RAUC to Pantavisor
RAUC updates the image through signed bundles (.raucb) written into A/B
slots, with the bootloader (U-Boot, Barebox, GRUB, or EFI) selecting the
active slot. Pantavisor replaces that model: it owns PID 1 and ships every
change as a content-addressed revision, transferring only changed objects
rather than a whole slot image — while keeping the signed-artifact guarantee
RAUC users rely on.
See also: Pantavisor vs RAUC for the capability comparison.
How the concepts map
| RAUC | Pantavisor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
meta-rauc Yocto layer | meta-pantavisor | Swap the layer; Pantavisor builds the BSP, kernel, and containers. |
A/B slots (system.conf) | Revisions in the trail | Rollback is to the previous revision; no mirrored full-rootfs slot pair. |
Signed bundle (.raucb, X.509) | Signed revision (pvr sig) | One signature transitively covers the whole device state. |
| Per-slot update of rootfs/app | Containers | Each component is an independent container, versioned on its own. |
| Bootloader slot switching | Bootloader try/rollback + health-gated commit | A trial revision must pass health checks before promotion. |
| hawkBit / custom deploy server | Pantahub (optional) | Or deploy directly with pvr over the local network. |
Migration path
- Rebuild with
meta-pantavisor. Replacemeta-raucand itssystem.confslot definitions. See Build with Yocto. - Re-express slots as containers. A RAUC rootfs slot becomes a BSP container; application slots become application containers. See Concepts and Develop applications.
- Carry over your signing keys. Pantavisor signs revisions with X.509 keys
via
pvr sig— see Security and compliance. - Flash a Pantavisor image (Install on hardware) and wire up
deployments via
pvror Pantahub.
What changes for your team
- No doubled storage for the full rootfs. Object-level revisions replace the A/B slot pair; only changed objects are written.
- The base, kernel, and apps update through one mechanism — a signed revision — instead of separate slot images.
- Signing still gates trust, but one signature covers the entire revision, not a per-bundle artifact.
⚠️ Warning — No hybrid stacks
There is no supported configuration where RAUC updates the kernel/BSP slot while Pantavisor handles apps. Pantavisor owns the whole device, including the base and kernel.