Thanks for these notes! Good to have a clear view on where Fedora can help.
That sounds like a great idea! I think the closest conversation so this idea has been the topic of removing Firefox from the atomic spins because so many people end up wanting the Flathub Firefox anyway. If folks are willing to drop the browser, I think there may be lots of flexibility. The limitation here seemed to be just needing to find the time or person to do it.
I’m also tracking Image Builder, but I’ve heard some negatives about the experience and how it works. It’s an ongoing project so I’m sure there could be improvements over time.
One area where I wonder if this will still be limited compared to uBlue is in the proprietary code. If this lives under Fedora, I think it’s possible you won’t be able to building something with non-free software. That’s something to discuss.
Another area that may or may not cross into uBlue territory is image distribution. From what I know, it seems like Image Builder is designed for a user to go and build one image for themselves. It’s not like there will be a list of ready-made images outside of official Fedora spins that serve as starting points. I could see them allowing a wider list of custom images to live in the tool in a similar vein to uBlue, but that’s another question to answer.
But yeah, it’s exciting! Part of the reason I want to get involved is because you guys are pushing this area forward. Maybe Image Builder carries this idea into the future. Maybe it’s nice to have two systems. Maybe uBlue keeps Image Builder on its toes. I just want to see this mature sooner rather than later because it seems like there’s so much potential to unlock. I’m bought in.