OS Image Composer CLI Specification#

Table of Contents#

Overview#

os-image-composer is a command-line tool for generating custom images for different operating systems, including Azure Linux, Wind River eLxr, RCD, and Edge Microvisor Toolkit. The tool provides a flexible approach to creating and configuring production-ready OS images with precise customization.

OS Image Composer uses a single CLI with subcommands to deliver a consistent user experience while maintaining flexibility. The tool’s architecture is built around the following files:

A global configuration file that defines system-wide settings like cache locations and provider configurations
Image template files in YAML format that define per-image build requirements

The tool follows a staged build process to support package caching, image caching, and various customization options that speed up development cycles and ensure reproducible builds.

CLI Flow#

The following diagram illustrates the high-level flow of the OS Image Composer CLI, the commands of which begin with os-image-composer:

        flowchart TD

    Start([os-image-composer]) --> Config[Load Configuration]
    Config --> Commands{Commands}

    Commands -->|build| Build[Build OS Image]
    Build --> ReadTemplate[Read YAML Template]
    ReadTemplate --> BuildProcess[Run Build Pipeline]
    BuildProcess --> SaveImage[Save Output Image]

    Commands -->|validate| Validate[Validate Template File]

    Commands -->|config| ConfigCmd[Manage Configuration]
    ConfigCmd --> ConfigOps[init/show]

    Commands -->|cache| Cache[Manage Cache]
    Cache --> CacheOps[Clean Cache]

    Commands -->|version| Version[Show Version Info]

    Commands -->|install-completion| Completion[Install Shell Completion]

    %% Styling
    classDef command fill:#b5e2fa,stroke:#0077b6,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef process fill:#f8edeb,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px;

    class Start command;
    class Build,Validate,ConfigCmd,Cache,Version,Completion command;
    class ReadTemplate,BuildProcess,SaveImage,ConfigOps,CacheOps process;

The primary workflow is through the build command, which reads an image template file and runs the build pipeline to create a new image.

Usage#

os-image-composer [global options] command [command options] [arguments...]

Global Options#

The OS Image Composer command-line utility uses a layered configuration approach, with command-line options taking priority over the configuration file settings:

Option	Description
`--config FILE`	Global configuration file. This file contains system-wide settings that apply to all image builds. If not specified, the tool searches for configuration files in standard locations.
`--log-level LEVEL`	Log level: debug, info, warn, error (overrides config). Use debug for troubleshooting build issues.
`--log-file PATH`	Tee logs to a specific file path (overrides `logging.file` in the configuration).
`--help, -h`	Show help for any command or subcommand.
`--version`	Show `os-image-composer` version information.

Commands#

Build Command#

Build an OS image from an image template file. This is the primary command for creating custom OS images according to your requirements.

os-image-composer build [flags] TEMPLATE_FILE

Arguments:

TEMPLATE_FILE - Path to the YAML image template file (required)

Flags:

Flag	Description
`--workers, -w INT`	Number of concurrent download workers (overrides config).
`--cache-dir, -d DIR`	Package cache directory (overrides config). Proper caching significantly improves build times.
`--work-dir DIR`	Working directory for builds (overrides config). This directory is where images are constructed before being finalized.
`--verbose, -v`	Enable verbose output (equivalent to –log-level debug). Displays detailed information about each step of the build process.
`--dotfile, -f FILE`	Generate a dot file for the merged template dependency graph (user + defaults with resolved packages).
`--system-packages-only`	When paired with `--dotfile`, limit the dependency graph to roots defined in `SystemConfig.Packages`. Dependencies pulled in by those roots still appear, but essentials/kernel/bootloader packages aren’t drawn unless required by a system package.

Example:

# Build an image with default settings
sudo -E os-image-composer build my-image-template.yml

# Build with custom workers and cache directory
sudo -E os-image-composer build --workers 16 --cache-dir /tmp/cache my-image-template.yml

# Build with verbose output
sudo -E os-image-composer build --verbose my-image-template.yml

# Build and generate dependency graphs
sudo -E os-image-composer build --dotfile deps.dot my-image-template.yml
# Limit the graph to SystemConfig.Packages roots
sudo -E os-image-composer build --dotfile system.dot --system-packages-only my-image-template.yml

Note: The build command typically requires sudo privileges for operations like creating loopback devices and mounting filesystems.

Validate Command#

Validate an image template file without building it. This allows checking for errors in your template before committing to a full build process.

os-image-composer validate TEMPLATE_FILE

Arguments:

TEMPLATE_FILE - Path to the YAML image template file to validate (required)

Description:

The validate command performs the following checks:

YAML syntax validation
Schema validation against the image template JSON schema
Required fields verification
Type checking for all fields

Example:

# Validate a template file
os-image-composer validate my-image-template.yml

# Validate with verbose output
os-image-composer --log-level debug validate my-image-template.yml

Inspect Command#

Inspects a raw image and outputs comprehensive details about the image including partition table layout, partition identity and attributes, filesystem information, bootloader details, and layout diagnostics.

os-image-composer inspect [flags] IMAGE_FILE

Arguments:

IMAGE_FILE - Path to the RAW image file to inspect (required)

Flags:

Flag	Description
`--format STRING`	Output format: `text`, `json`, or `yaml` (default: `text`)
`--pretty`	Pretty-print JSON output (only for `--format=json`; default: `false`)
`--extract-sbom FILE`	Extracts SBOM and saves the output in FILE, default filename is used if FILE is not specified

Description:

The inspect command extracts and analyzes the following from a disk image:

Partition Table:

Type (GPT/MBR) and sector sizes
For GPT: disk GUID and protective MBR status
Layout diagnostics: largest unallocated free span and misaligned partitions (detected against physical sector size and 1 MiB alignment)

Partitions:

Index, name, type/GUID, start/end LBA, and size
For GPT: partition GUID and decoded attribute bits (required, legacy BIOS bootable, read-only)
Filesystem type, label, and UUID
EFI/UKI evidence (if present on ESP/VFAT partitions)

Bootloader & Secure Boot:

EFI binaries: kind, architecture, signature status, SBAT
UKI payloads: kernel/initrd/OS-release hashes and metadata

Output Formats:

text: Human-readable summary with tables and structured sections
json: Complete structured data suitable for automation and comparison
yaml: YAML representation of the image summary

Example:

# Inspect a raw image and output text (default)
os-image-composer inspect my-image.raw

# Inspect and output pretty JSON
os-image-composer inspect --format=json --pretty my-image.raw

# Inspect and output YAML
os-image-composer inspect --format=yaml my-image.raw

# Inspect and extract SPDX data from an IMAGE
os-image-composer inspect my-image.raw --extract-sbom my-sbom.json

Compare Command#

Compares two disk images and outputs detailed differences in partition layout, filesystems, bootloaders, and EFI/UKI payloads.

os-image-composer compare [flags] IMAGE_FILE1 IMAGE_FILE2

Arguments:

IMAGE_FILE1 - Path to the first RAW image file (required)
IMAGE_FILE2 - Path to the second RAW image file (required)
SPDX_FILE1 - Path to the first SPDX JSON file (required if --mode=spdx)
SPDX_FILE2 - Path to the second SPDX JSON file (required if --mode=spdx)

Flags:

Flag	Description
`--format STRING`	Output format: `text` or `json` (default: `text`)
`--mode STRING`	Compare mode: `diff` (partition/FS changes), `summary` (high-level counts), `full` (complete image metadata) or `spdx` (compare SBOM differences). Default: `diff` for text, `full` for JSON
`--pretty`	Pretty-print JSON output (only for `--format=json`; default: `false`)
`--hash-images`	Perform image hashing for verifying binary identical image (default `false`)

Description:

The compare command performs a deep structural comparison of two images and reports:

Partition Table Changes:

Disk GUID changes (GPT)
Partition table type or sector size changes
Free space layout changes (largest unallocated extent)
Misaligned partition detection changes

Partition Changes:

Added/removed partitions (detected by GUID for GPT, by LBA range for MBR)
Modified partitions: changes to name, GUID, LBA range, size, or GPT attribute bits
Filesystem changes: type, label, UUID modifications
Per-partition EFI binary changes (path, kind, architecture, signature status)

Global EFI/UKI Changes:

Added/removed EFI binaries across all partitions
Modified EFI binaries: SHA256, signature status, bootloader kind
UKI payload changes: kernel, initrd, OS-release, and section SHA256s

Compare Modes:

diff: Detailed changes (partitions, filesystems, EFI binaries)
summary: High-level counts (added, removed, modified counts)
full: Complete image metadata plus all diffs
spdx: Compares two SPDX JSON files

Output:

Text format provides human-readable sections with tables and field-by-field diffs
JSON format includes complete structured data for scripting and tooling
Exit code is 0 if images are equal, 1 if differences found

Example:

# Compare two images and show detailed text diff
os-image-composer compare image-v1.raw image-v2.raw

# Show only a summary of changes
os-image-composer compare --mode=summary image-v1.raw image-v2.raw

# Compare and output pretty JSON with full metadata
os-image-composer compare --format=json --mode=full --pretty image-v1.raw image-v2.raw

# Compact JSON diff suitable for CI/CD automation
os-image-composer compare --format=json --mode=diff image-v1.raw image-v2.raw

# Perform comparison with image hashing enabled with details text diff
os-image-composer compare --hash-images=true image-v1.raw image-v2.raw

# Perform SPDX comparison
os-image-composer compare --format=json --mode=spdx spdx-file1.json spdx-file2.json

Cache Command#

Manage cached artifacts created during the build process.

os-image-composer cache SUBCOMMAND

cache clean#

Remove cached packages or workspace chroot data.

os-image-composer cache clean [flags]

Flags:

Flag	Description
`--packages`	Remove cached packages (default when no scope flags are provided).
`--workspace`	Remove cached chroot environments and chroot tarballs under the workspace directory.
`--all`	Enable both package and workspace cleanup in a single invocation.
`--provider-id STRING`	Restrict cleanup to a specific provider (format: `os-dist-arch`).
`--dry-run`	Show what would be removed without deleting anything.

Examples:

# Remove all cached packages
os-image-composer cache clean

# Remove chroot caches for a single provider
os-image-composer cache clean --workspace --provider-id azure-linux-azl3-x86_64

# Preview everything that would be deleted
os-image-composer cache clean --all --dry-run

When no scope flag is supplied, the command defaults to --packages.

Config Command#

Manage the global configuration file. The config command provides subcommands for initializing and viewing configuration.

os-image-composer config SUBCOMMAND

Subcommands:

config init#

Initialize a new configuration file with default values.

os-image-composer config init [CONFIG_FILE]

Arguments:

CONFIG_FILE - Path where the configuration file should be created (optional). If not specified, creates the configuration in a standard location.

Example:

# Initialize configuration in current directory
os-image-composer config init os-image-composer.yml

# Initialize in default location
os-image-composer config init

config show#

Show the current configuration settings.

os-image-composer config show

Example:

# Show current configuration
os-image-composer config show

# Show configuration from specific file
os-image-composer --config /path/to/config.yml config show

Version Command#

Display the tool’s version information, including build date, Git commit SHA, and organization.

os-image-composer version

Example:

os-image-composer version

Output includes:

Version number
Build date
Git commit SHA
Organization

Install-Completion Command#

Install shell completion for the os-image-composer command. Supports bash, zsh, fish, and PowerShell.

os-image-composer install-completion [flags]

Flags:

Flag	Description
`--shell STRING`	Shell type (bash, zsh, fish, powershell). If not specified, auto-detects current shell.
`--force`	Force overwrite existing completion files.

Example:

# Auto-detect shell and install completion
os-image-composer install-completion

# Install completion for specific shell
os-image-composer install-completion --shell bash

# Force reinstall
os-image-composer install-completion --force

Post-Installation Steps:

After installing completion, you need to reload your shell configuration:

Bash:

echo "source ~/.bash_completion.d/os-image-composer.bash" >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Zsh:

echo 'fpath=(~/.zsh/completion $fpath)' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Fish: Fish automatically loads completions from the standard location. Just restart your terminal.

PowerShell:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
. $PROFILE

Examples#

Building an Image#

# Build an image with default settings
sudo -E os-image-composer build image-templates/azl3-x86_64-edge-raw.yml

# Build with custom configuration
sudo -E os-image-composer --config=/path/to/config.yaml build image-templates/azl3-x86_64-edge-raw.yml

# Build with custom workers and cache
sudo -E os-image-composer build --workers 12 --cache-dir ./package-cache image-templates/azl3-x86_64-edge-raw.yml

# Build with debug logging
sudo -E os-image-composer --log-level debug build image-templates/azl3-x86_64-edge-raw.yml

Managing Configuration#

# Initialize a new configuration file
os-image-composer config init my-config.yml

# Show current configuration
os-image-composer config show

# Use a specific configuration file
os-image-composer --config /etc/os-image-composer/config.yml build template.yml

Managing Cache#

# Remove all cached packages
os-image-composer cache clean

# Remove workspace chroot caches for a specific provider
os-image-composer cache clean --workspace --provider-id azure-linux-azl3-x86_64

# Preview both package and workspace cleanup without deleting files
os-image-composer cache clean --all --dry-run

Inspecting and Comparing Images#

# Inspect an image in text format
os-image-composer inspect my-image.raw

# Inspect and output JSON (suitable for tooling/CI)
os-image-composer inspect --format=json --pretty my-image.raw

# Compare two images with detailed diff
os-image-composer compare image-v1.raw image-v2.raw

# Compare with JSON output for parsing
os-image-composer compare --format=json --mode=diff image-v1.raw image-v2.raw

Validating Templates#

# Validate a template
os-image-composer validate image-templates/azl3-x86_64-edge-raw.yml

# Validate with debug output
os-image-composer --log-level debug validate image-templates/azl3-x86_64-edge-raw.yml

Configuration Files#

Global Configuration File#

The global configuration file (YAML format) defines system-wide settings that apply to all image builds. The tool searches for configuration files in the following locations (in order):

Path specified with --config flag
os-image-composer.yml in current directory
.os-image-composer.yml in current directory
os-image-composer.yaml in current directory
.os-image-composer.yaml in current directory
~/.os-image-composer/config.yml
~/.os-image-composer/config.yaml
~/.config/os-image-composer/config.yml
~/.config/os-image-composer/config.yaml
/etc/os-image-composer/config.yml
/etc/os-image-composer/config.yaml

Example Configuration:

# Number of concurrent workers for package downloads
workers: 8

# Directory for caching downloaded packages
cache_dir: "./cache"

# Working directory for build process
work_dir: "./workspace"

# Configuration files directory
config_dir: "./config"

# Temporary directory
temp_dir: "/tmp"

# Logging configuration
logging:
  level: "info"  # debug, info, warn, error

Configuration Fields:

Field	Type	Description
`workers`	integer	Number of concurrent download workers (1-100). Default: 8
`cache_dir`	string	Directory for package cache. Default: “./cache”
`work_dir`	string	Working directory for builds. Default: “./workspace”
`config_dir`	string	Directory for configuration files. Default: “./config”
`temp_dir`	string	Temporary directory. Default: system temp directory
`logging.level`	string	Log level (debug/info/warn/error). Default: “info”

Image Template File#

The image template file (YAML) defines everything that goes into a custom OS image. A minimal template requires only image and target; the remaining sections are merged from the OS-specific default template at build time.

Minimal example (only the two required sections):

image:
  name: edge-device-image
  version: "1.2.0"

target:
  os: azure-linux
  dist: azl3
  arch: x86_64
  imageType: raw

Top-level sections:

Section	Required	Description
`metadata`	No	AI-searchable discovery metadata (ignored by build engine)
`image`	Yes	Image name and version
`target`	Yes	OS, distribution, architecture, image type
`disk`	No	Disk size, partitions, output artifact formats
`packageRepositories`	No	Additional package repositories
`systemConfig`	No (user) / Yes (merged)	Packages, kernel, users, bootloader, immutability, build commands

For the complete field-by-field reference including all nested fields, valid values, validation rules, and merge behavior, see the Image Template Reference.

Exit Codes#

The tool provides consistent exit codes that can be used in scripting and automation:

Code	Description
0	Success: The command completed successfully.
1	General error: An unspecified error occurred during execution.

Troubleshooting#

Common Issues#

Disk Space: Building images requires significant temporary disk space.

# Check free space in workspace directory
df -h ./workspace

# Check free space in cache directory
df -h ./cache

Permissions: The build command requires sudo privileges.

# Run with sudo and preserve environment
sudo -E os-image-composer build template.yml

Configuration Issues: Verify configuration is valid.

# Show current configuration
os-image-composer config show

# Initialize with defaults
os-image-composer config init

Template Validation Errors: Validate templates before building.

# Validate template
os-image-composer validate template.yml

Logging#

Use the --log-level flag or --verbose flag to get more detailed output:

# Debug logging
os-image-composer --log-level debug build template.yml

# Verbose output (same as debug)
os-image-composer build --verbose template.yml

# Error logging only
os-image-composer --log-level error build template.yml

OS Image Composer CLI Specification#

Table of Contents#

Overview#

CLI Flow#

Usage#

Global Options#

Commands#

Build Command#

Validate Command#

Inspect Command#

Compare Command#

Cache Command#

cache clean#

Config Command#

config init#

config show#

Version Command#

Install-Completion Command#

Examples#

Building an Image#

Managing Configuration#

Managing Cache#

Inspecting and Comparing Images#

Validating Templates#

Configuration Files#

Global Configuration File#

Image Template File#

Exit Codes#

Troubleshooting#

Common Issues#

Logging#

Related Documentation#

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