarkgs is a build recipes repository. These are not package formats.

bincache / pkgcache Artifact caching

These are (were) just package repositories.

store.pkgforge.dev Distribution layer

Doesn't exist (although there's a defunct git repository)

squishy-rs Compression / FS tooling

It's a SquashFS reader (+ dwarfs) for extracting appimage resources.

aeris Infra glue

It's a GUI for package managers.

[Interested-Deving-1896]

In some of your repos they have been marked as archived along with being merged into other repos, could you please indicate which are still getting active development/maintainership, thanks in advance.

Also, what timezone are you in? Myself, I am in the Pacific Standard Time "timezone".

Have you actually open the chatgpt link or just skimming the git issue?

Yes, the content is technically inaccurate.

In a respectful manner, please explain your definition of "spam", everyone has different definitions.

This is an AI-generated proposal that wasn't validated against the actual projects before submission. The result is a detailed integration plan built on incorrect assumptions about what these tools do.

soar / soarpkgs Universal package format

soar is a package manager, soarkgs is a build recipes repository. These are not package formats.

bincache / pkgcache Artifact caching

These are (were) just package repositories.

store.pkgforge.dev Distribution layer

Doesn't exist (although there's a defunct git repository)

squishy-rs Compression / FS tooling

It's a SquashFS reader (+ dwarfs) for extracting appimage resources.

aeris Infra glue

It's a GUI for package managers.

[QaidVoid]

In some of your repos they have been marked as archived along with being merged into other repos, could you please indicate which are still getting active development/maintainership, thanks in advance.

Mostly soar and soarpkgs would be the active ones. I don't know how penguins-eggs work or what it actually does in detail, but for the integration, it either needs soar if it's supposed to act like a meta package manager, or an adapter to convert soarpkgs metadata to the format supported by penguins-eggs.

Also, what timezone are you in? Myself, I am in the Pacific Standard Time "timezone".

I'm in Nepal Standard Time (UTC+05:45).

[Interested-Deving-1896]

Here is the Official Git-Book/GitBook for Penguins-Eggs :

https://github.com/pieroproietti/penguins-eggs-book

Here is the official YouTube Account for the Creator/Maintainer of Penguins-Eggs :

https://youtube.com/@pieroproietti

Here are some good YouTube Videos about Penguins-Eggs :

https://youtu.be/t_Lhw_iaVac

I have been friends with the creator of Penguins-Eggs since 2017, I have been using Penguins-Eggs since then as well.

Here is an accurate synopsis & outline of what Penguins-Eggs is & does.

Here’s a clear, complete explanation of the Penguins-eggs Project from the GitHub repo you linked — what it is, what it does, and how it all fits together:

---

🐧 What Is Penguins-eggs?

Penguins-eggs (often just called eggs) is an open-source system remastering and cloning tool for Linux systems. Think of it like a modern version of old remastering tools (like Remastersys or Systemback), but rewritten with current tech and designed to work across many different Linux distributions.

It lets you take an existing Linux installation — including all your packages, settings, and optionally your personal data — and produce a live ISO image that you can boot from USB, install to other machines, or share.

The name comes from the idea of “producing eggs” (live images) from a system, like penguins “producing eggs” in nature.

---

🛠️ Main Purposes & What It Can Do

🏗️ 1. Create Live & Installable ISO Images

You can take your current Linux system and turn it into a bootable live ISO — like a custom Linux distribution or a backup of your setup. This ISO can then be booted on other computers or used for installation.

This is useful if you want:

A portable version of your setup (e.g., on a USB stick).

To clone your system to another PC.

To create a custom Linux respin to share with others.

---

🪶 2. System Backup & Cloning

Rather than just copying files, eggs integrates system configurations, installed packages, and optionally user data into the ISO. You can choose:

Produce a clean ISO (no user data).

Clone with user data included.

Encrypt user data inside the ISO using LUKS so it stays secure.

---

🌐 3. PXE / Network Boot (Cuckoo)

The tool has a feature nicknamed Cuckoo: it sets up your system so other machines on a local network can boot the generated ISO via PXE, meaning you can install or test your custom system over the network.

---

🧰 4. Installers Included

Once you’ve created an ISO, you need a way to install it on hardware:

Calamares — a full GUI installer that works well for desktop systems.

Krill — a TUI (text-based) installer that installs from servers or minimal systems. Both use the same config files.

---

🎛️ 5. Customization with The “Wardrobe”

The Wardrobe system lets you create structured customization sets:

Costumes & themes — predefined configurations.

Switch easily between different setups (e.g., server vs. desktop).

This makes it easier to manage variations of your Linux spin without starting from scratch each time.

---

🐧 Supported Systems

Penguins-eggs aims to be distribution-agnostic — meaning it supports many Linux families:

Debian / Ubuntu / Devuan and their derivatives

Arch / Manjaro

Fedora / AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux

openSUSE

Alpine Linux

And architectures like amd64, i386, and arm64 (e.g., Raspberry Pi).

That’s much broader coverage than most remastering tools historically offered.

---

🧠 How It’s Built

Written mainly in TypeScript for cross-platform compatibility.

Uses modern filesystem techniques and zstd compression to speed up ISO creation.

Employs OverlayFS (where available) to efficiently snapshot the system without copying everything.

---

🚀 Typical Workflow (High-Level)

1. Install eggs on your Linux system.

2. Configure it (either automatically or manually).

3. Use commands like:

sudo eggs produce — to generate a live ISO.

With flags like --clone, --homecrypt, or --fullcrypt for different backup behaviors.

4. Boot the ISO on another machine or install it using Calamares/Krill.

---

📦 Extra Tools & Helper Commands

The project includes “helper” commands (with playful names):

mom — provides help and explanations.

dad — helps configure eggs interactively.

kill — removes generated ISO images.

---

🧩 Related Projects

Penguins-Wardrobe — for managing config sets and setup variations.

GUI Tools like eggsmaker — optional graphical interfaces.

---

📘 Why It Matters

Most distros don’t make it easy to turn a live, fully configured system into a reusable ISO. Historically, tools that did this have been abandoned. Penguins-eggs fills that gap with:

✔ Modern tooling and compression
✔ Broad distro support
✔ Flexible ISO creation with or without user data
✔ Secure encrypted backups
✔ GUI and TUI installers included
✔ Network boot support (PXE)

Many Linux users find this highly valuable for backups, deployment, respinning distros, or customizing distributions without starting from scratch.

---

If you’d like, I can also walk you through how to install and use Penguins-eggs step by step on a specific distro (like Ubuntu or Arch). Just let me know!

Here is the ChatGPT Link for this synopsis/outline :

https://chatgpt.com/share/6991ff64-272c-8012-a45d-12116937b081

In some of your repos they have been marked as archived along with being merged into other repos, could you please indicate which are still getting active development/maintainership, thanks in advance.

Mostly soar and soarpkgs would be the active ones. I don't know how penguins-eggs work or what it actually does in detail, but for the integration, it either needs soar if it's supposed to act like a meta package manager, or an adapter to convert soarpkgs metadata to the format supported by penguins-eggs.

Also, what timezone are you in? Myself, I am in the Pacific Standard Time "timezone".

I'm in Nepal Standard Time (UTC+05:45).

[QaidVoid]

Here is the Official Git-Book/GitBook for Penguins-Eggs :

https://github.com/pieroproietti/penguins-eggs-book

Thanks. This is better than the docs from official website.

I'm still confused on what value can soar/soarpkgs provide to penguin-eggs. I'll need to investigate further..