[size=10pt]The redesign.[/size]
When project was first started Raspberry Pi looked different, it used obsolete Debian based OS which did not support a lot of features I have needed to properly implement secure and reliable OS for minting. So I was forced to use ArchLinux ARM (ALARM) as base for Peerbox, which was only alternative OS for Raspberry at the time. However ALARM is inherently non stable due to design philosophy behind it and very time consuming to maintain. After a while I ended up maintaining whole repository on my own, with hundreds of packages, it was endless cycle of compile-test-deploy. Numerous SD cards have been fried and one old Raspberry as well. That was going well actually, however my spare time became more scarce and far more valuable and thus project suffered.
Now, almost two years after I have started working on a little side-project that was about to become Peerbox the scene looks totally different. Raspberry Pi is no longer something known to only handful of tweakers and Linux enthusiast but global phenomena and has spawned a multitude of nice projects covering all aspects of life. Raspberry Pi foundation has grown so much, and has released a new version of Raspberry Pi and third one is expected to release tomorrow. Raspbian, the foundations fork of Debian is now a complete OS, maintained by dozens of professionals. Today, it makes no sense to dabble with ALARM.
[size=10pt]Enter Debian.[/size]
To make this project possible and usable in long term with my limited time it makes sens to move to Debian. Which is known for not changing too much over time and is quite suitable for fire and forget scenario. New Peerbox will be a Debian repository, which will contain pretty much everything the old Peerbox has contained but minus annoyance of special install procedures. Now, all users will do as they would normally do with their Rasperry Pi, that is install official OS from Rasberrypi.org and later just add a repository and install a package which setup Peerbox automatically. After that, user is left with functional Rasperry Pi for other uses and with functional Peerbox.
I hope this will enable far bigger number of people to use Peerbox as it is quite trivial to setup, even for non technical users.
So far my packages for Debian are not perfect, but are quite usable. I still have much to learn about Debian packaging process but this is just fine for now.
I have already implemented a lot of Peerbox security features like systemd services to make sure wallet software (and node) is always running as well as elementary namespace isolation via cgroups and systemd. This is quite secure already. Also, these are first Debian packages for Peercoin - ever.
Peercoin-qt running @ fresh Raspbian install.
[size=10pt][Roadmap][/size]
[done] Create .deb packages for Peercoin wallet software
[done] Elementary security features for Peercoin packages [compile time hardening of binaries, elementary cgroups isolation via systemd]
[done] Process monitoring for Peercoin wallet via systemd
[done] Port of peerbox-info to new architecture
[soon] Debian repository @ peerbox.me
[soon] GPG signed packages @ peerbox.me
[soon] Apparmour profile for wallet software
[done] Tor integration via systemd (with proper isolation)
