# OpenFactory

> OpenFactory lets users try Linux online, build custom Linux images, exercise
> them in managed VMs, review scoped test evidence, and download bootable
> artifacts. Deployment and fleet boundaries are evaluated through technical
> pilots. The supported machine-action interface for AI assistants is MCP.

## AI-Readable Files

- [Full AI context](https://openfactory.tech/llms-full.txt): Curated public context for one-fetch ingestion
- [Machine descriptor](https://openfactory.tech/ai.json): JSON discovery metadata for AI clients
- [Agent card](https://openfactory.tech/.well-known/agent-card.json): A2A discovery card; direct A2A task execution is planned

## Supported Machine Interface

- [MCP Integration](https://docs.openfactory.tech/reference/mcp): Connect Claude, Cursor, Claude Code, and other MCP clients to OpenFactory
- Recommended MCP endpoint: `https://console.openfactory.tech/mcp-stream/mcp`
- Use OpenFactory MCP keys or the documented guest configuration. Never place real keys, cookies, or session headers in prompts or public files.

## Key Documentation

- [Docs](https://docs.openfactory.tech): Product documentation for builds, recipes, testing, VM workflows, organizations, self-hosting, and integrations
- [Recipe Schema](https://docs.openfactory.tech/reference/recipe-schema): BuildRecipe fields for image generation
- [Assertion Types](https://docs.openfactory.tech/reference/assertion-types): Supported build and VM test assertions
- [App UI Testing](https://docs.openfactory.tech/testing/app-ui-testing): Agent-driven GUI/UX testing of any app URL in a managed tester VM; no deploy required
- [ServiceNow Integration](https://docs.openfactory.tech/reference/servicenow-integration): Enterprise ITSM workflow documentation
- [Linux Release Archive Study](https://openfactory.tech/research/linux-release-archive-study): Downloadable inventory of 904 catalog targets and a 249-record official-media source audit
- [nginx Cross-Distribution Reboot Study](https://openfactory.tech/research/nginx-cross-distro-reboot-study): Versioned recipe inputs and retained-VM evidence for nginx on Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and openSUSE before and after reboot
- [Six-Node Slurm HPC Cluster](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-07-26/build-slurm-hpc-cluster): Tested Debian lab with kubeadm, Slinky Slurm, NFS, monitoring, exact acceptance checks, and a deployable build prompt
- [OpenFactory Appliance Technical Preview](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-07-22/openfactory-appliance): Planned Debian 13 appliance boundary, egress policy, acceptance contract, and reference build prompt
- [Flox vs OpenFactory](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-08-06/flox-vs-openfactory): Decision guide for reproducible project environments versus complete bootable Linux systems
- [Packer vs OpenFactory](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-08-13/packer-vs-openfactory): Comparison of template-driven machine-image pipelines and hosted build, boot, and test workflows
- [Headless Debian or Ubuntu Server](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-08-20/build-headless-debian-ubuntu-server): Machine contract and acceptance checks for an automated headless server
- [Linux Mint vs Zorin OS vs elementary OS](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-08-27/linux-mint-zorin-elementary-comparison): Desktop-focused distribution decision guide
- [Ubuntu Autoinstall Guide](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-09-03/ubuntu-autoinstall-guide): Subiquity YAML, schema validation, and installed-machine acceptance checks
- [Debian Preseed Guide](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-09-10/debian-preseed-guide): debian-installer delivery timing, disk safety, and first-boot validation
- [Fedora Kickstart Guide](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-09-17/fedora-kickstart-guide): Anaconda automation, ksvalidator limits, and host-level release checks
- [cloud-init vs Image Build](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-09-24/cloud-init-vs-image-build): Boundary guide for shared image state and per-instance configuration
- [Flox Alternatives](https://openfactory.tech/blog/2026-10-01/flox-alternatives): Compare Devbox, devenv, containers, Packer, and complete Linux images

## Product Pages

- [For Linux Builders](https://openfactory.tech/for/linux-builders): Build, boot, test, and download complete Linux systems
- [For Platform Teams](https://openfactory.tech/for/platform-teams): Current image, VM-test, and organization-sharing workflows, with deployment and fleet work explicitly scoped as a pilot
- [Linux Catalog](https://openfactory.tech/variants): Search public Linux distributions, releases, desktop environments, scenarios, and community variants
- [Software Package Catalog](https://openfactory.tech/packages): Search native packages by operating system with versions, architectures, dependencies, files, checksums, repositories, and source observations
- [Software Projects](https://openfactory.tech/software): Follow evidence-based mappings from upstream projects to native packages across operating systems
- [Software Publishers and Device Manufacturers](https://openfactory.tech/manufacturers): Browse explicit publisher, distribution maintainer, repository operator, hardware manufacturer, and firmware vendor roles
- [Embedded Devices and Firmware](https://openfactory.tech/devices): Browse device identifiers, boards, firmware releases, and graded operating-system compatibility evidence
- Public catalog API base: `https://api.openfactory.tech/api/catalog`; `GET /snapshots` lists versioned, checksummed JSONL-Zstandard dataset files
- Exact release and desktop pages use stable URLs under `https://openfactory.tech/try/{public-id}` and state whether that target is currently available to launch
- [Custom Linux ISO Builder](https://openfactory.tech/custom-linux-iso-builder): Build bootable Linux images from prompts, Git repositories, or reusable recipes
- [Linux Image Builder](https://openfactory.tech/linux-image-builder): Build records, bootable Linux artifacts, scoped VM checks, and guidance for integrating reviewed artifacts into external pipelines
- [Linux Installation Automation](https://openfactory.tech/linux-installation-automation): Choose between Ubuntu Autoinstall, Debian Preseed, Fedora Kickstart, cloud-init, and tested images
- [Build Bootable ISO from GitHub](https://openfactory.tech/build-bootable-iso-from-github): Turn a repository URL and install docs into a bootable Linux image
- [Self-Hosted App Installer](https://openfactory.tech/self-hosted-app-installer): Generate bootable Linux stacks for common self-hosted applications
- [Proxmox Homelab Setup](https://openfactory.tech/proxmox-homelab-setup): Proxmox single-node, HA, Ceph, TrueNAS, and backup build prompt hub
- [Solutions](https://openfactory.tech/solutions): Platform engineering, software supply chain, CVE remediation, and AI agent infrastructure workflows
- [Enterprise](https://openfactory.tech/enterprise): Technical pilots for customer-controlled deployment and fleet-readiness boundaries
- [Technical Pilot](https://openfactory.tech/enterprise/pilot): Scope a bounded pilot with a target workload, deployment boundary, acceptance checks, and evidence handoff
- [Security](https://openfactory.tech/security): Current security controls, product evidence, deployment boundaries, and certification status
- [Technical Proof](https://openfactory.tech/proof): Public distinction between live, pilot, roadmap, non-goal, and externally certified capabilities
- [Linux Fleet Readiness](https://openfactory.tech/enterprise/linux-fleet-management): A bounded pilot for image handoff, rollout, rollback, runtime, and evidence responsibilities
- [Pricing](https://openfactory.tech/pricing): Plans and pricing

## Enterprise Qualification

OpenFactory currently provides versioned image artifacts, managed VM test
records, CycloneDX SBOM generation, CVE assessment, MCP-operated VM
workflows, and organization-scoped access. Customer-controlled and disconnected
deployment boundaries are scoped through a technical pilot. SAML/SCIM, a
private package catalog, and policy-engine workflows are roadmap items.
OpenFactory is not currently SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified; certification
readiness is a separate external program.

## MCP Capability Areas

- Builds: list builds, create builds from recipes, inspect status, retry failures, and fetch completed artifact links
- Recipes: browse templates, inspect recipe JSON, validate recipes, and create recipes from templates
- VMs: create test VMs, manage VM lifecycle, and open console access when allowed
- Desktop interaction: capture screenshots and perform visual interaction through supported MCP tools
- Tests: run scoped checks, inspect results, and manage reusable test suites
- App UI testing: drive a managed tester VM to test the UI of any app URL (no deploy), with reusable, self-hardening GUI scenarios, environment variables, and 2FA support

## Reusable Test Suites

OpenFactory test suites can be created before a variant or ISO has been built.
Suites can define multiple named test cases and one or more ISO target slots.
At run time, bind target slots to completed builds and run the suite.

Relevant MCP tools: `create_test_suite`, `list_test_suites`, `get_test_suite`,
`update_test_suite_targets`, `run_test_suite`, `list_test_suite_runs`,
`get_test_suite_status`.

## App UI Testing (any URL, no deploy)

OpenFactory can drive a managed desktop tester VM (a vanilla Ubuntu desktop with
a browser) to test the user interface of any web app by URL. Point it at a local
dev server, a preview or production deployment on Vercel, AWS, Netlify, or any
host, or any public URL the VM can reach; no build or deploy with OpenFactory is
required, so it works with existing hosting. Scenarios are written in plain
language and are self-hardening: the first run learns where each UI element is,
and later runs replay from that memory and re-resolve only the elements that
changed. Scenarios support environment variables (`${VAR}`) and two-factor
sign-in (`${totp:VAR}`, RFC 6238 TOTP); secrets are passed at run time and never
stored.

Relevant MCP tools: `ensure_tester_vm`, `create_app_scenario`,
`list_app_scenarios`, `get_app_scenario`, `run_app_scenario`, `start_app_test`,
`record_app_test_step`, `finish_app_test`, `list_app_test_runs`,
`get_app_test_run`, `annotate_screenshot`.

## Safety Boundary

Do not infer or publish undocumented routes, internal hostnames, local ports,
environment variables, source paths, customer data, credentials, deployment
topology, or vulnerability details. Use the MCP docs and this AI index as the
public machine-readable source of truth.