amduat-api/notes/Bootable ASL-AUTH-HOST.md

Ah, yes — you’re right! The previous summary focused on ASL, PEL, domains, and blocks, but we also discussed building an ASL-AUTH-HOST ISO and bootable USB workflow. Here’s a compact recap integrated with your overall architecture:

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Bootable ASL-AUTH-HOST / USB Summary

1. Environment

• Start from a minimal Debian root (via debootstrap) inside a container.

• Set up:

  • $WORKDIR/iso_root → ISO root filesystem
  • $WORKDIR/overlay → ASL binaries, scripts, and configuration

2. Overlay contents

• bin/ → asl-auth-host, asl-rescue, helper scripts
• usr/local/bin/ → optional local tools
• var/lib/asl/ → datasets, pools, personal/common directories
• var/log/ → logs
• Bootloader configs (isolinux/)

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3. Bootable ISO creation

• Copy overlay into $ISO_ROOT

• Create ZFS-like dataset directories:

  var/lib/asl/{common,personal,pools}
  

• Generate ISO via xorriso (or mkisofs) with minimal bootloader

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4. ASL Capture Integration

• asl-capture can wrap shell or program execution

• Capture occurs during image creation:

  • Can log everything in the host root during debootstrap + apt-get install
  • Produces artifacts (executed commands, receipts)

• Early capture allows provenance from the very birth of the image

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5. USB boot workflow

1. Build ISO (build_asl_auth_host_iso.sh)

2. Write ISO to USB (dd or rufus/balenaEtcher)

3. Boot machine → init-asl-host.sh (custom init script)

   • Mount ZFS or overlay store
   • Initialize domains (Common, personal, rescue)
   • Enforce witness authority / DAM at boot
   • Run ASL capture to log host state

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6. Storage & persistence on USB

• Personal domain: local USB store
• Root.alice or Common: mounted network or local store
• Snapshot management ensures deterministic state
• Blocks and artifacts are packed according to store policy
• Index/log replay reconstructs current state at boot

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7. Key insights from discussion

• You can capture the host from first boot to have full provenance.
• Witness authority (DAM) is enforced before userspace programs run, even for Common.
• Blocks remain storage-level; artifacts remain semantic and authoritative.
• Publishing to Common happens via root.alice; private artifacts remain in alice domain.
• Bootable USB + ASL capture = deterministic, auditable host for rescue and auth purposes.

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If you want, I can draw a full flow diagram that shows:

debootstrap → overlay → ISO → USB → boot → init-asl-host → domains → ASL capture → artifacts/logs

…including where root.alice, Common, and personal domains live, and how blocks, artifacts, and logs interact during boot.

Do you want me to do that diagram next?