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Workaround for Fedora CoreOS boot partition space errors during upgrades

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The default boot partition size for Fedora CoreOS installations is 384MB. This default size is likely not enough¹ today for hosting new deployments and accommodating new kernels and initrd images in the boot partition’s /ostree folder. ²

Eventually, some systems can start to fail when two kernels and initrd images cannot fit into the boot partition, and you may find rpm-ostree status reporting:

error: Installing kernel: regfile copy: No space left on device

Use overlayfs to compose /lib/modules for loading custom Kernel Modules on Fedora CoreOS

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Fedora CoreOS is designed to be an immutable operating system, meaning many critical system directories—like /lib/modules—are read-only. This poses a challenge when you need to load custom kernel modules that aren’t shipped with the default kernel package.

In this post, you’ll learn how to use OverlayFS to compose a writable version of /lib/modules, allowing custom modules to be loaded at boot without modifying the underlying system.

Why OverlayFS?

OverlayFS is a union filesystem that lets you layer a writable directory over a read-only one. While it’s common in container environments, it also works great for CoreOS when you want to “extend” immutable paths like /lib/modules.

Download O'Reilly Media EPUB books with SSO Login

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:19:02 +0200

If you have an O’Reilly Media Account, you may have noticed that - unfortunately - the platform doesn’t provide an easy way to download EPUB files for offline reading on your e-reader. While O’Reilly offers a web-based reader and mobile apps, sometimes you just want to read your books offline or on a dedicated e-reader, like a Kindle or Kobo.

This project on GitHub provides a simple Python script on a Docker container that allows you to download your O’Reilly Media EPUB books with a single sign-on (SSO) login. This way, you can easily transfer your books to your e-reader or mobile device for offline reading.

Resizing the boot partition on Fedora CoreOS

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:19:02 +0200

This covers the issue at installation time. After the coreos installer runs, the layout of the partitions will include something like:

└ # gdisk -l /dev/sda
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 1.0.10
Partition table scan:
MBR: protective
BSD: not present
APM: not present
GPT: present
Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
Disk /dev/sda: 1000215216 sectors, 476.9 GiB
Model: HUGWORLD SSD 512
Sector size (logical/physical): 512/512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): 9E151132-C6B9-4E44-92FD-60DB86CCB8BE
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
Main partition table begins at sector 2 and ends at sector 33
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 1000215182
Partitions will be aligned on 16-sector boundaries
Total free space is 2669 sectors (1.3 MiB)
Number Start (sector) End (sector) Size Code Name
1 2048 4095 1024.0 KiB EF02 BIOS-BOOT
2 4096 264191 127.0 MiB EF00 EFI-SYSTEM
3 264192 786432 384.4 MiB 8300 boot
4 786833 9717247 2.4 GiB 8300 root

The root partition will be resized to its maximum size, after the reboot. This is the best time to shift it to the right and resize the boot partition.

Configuration of a Samba share on Fedora CoreOS based systems to allow public and browseable shares

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:19:02 +0200

Configuring samba on a Fedora CoreOS based system like Fedora Kinoite or Fedora Silverblue is not so different from the traditional, non-atomic, OS configurations, including Fedora Workstation. The main package to install is samba, that you can achieve with the following command:

# rpm-ostree install samba
# systemctl enable smb nmb --now

If you are using CoreOS-native layering, you might want to add this package and enable the unit in your Containerfile.

Derivate Fedora CoreOS. Integrate MicroShift. Lightweight Kubernetes for lightweight travelling

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 00:19:02 +0200

As I prepare to move from Italy to the United Kingdom, I’ve started reassessing not just the physical belongings I’ll bring along, but also my personal infrastructure. My goal is to travel light, so reducing both physical and digital baggage has become a priority.

As an OpenShift contributor and enthusiast of the Kubernetes and CoreOS ecosystem, I began exploring if MicroShift—a lightweight Kubernetes distribution built from OpenShift and optimized for small form factors and edge computing—could fulfill my needs.

Hack the Great Firewall

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 00:19:02 +0200

Shadowsocks is a versatile open-source proxy tool designed to bypass internet censorship and provide users with secure and private access to the internet. It works by creating an encrypted tunnel between the user’s device and a remote server, allowing them to circumvent firewalls and access blocked content. With its lightweight and efficient design, Shadowsocks has become a popular choice for individuals seeking to maintain anonymity and freedom while browsing the web, particularly in regions with strict online censorship policies.