Developer Documentation

This page has pointers to various resources about Alpine Linux from a developer perspective. Set up the build environment and start contributing to Alpine Linux by either creating packages or by submitting patches.

Configuring your development system

• Setting up the build environment on HDD
• Installing Alpine Linux in a chroot
• Install Alpine on LXC
• VMware, Qemu, or Amazon EC2
• Xen Dom0 (Setting up Alpine as a dom0 for Xen hypervisor)
  • Xen Dom0 on USB or SD
  • Create Alpine Linux PV DomU
  • Xen LiveCD

Use Edge version for all build environment options listed above.

Creating packages and patches

• Creating an Alpine package
  • Abuild and Helpers (Scripts for packaging)
  • Aports tree
  • Developer repositories
  • Package policies
  • Package Maintainers
  • APKBUILD Reference
  • APKBUILD examples
• Creating and submitting patches

Development tools

• Git
• cgit
  • Cgit Basics

Alpine configuration framework

This material is work-in-progress ... Needs to be organized/consolidated. (Last edited by Prabuanand on 16 Jun 2025.)

• Alpine Configuration Framework Design (Why ACF is the way it is)
• Writing User Documentation for ACF
• mvc.lua reference - mvc.lua is the core of ACF
• mvc.lua example - build a simple (command-line) application
• acf www-controller reference - ACF www application functions
• acf www-controller example - webify the above examples
• ACF how to write - Step by step howto for writing acfs
• ACF core principles - Things that are standard across the application
• LuaPosix - Documentation for the Lua Posix functions
• ACF Libraries - Document the libraries and common functions
• Writing ACF Views - Guide for writing a view
• Writing ACF Controllers - Guide for writing a controller
• Writing ACF Models - Guide for writing a model
• ACF css
• ACF packages
• APKBUILD examples:ACF
• Apk.lua
• Changing passwords for ACF
• Generating SSL certs with ACF
• Generating SSL certs with ACF 1.9
• Getting started with ACF development
• Managing ACF

Alpine Wall

• Alpine Wall
• How-To Alpine Wall
• Alpine Wall User's Guide (a firewall management framework)

Design documents

• Architecture
• APK specification - includes Apkindex format and Alpine package format
• Alpine Configuration Framework Design

Misc

• Alpine Release Testing Checklist
• Alpine Source Map by boot sequence
• Testing modified install images and packages
• Custom Kernel
• Comparison with other distros

Package management

• Package Management (apk) (How to add/remove packages on your Alpine)
• Alpine local backup (lbu) (Permanently store your modifications in case your Diskless box needs reboot)

Init system

• initramfs init
• Init System (OpenRC) (Configure a service to automatically launch at next reboot)
  • Writing Init Scripts