[LFH]: DeB00t (wanted: Embedded Hardware Hacker)

[chrishobcroft]

This concept was first proposed in this issue and due to the level of interest has been migrated to its own issue.

What?

This project aims to build a mechanism to allow a computer/server (e.g. RaspberryPi, laptop, desktop, bare-metal server) to boot without it requiring any local storage, a so called "diskless" boot.

The intention is to load required software (e.g. Operating System, base software packages) from Swarm (Ethereum's decentralised storage layer) into the computer's memory, and to operate using only RAM and CPU, and without the need for local storage.

Why?

Running infrastructure at home is complicated. It typically becomes the reserve of technically-minded people, with a high degree of comfort using command-line tooling, to build and operate nodes.

This project aims to work towards drastically reducing the complexity of running infrastructure at home, as a way to lower the barrier-to-entry for less-technically-minded people to be able to participate in running the base layer of Ethereum.

For example, with such a mechanism, the ability for a home user to start running Validating infrastructure (for example) by...

1. Unboxing a pre-configured device (e.g. Rock5B, RPi4)
2. Plugging in to power supply
3. Plugging in to ethernet
4. Applying keys (e.g. on a keycard / USB stick)

...and everything else happens automatically.

Furthermore, such a mechanism would allow a home user to update to new software for Validating infrastructure by...

1. Turning off the device
2. Turning on the device

...and everything else happens automatically.

And?

Such a paradigm can also have profound implications for how hardware and software are managed across the Ethereum community, and the internet as a whole, introducing greater potential for:

• decentralised package management - ability to more easily manage what software runs on a device, and to be able to audit the process of this software being created, released and verified, and by whom (ENS name, not github handle).

• decentralised code storage - if it's stored in Swarm, loaded up from Swarm, then it probably doesn't need to be stored in github, right?

• decentralised governance - of what code gets loaded up onto a device, e.g. democratically agreeing on a new release of code.

• onchain system configuration management - using chainstate like a "configuration management database". Update configuration onchain, reboot device, configuration applied automatically on reboot.

Who?

We are currently (loosely):

• Andrew - designer, mathematician, researcher, dStorage enthusiast
• Aata - maths, crypto(graphy) and electronics, dStorage enthusiast
• Chris - ideator, mathematician, infrastructure operator

Looking for 2-3 more team members.

Skills wanted

• Embedded Hardware Hacker
• Security Architecture/Design

Communication

Telegram (for now): https://t.me/+TnD8PDmVUIdjZWE1

[noman-land]

I've actually had an idea really similar to this except instead of a whole bootable OS image, it would just be an encrypted filesystem.

The idea was mainly to help ease the crossing of national borders, or generally traveling, without having your devices and portable storage searched, cloned, or lost.

This way you can travel without devices, but reconstitute your digital life anywhere you end up.

[chrishobcroft]

@noman-land does your idea look something like this: https://github.com/aloknerurkar/bee-afs ?

[noman-land]

@noman-land does your idea look something like this: https://github.com/aloknerurkar/bee-afs ?

@chrishobcroft That does look pretty similar. It's probably a lot lower level and less user friendly than I imagine in my head but definitely similar concept. Thanks for sharing. Maybe it could be used underneath my idea and polished up for a nice UX.

[chrishobcroft]

Current documentation for deboot:

Repo: https://github.com/debootdevs/deboot

Docs: https://debootdevs.github.io/deboot

[noman-land]

@chrishobcroft Looks like you got a typo in the repo name. It says "reboot" and leads to a broken link.