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Changelog

Changes

A plain-language log of what changed between releases, written in words rather than commit hashes. Use it to see what moved, what broke, and what you should re-test before upgrading.

Saphira Linux dragon mascot

Saphira-d

In development2026-08-23

Added

  • Saphira-d: a separate, source-built musl + systemd sibling of Saphira (musl + OpenRC). See the Saphira-d roadmap.
  • x86-64-v3 is the active and implemented Saphira-d build profile; i686, i586, x86-64-v1/v2/v4 and AArch64 are planned build-profile expansion.
  • AArch64 work begins with Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and Pi 4 8 GB; Pi 4 builds plan a crossover with the existing akadata/pistorm64 remote-SCSI work.

Direction

  • Saphira-d is an experiment, not a replacement: it asks whether Saphira's small, understandable source-built character survives with systemd instead of OpenRC. OpenRC Saphira remains the distribution people run.
  • First boot proven on 24 August 2026: non-usr-merged Saphira-d systemd booted under systemd-nspawn on homer from a UAS USB NVMe device; runtime cleanup and image publication remain.

Earlybird Beta

Beta2026-08-15

Added

  • First public bootable Saphira Linux image.
  • Public APK package repository at packages.akadata.ltd/saphira/main.
  • First-boot flow: root password, user creation, network and DNS configuration.
  • Working package installation with apk update / search / add.
  • Server and development workloads tested: nginx, PHP, Node.js, Python, MariaDB, OpenSSH, GCC.

Changed

  • Baseline architecture fixed at x86-64-v3.
  • Image distribution moved to a compressed archive with a published SHA-256.

Fixed

  • Package split rules corrected so -dev and -doc no longer pull in binary runtimes.
  • Several service scripts corrected after real boot testing under KVM/QEMU.

Packaging

  • 481 packages published for x86_64.
  • Signed repository indexes.
  • Manifests and fingerprints recorded for every package.

Build system

  • Staged bootstrap Stage0 → Stage4 in place.
  • GCC 16.1.0 development toolchain with broader native language support and musl-specific compatibility work.
  • Source inputs pinned and hash-verified.
  • Image generation scripted from the package catalogue.

Current status

  • Guided first-boot setup configures accounts, networking, DNS, and the APK repository.
  • Package quality fixes continue through runtime dependency, split-package, service, SONAME, and configuration packaging work.
  • The current development tree is migrating to GCC 16.1.0 before a clean full rebuild.

Earlybird Bootstrap

Beta2026-08-17

Added

  • Bootstrap image published: a root filesystem release for installing Saphira onto a target disk from an already-running Linux system. Full guide at Bootstrap install.
  • First boot of the bootstrap image runs guided setup: it sets the root password, creates an operator user with the name you choose, configures IPv4 and IPv6 networking and DNS, then selects the APK repository location already stored and verified inside the bootstrap.
  • Step-by-step kernel build walkthrough available at Build a Saphira Linux kernel.

Changed

  • Install path now supports both KVM/QEMU guests and physical machines or other hypervisors via the bootstrap image.

Build system

  • Bootstrap release bundles the verified Linux 7.2 source, checksum and PGP signature in /usr/src for optional self-build.

TBC

Milestone2026-08-19

Build system

  • Milestone full rebuild from the SDK (Stage0 → Stage4).
  • GCC 16.2.0 with complete native language support: c, c++, fortran, ada, objc, obj-c++, d, go, m2, cobol, algol68, jit, lto.
  • Complete compiler infrastructure alongside golang, rustc, clang and LLVM.

Packaging

Known issues

Saphira works. That does not mean every corner has stopped biting.

  • First-boot setup

    Working

    The Earlybird image includes guided setup for the root password, normal user, full name, user password, IPv4 and IPv6 addresses with gateways, DNS selection, an optional search domain, and APK repository configuration.

    • DNS providers: Quad9, Cloudflare, OpenDNS / Cisco Umbrella, or custom DNS.
    • The setup applies the configuration, updates the repository file, copies /etc/skel profile files into root and the new user's home, and drops to a shell ready for apk use.

  • Package quality fixes

    In progress

    Earlybird is a real beta release and package-level issues are still being corrected through actual use.

    • Examples include runtime dependency fixes, package split corrections, service script fixes, library SONAME corrections, and configuration packaging fixes.
    • A current example is PHP SQLite support: when a dependency is missing, runtime symbols usually identify what needs to be added with apk add.
    • The packaging is fixed where possible rather than documenting permanent workarounds.

  • GCC 16.2.0 toolchain migration

    In progress

    The development tree is migrating to GCC 16.2.0 with broader native language support and musl-specific compatibility work. The released Earlybird Beta and Bootstrap images shipped on GCC 16.1.0.

    • Once the native compiler and toolchain are proven, the full distribution will be rebuilt cleanly from the beginning.

  • Installation tooling

    In progress

    The current image can already be imported into a hypervisor and configured through the guided first-boot setup.

    • A more complete TUI installation path for installing Saphira onto target disks is planned.

  • Desktop support

    Not planned

    Saphira is a server operating system. There are no project plans for X11, Wayland, Plasma, or graphical installation.

    • Nothing prevents users from packaging or building those themselves.

  • NVIDIA support

    Not currently planned

    NVIDIA support depends on a practical musl-compatible driver and userspace path being available upstream.

    • Saphira will not build a private compatibility layer around NVIDIA's driver stack.