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docs: clarify fakemachine runtime environment#308

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docs: clarify fakemachine runtime environment#308
obbardc wants to merge 2 commits into
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wip/obbardc/readme-add-intended-use

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@obbardc obbardc commented May 3, 2026

Clarify what is meant by creating a VM from the "currently running system". The phrase refers to the environment fakemachine is invoked from: this may be a host system, container or CI runner.

Expand the README to describe that fakemachine is mainly used by debos to execute actions inside a VM derived from the current runtime environment. Also clarify that container usage is common but not required and that KVM is optional for acceleration rather than a hard dependency.

Closes: #303

Comment thread doc/man/fakemachine.1 Outdated
.PP
The \(lqenvironment it is invoked from\(rq means the runtime environment
where fakemachine is started.
This can be a host system, a Docker/Podman container or a CI runner.
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what's a CI runner in this case and how is it not either a container or a host system?

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done

Comment thread doc/man/fakemachine.1 Outdated
fakemachine uses that environment as the base for the VM rather than
constructing a separate root filesystem.
For example, when fakemachine is ran inside a Debian container, the VM
will effectively be based on that container\(cqs userspace.
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this whole paragraph seems a bit confusing as it feels like too many different terms are used to vaguely refer to the same thing. (e.g. root fs, userspace, runtime environment) and then mixing container, host system and ci runner.. Tbh. probably best to just focus on it re-using the current root file system (whether is a container rootfs or otherwise)

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done

obbardc added 2 commits May 11, 2026 09:33
Clarify that fakemachine creates a VM using the current root filesystem
rather than constructing a separate one.

This may be the host root filesystem or, when fakemachine is run inside
a container, the container root filesystem.

Closes: #303
Signed-off-by: Christopher Obbard <christopher.obbard@linaro.org>
Signed-off-by: Christopher Obbard <christopher.obbard@linaro.org>
@obbardc obbardc force-pushed the wip/obbardc/readme-add-intended-use branch from 176adb8 to fbceecd Compare May 11, 2026 08:33
@obbardc obbardc requested a review from sjoerdsimons May 11, 2026 08:33
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Docs: Clarify the intended use of fakemachine

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