ASLICE-PROFILE(1) aslice v0.1

aslice contributors · September 2026

NAME

aslice-profile — inspect generations and select profile contents

SYNOPSIS

aslice history

aslice rollback [generation]

aslice switch-generation generation

aslice link package

aslice unlink package

aslice profile prefer name provider

aslice exec package -- command [argument…]

aslice exec --replacement path -- package command [argument…]

DESCRIPTION

These are specified interfaces; this page does not establish completed implementation.

history lists retained generations and attributes machine-file changes to their file hash and generation. rollback restores the previous generation, or the named retained generation. switch-generation selects a retained generation explicitly. generation is the identity shown by history; its lexical grammar is not specified.

Both transitions verify retained artifacts and journal managed-state restoration, including the profile lock and changed service declarations. External edits stop inverse writes with a conflict. Application data and databases need their own compatible backup/restore procedure; protected-volume restoration can require Recovery and reboot. Artifacts needed by active recovery remain GC roots.

link exposes an installed package in the current profile; unlink retracts that exposure. Each creates a generation. This is the explicit opt-in for packages declaring link = false; dependencies still use their store paths either way. profile prefer selects the provider for a colliding name or virtual package, for example blas and openblas, without modifying immutable store bytes. It does not permit an implicit cross-repository provider substitution.

exec runs a command in a temporary profile view discarded on exit. The first form names the package before --, followed by the executable and its arguments. It does not establish a persistent runtime selection.

REPLACEMENT EXECUTION

--replacement names the verified replacement path prepared by recovery. This form places the package after --. It admits only a validated isolated dependency closure. Bad absolute paths, dependencies, plugins, or external configuration block that closure. It neither changes normal shim selections nor activates privileged integration. Missing selection state never permits fallback to another stream or generation. See aslice-recover(1).

Additional profile selectors, dry-run spellings for these transitions, and exec's child-status propagation are not specified; this page does not define them.

EXAMPLES

aslice history
aslice rollback
aslice switch-generation 41
aslice link openssl3
aslice unlink openssl3
aslice profile prefer blas openblas
aslice exec extended:ffmpeg -- ffprobe in.mov
aslice exec --replacement "$replacement_path" -- extended:ffmpeg ffprobe in.mov

EXIT STATUS

The common statuses in aslice(1) apply where relevant: 0 success, 1 error or recovery required, 2 plan refused, 4 contention without unresolved recovery, and 130 safely completed cancellation. No additional family-specific numeric statuses are specified.