Core LivePatch

Definition

Core LivePatch (abbreviated to CLP) allows you to update critical Vincent OS part via patches without rebooting your computer.

Features

Core LivePatch can do the following tasks:

• Applying critical patches: Update key system files, such as configuration files in /etc, to address urgent issues.
• Revert a previous version of a specific package: Roll back a specific package version to resolve critical issues (e.g. Revert a previous version for the following issue: nvidia-black-screen-after-an-update.md).

All patches are distributed in a .clp format, designed specifically for Vincent OS.

Developer Informations

Source code of Core LivePatch can be found in the Vincent OS GitHub repository.

Core LivePatch is made in C# and use the latest .NET LTS version. It is dependent on the following packages:

• dotnet-runtime-X.Y (where X.Y is the latest .NET LTS version, e.g., 8.0)
• powershell-bin (see Scripts part)

Structure of a .clp file

A .clp file is a zip compressed archive. Minimum required files:

CLPRYYMMDD.clp
├── PKGINFO.meta        # XML metadata (name, description, etc.)
├── Install-Script.ps1  # PowerShell script executed to apply the patch
└── Remove-Script.ps1   # PowerShell script executed to rollback the patch

Scripts

Install-Script.ps1

This PowerShell script is executed when applying the patch. It should contain all necessary commands to update the system.

Example:

#!/usr/bin/pwsh
# Patch Creator: Your Name
# Date: XXXX-XX-XX

$patchFiles=(
	# Define your files here
	"tmp/example-patch/new-file.txt",
	"tmp/example-patch/modified-file.txt",
	"tmp/example-patch/removed-file.txt"
)
$ogPatchDir="/opt/CLP/$(Split-Path -Leaf (Get-Location))"
$backupDir="${ogPatchDir}/backup"

Start-Transcript -Path "/var/log/CLP.log" -Append

# Because we are never sure if the system is stable, we create a backup
# of the files we are going to modify.
function Confirm-BackupDirectory {
	mkdir $backupDir
	Write-Host "[INFO] Backup directory created at $backupDir"
}

function Backup-File {
	param (
		[string]$file
	)

	if (Test-Path -Path $file) {
		Copy-Item -Path $file -Destination $backupDir
		Write-Host "[INFO] Successfully backed up: $file"
	}
	else {
		Write-Warning "[WARNING] File: $file not found. Skipping backup."
	}
}

function Restore-Action {
	$revertScript = Join-Path -Path (Get-Location) -ChildPath "Remove-Patch.ps1"
	if (Test-Path -Path $revertScript) {
		Write-Host "[INFO] Reverting changes..."
		& $revertScript
	}
	else {
		Write-Error "[ERROR] Remove-Patch.ps1 is missing or not executable. Aborting."
		exit 2
	}
}

function Install-Patch {
	Confirm-BackupDirectory
	foreach ($file in $patchFiles) {
		Backup-File -File $file
		switch ($file) {
			"tmp/example-patch/new-file.txt" {
				Write-Host "[INFO] Installing new file: $file"
				Copy-Item -Path $file -Destination "/opt/CLP/new-file.txt"
			}
			"tmp/example-patch/modified-file.txt" {
				Write-Host "[INFO] Modifying file: $file"
				Copy-Item -Path $file -Destination "/opt/CLP/modified-file.txt" -Force
			}
			"tmp/example-patch/removed-file.txt" {
				Write-Host "[INFO] Removing file: $file"
				Remove-Item -Path "/opt/CLP/removed-file.txt" -Force
			}
			default {
				Write-Error "[FATAL] An unknown error occurred while applying the patch."
				Write-Error "[FATAL] Reverting all changes."
				./Remove-Patch.ps1
			}
		}
	}
	Write-Host "[INFO] All files installed successfully. Processed files:"
	foreach ($file in $patchFiles) {
		Write-Host "  - $file"
	}
	Stop-Transcript
	exit 0
}

Install-Patch

Remove-Script.ps1

This PowerShell script is executed when rolling back the patch. It should contain all necessary commands to revert the changes made by the Install-Script.ps1.

Example:

#!/usr/bin/pwsh
# Patch Creator: Your Name
# Date: XXXX-XX-XX

$patchFiles=@(
	# Define your files here
	"tmp/example-patch/new-file.txt"
	"tmp/example-patch/modified-file.txt"
	"tmp/example-patch/removed-file.txt"
)
$ogPatchDir="/opt/CLP/$(Split-Path -Leaf (Get-Location))"
$backupDir="${ogPatchDir}/backup"

Start-Transcript -Path "/var/log/CLP.log" -Append

foreach ($file in $patchFiles) {
	$backupFile = Join-Path -Path $backupDir -ChildPath (Split-Path -Leaf $file)
	if (Test-Path $backupFile) {
		Write-Host "[INFO] Restoring file: $backupFile"
		Copy-Item -Path -Verbose $backupFile -Destination $file
	}
	else {
		Write-Warning "[WARNING] Backup file not found: $backupFile"
	}
}
Write-Host "[INFO] All files restored successfully."

Stop-Transcript