REPOSTING SINCE CONTAINS SOME IMPORTANT DOCUMENTATION LINKS
Since the FirstRib build system and special overlayfs-based initrd is used so much to produce current Kennel Linux distributions, I'd suggest you organise some documentation in new threads/sections under Kennel Linux section and discuss these matters in relation to KL builds there too. As rockedge says, FirstRib docs are a bit all over the place so organising that from KL point of view is a job someone could take on to advantage for anyone using KL distros. Aside from that old forum, which doesn't really have much in it (or getting old), the archived FirstRib sections do contain a lot of probably always useful info, and I have a blog I sometimes write to (on holiday... at the moment only) at https://www.tinylinux.info/ that contains some more solid FirstRib-related info.
The archived FirstRib HowTo "Cheat Sheet" is probably the best source of most information outside of above tinylinux info blog FirstRib material: viewtopic.php?p=36426#p36426
Note that the name of the distros I was building changed back to their original "FirstRib" Linux name rather than somewhat confusing WDL name (I preferred original designation), but the technical details didn't change at all.
One day I do hope to create a specific FirstRib-related website, but that may be a year from now so I wouldn't wait for that since KL is pretty active as a distro area.
My two sons and myself use FirstRib built and based KL distros all the time, so FirstRib components are likely to be supported for many years to come no matter how much or how little it continues to be used in KL distro designs (I continue to read threads in KL-related areas). I'm just busy in complex job of moving home and country for all of coming year; slow process sorry - not travelling light though wish I was really... result I suppose of modern disease consumerism (lots of cables, computers, books, technical junk in my case...). But at least I got as far as polishing FirstRib build system and FR initrd sufficiently to be long time hopefully useful as a distro building system, though much can be improved later and particularly in terms of user-created system script components for the likes of managing the FR-provided layer rollback capabilities and so on. It is definitely a case of many hands make light work.
Two of the key features of FirstRib that make it particularly useful (for me anyway):
1. the FR initrd can be used to boot pretty much any pre-built root filesystem, which is why the old weedogit script was able to take most any mainstream iso (such as Linux Mint, for example) and use its root filesystem to provide a FirstRib-style frugal installation of Linux Mint (and similarly with Manjaro and so on).
2. The FR build system script can be used to build a unique root filesystem to user's design. Basically it provides a skeleton filesystem structure starting with nothing in it but busybox binary and then allows the user to add an upstream package manager (or not) and, optionally, can provide a barebones init script just to get things going. In other words, simplest FR root filesystem ends up just with simple init shell script and busybox and whatever binaries (other than busybox) the user includes via their build script plugin (addon). Usually, however, the builder uses FR build script option to include an upstream package manager, and thereafter of course the user build script plugin (just a list of commands really) can use the then included package manager to include whatever other upstream repo components they want. For example, first major distro that was targetted was based on FR initrd, busybox, and Void Linux's xbps package manager, so using that choice (which rockedge employs) you can add the likes of runit (Void Linux alternative to systemd or old sysVinit). The end result of such a build is fully compatible Void Linux root filesystem (but only includes whatever packages and system components the FR builder wants to include... e.g. alternative desktop managers and apps and so on). And the FR initrd then boots that root filesystem to provide all the frugal install capabilities the KL distro user is familiar with; and the build is made to include various user-created system shell scripts that help manage that FirstRib functionality (such as Fredx181 save2flash script to help utiliise FR "RAM2 save on demand mode).
The end result of many KL designs is more about the user system shell scripts and configurations (e.g. themes the FR builder includes or utility/system apps taken from elsewhere such as Puppy Linux for example), especially if a desktop like XFCE is added from upstream repo since XFCE provides a well-known stable and quite comprehensive environment that is quite efficient even on ten year old computers. But it is perfectly possible to use simpler desktops like JWM or openbox with the likes of tint2, but much more user/builder work is then required to be included in the user-created build plugin since simpler desktops don't themselves provide much of a desktop environment (apps/utilities/configurations needed and so on). Or can just build the simplest of systems using FR build script with no package manager even, with or without X or Wayland or whatever, but such a system has much less use for most people than one that provides a typical XFCE or similar capability. You can of course decide to include pulseaudio, or pipewire, or X, or Wayland and so on, though some configuration may well be required in your build system plugin script depending what you are intending to achieve. You can also start with a simple initial build and then add to it and remaster the final result of course.
FR initrd "Cheat Sheet"
viewtopic.php?p=36426#p36426
Building a root filesystem for use with WDL initrd
viewtopic.php?t=4702
FirstRib (old archived info)
viewforum.php?f=130
RC7 (STABLE) WeeDogLinux Arch 64 now released
https://oldforum.puppylinux.com/viewtop ... 56#1028956
https://firstrib.rockedge.org/
wiak FR gitlab store
Over time I keep the following resource up-to-date but some of the included resources may be lagging behind a little at this exact moment: https://gitlab.com/firstrib/firstrib
Sorry, my (wiak family) firstrib gitlab site will always be a bit ad hoc random in terms of its "organisation" because is generally only intended for my own development/storage, but added it here in case anyone finds its contents useful to them anyway. I don't check for or accept external push additions to this one since it is just really where I currently store my own copies of various scripts/utilities most of which are just old 'archive' copies and/or 'sometimes used by myself or others (optional). However everything is MIT licensed open source anyway. The section marked 'latest' does become that over time...