Create a Zarf Package
Zarf enables you to consolidate portions of the internet into a single package that can be conveniently installed at a later time. A Zarf Package is a single tarball file that includes all of the resources and instructions required for efficiently managing a system or capability, even when entirely disconnected from the internet. In this context, a disconnected system refers to a system that either consistently operates in an offline mode or occasionally disconnects from the network.
Once defined, a Zarf Package contains comprehensive instructions on assembling various software components that are to be deployed onto the targeted system. The instructions are fully "declarative", meaning that all components are represented by code and automated, eliminating the need for manual intervention.
Additional Resources
To learn more about creating a Zarf package, you can check out the following resources:
- Getting Started with Zarf: A step-by-step guide to installing Zarf and a description of the problems it seeks to solve.
- Zarf CLI Documentation: A comprehensive guide to using the Zarf command-line interface.
- Understanding Zarf Packages: A breakdown of the kinds of Zarf packages, their uses and how they work.
- Understanding Zarf Components: A breakdown of the primary structure that makes up a Zarf Package.
- Zarf Schema Documentation: Documentation that covers the configuration available in a Zarf Package definition.
- The Package Create Lifecycle: An overview of the lifecycle of
zarf package create. - Creating a Zarf Package Tutorial: A tutorial covering how to take an application and create a package for it.
Typical Creation Workflow:
The general flow of a Zarf package deployment on an existing initialized cluster is as follows:
# Before creating your package you can lint your zarf.yaml
$ zarf prepare lint <directory>
# To create a package run the following:
$ zarf package create <directory>
# - Enter any package templates that have not yet been defined
# - Type "y" to confirm package creation or "N" to cancel
# Once the creation finishes you can interact with the built package
$ zarf inspect <package-name>.tar.zst
# - You should see the specified package's zarf.yaml
# - You can also see the sbom information with `zarf inspect <package-name>.tar.zst --sbom`