Infrastructure as Code Meets Linux Distribution: Our Debian Derivative CI/CD Experience

Speakers: Marcel Hamer & Mark Asselstine

Track: Debian Blends and Debian derived distributions

Type: Long talk (45 minutes)

Room: Grand amphi

Time: Jul 17 (Thu): 16:30

Duration: 0:45

In this presentation, we share our experience developing eLxr, a Debian derivative distribution, using GitLab CI/CD pipelines over the past year. We’ll focus on the technical implementation and challenges of applying CI/CD to distribution maintenance.

Our team built pipelines handling the complete distribution lifecycle—from package building to release management. We’ll explain how GitLab CI/CD helped automate repetitive tasks, ensure build consistency, and implement quality checks throughout development.

We’ll demonstrate specific pipeline configurations and show how this approach helped us maintain reliable updates while tracking upstream Debian. The presentation includes concrete examples of how automation improved our ability to detect integration issues early and maintain consistent quality.