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Dataplicity OS software runtime #
Dataplicity OS includes containerd and nerdctl; it does not include Docker Engine. The modern Dataplicity supervisor uses nerdctl to reconcile optional Class Software.
Software Builds and Class Software #
A Software Build selects exact versioned OCI releases for a Device Class and can also reference an OS image. Class Software is the on-device application part: the supervisor downloads, verifies, and reconciles the container releases selected by the effective Build.
OS images and Class Software remain independent release lines. Updating a RAUC slot does not change the selected Class Software release, and changing Class Software does not change the OS slot. This lets product application releases move at a different cadence from operating-system releases.
Durable storage across A/B slots #
The runtime binaries live in each signed root filesystem slot. Mutable container state lives on the dpdata partition:
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/var/lib/dataplicity/containerd images, layers, and snapshots
/var/lib/dataplicity/nerdctl nerdctl state
/var/lib/dataplicity/home/dpagent supervisor home
/var/lib/dataplicity/config/current/var/lib/containerd resolves to the persistent containerd directory. Do not move the container store onto either root filesystem slot; a RAUC switch would otherwise lose or orphan application state.
Privilege and networking #
The supervisor runs as dpagent, not root. Dataplicity OS provides fixed, rootful wrappers for the small nerdctl and ctr command set required by Class Software. Their sudo rules allowlist those binaries. Do not replace this design with a setuid client, unrestricted sudo, or general root shell access.
Managed containers use host networking by default so they can reach the local Dataplicity broker. The broker remains a host service and holds the cloud relationship; application containers do not need Dataplicity credentials.
Lens and Faceplate #
Dataplicity Lens provides host inspection, including the container runtime. Faceplate presents local device, network, OS, RAUC, and Dataplicity status on the attached display. They are support and presentation tools, not container orchestrators or cloud credentials stores.
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