Consuming StarlingX

StarlingX is ready for you to use today. However limitations exist regarding what you can do with the open source software. Features of the software like secure boot and live software update are not fully enabled by the community.

The community does not provide signed software images, which are needed to enable features that depend on signed images to implement security features. Providing signed images is typically the responsibility of commercial vendors or the users themselves. As such, the following are three ways in which you can consume StarlingX.

Deploy the open source code

You can use the open source software directly. Our community partner CENGN has an archive containing ready to run ISO images of the current StarlingX releases and daily builds.

As previously mentioned, these images are not signed and thus do not support secure boot or live software updates. You can also build your own images.

The StarlingX community recommends that anyone looking to deploy the open source software use the release images, which have been tested and validated by the community. Developers looking to work against the tip of the source trees would typcally use the daily builds.

Deploy an internal version of StarlingX

If you are part of a company, the company itself can create a team to create their own version of StarlingX for the company. Such a team could do acceptance testing of the open source software, customize it as needed, sign their own internal images, and use the features in StarlingX to enable secure boot and to develop and deliver live software updates (patches) to their internal users.

Deploy code from a vendor

You can also consume a commercial vendor’s StarlingX-based product or solution. Vendors can provide signed images and signed software updates. They can add features or content to the open source software. They may provide other services such as technical support.

The StarlingX community expects several vendors to provide StarlingX-based products and solutions. We hope to see more as our community grows.