> In terms of simplicity, Alpine Linux is unpeered. Alpine is the only Linux distribution that fits in my head. The pieces from which it is built from are simple, easily understood, and few in number, and I can usually predict how it will behave in production. The software choices, such as musl libc, are highly appreciated in this respect as well, lending a greater degree of simplicity to the system as a whole.
Is there a guide to how Alpine is architected and put together? From this description it sounds like it could be a pretty interesting intro to how a basic Linux distro operates.
It depends on the level of familiarity you have with Linux distros. Alpine is simple, but it might be a bit hard to understand without first understand what each component does (e.g., initramfs, GRUB). In that case, installing a Linux distro via chroot method and get it up running as a desktop might be a better place to start. Alpine simplicity would makes sense after then.
Otherwise, I'd recommend installing Alpine in a VM and play with it for a week. On a lower level, alpine-base[1], alpha-baselayout[2], and alpine-conf[3] might be a point of interest. alpine-conf contains several scripts for bootstrapping the entire system (e.g. setup-disk/setup-bootable/update-kernel). Following what these scripts does can get very far into understanding how a distro is put together.
Is there a guide to how Alpine is architected and put together? From this description it sounds like it could be a pretty interesting intro to how a basic Linux distro operates.