ASLICE-SYSTEM-PATCH(1) aslice v0.1

aslice contributors · September 2026

NAME

aslice-system-patch — inspect and reverse declared replacements of Apple-provided files

SYNOPSIS

aslice system-patch list

aslice system-patch status [path]

aslice system-patch restore path [--accept-system-changes]

aslice system-patch prepare [--accept-system-changes]

aslice system-patch finalize [--accept-system-changes]

DESCRIPTION

Declared [system-patch] packages replace narrowly allowed Apple-provided files with explicit consent and a mandatory reason. The helper preserves byte-exact originals and their metadata in protected storage, scoped by OS build and volume UUID. Executable replacements use a root-owned dependency closure; root execution never follows a user-writable profile.

The kernel, dyld, libSystem, /System, and platform load-path libraries remain refused targets. SIP-disabled does not imply that a volume is writable. Writable targets use journaled replacement; Catalina uses the Recovery backend; Big Sur and Monterey use the base-volume and boot-snapshot backend. SYSTEM-VOLUMES defines preparation, Recovery application, pending-reboot state, and finalization. Unsupported or untested OS adapters refuse application.

list shows managed patches. status reports hashes, OS/volume baseline, pending reboot, and external drift. restore plans the compatible backend's restoration; it may require Recovery and reboot. Missing backups, changed security state, and OS-baseline conflicts stop restoration with a remedy.

prepare validates the complete patch plan and persists protected recovery material before entering the OS-specific Recovery workflow. finalize verifies the booted volume/snapshot and resulting bytes before committing; it cannot mark a failed or unverified reboot successful. SYSTEM-VOLUMES §2 and SYSTEM-VOLUMES §4 owns the workflow; platform adapters remain unimplemented.

TRUST

Serving [system-patch] packages requires the repository system-patch capability (REPOSITORIES §3): official and local repositories have it by default; a verified repository receives it only through the user's explicit per-repo grant (aslice repo allow-system-patch <name>, refused by default, revocable with aslice repo deny-system-patch <name>); third-party repositories never.

OS UPDATES

An OS update establishes a new baseline. aslice reports drift and never reapplies a patch silently. Reinstallation requires fresh consent and a new baseline backup; restoration never places an older OS original over the newly installed OS file.

LIMITS

Rollback is a journaled restoration plan. Protected-volume rollback can require Recovery and reboot, and service data is outside its scope. Uninstall is refused until managed patches are restored or a restoration is durably pending with its recovery tools retained. Originals and prior snapshots remain retained while referenced by an installed patch or unresolved operation.

path names the managed Apple-provided file to inspect or restore. Omitting it from status requests the overall patch state. Prepare and finalize act on the protected transition; additional plan/path selectors are not yet specified. Every mutation requires explicit system-change consent. Unattended system changes require --accept-system-changes; authentication, repository capability, and validated platform-adapter requirements still apply. No command-specific dry-run grammar is established here.

aslice system-patch list
aslice system-patch status
aslice system-patch status /usr/bin/rsync
aslice system-patch restore /usr/bin/rsync
aslice system-patch prepare
# Complete the prescribed Recovery and reboot workflow before finalizing:
aslice system-patch finalize

EXIT STATUS

The common aslice(1) statuses apply. Pending reboot or unresolved recovery returns 1, not successful restoration; consent refusal returns 2. Status reporting does not itself finalize a pending transition.

FILES

/Library/Application Support/aslice/system/: Helper-owned dependency closures, receipts, and versioned backups. Before restoration, the helper verifies hashes, ownership, OS build, and volume identity.