Build Ownership

Relevant source files

There is exactly one authoritative image-assembly path. The repository splits responsibility three ways:

Owner	Responsibility
Root `axiomos` package (`Cargo.toml`, `build.rs`, `src/main.rs`)	Host-side image assembly and QEMU runner. Cargo artifact dependencies build the kernel and every userspace binary for `x86_64-unknown-none` or `aarch64-unknown-none` and expose them through `CARGO_BIN_FILE_*`. `build.rs` owns the pinned OVMF/Limine inputs, the ext2 rootfs population step, and (x86_64) the bootable ISO.
`tools/xtask`	Repository validation, inventory/boundary checks, documentation generation (`cargo xtask docs`), and the typed `build` / `run` / `deploy` / `check` / `bench` front-end. It does not duplicate image assembly.
`scripts/`	Process adapters for QEMU launch, Pi 5 deployment, debugging, verification, HIL and benchmark reduction.

Key points

The root binary is a host runner, not the kernel. kernel/src/main.rs is the privileged target binary; src/main.rs prints artifact paths for tooling (--no-run) and launches QEMU using compile-time paths from build.rs.
Features select the target set. The default feature x86_64_deps pulls x86_64 artifacts; an aarch64_deps set pulls AArch64 ones. Development and diagnostic features are forwarded to the kernel and init: bpf-unsigned-development (and -aarch64), audit-diagnostics, audit-fault-injection, bringup-diagnostics. host-runner-tests compiles only the host runner and is rejected outside the debug profile or alongside target artifact features.
Host prerequisites. Because build.rs assembles a rootfs and ISO, a clean machine needs mke2fs (e2fsprogs), xorriso, git and make on PATH, plus QEMU to run.
Pinned inputs. ci/manifests/build-inputs.env pins Limine (v9.6.7-binary, revision ee5d29cd...) and OVMF (edk2-stable202511-r2 with a SHA-256). The runner treats the OVMF VARS file as an immutable template and attaches it with snapshot=on.
Trust roots are build inputs. AXIOM_BPF_TRUSTED_KEY_PATH (embedded production Ed25519 key) and AXIOM_SIGNED_BPF_STARTUP_PATH (signed startup program) are listed as immutable inputs for the shipped artifacts.
Generated outputs are not source. Disk images and debug sessions live under Cargo’s target/ or the ignored artifacts/ tree.

Artifact	Producer	Status
x86_64 boot ISO, kernel ELF, ext2 rootfs	`cargo build --locked --release -p axiomos`	shipped
Raspberry Pi 5 kernel ELF, `kernel8.img`, embedded ext2 rootfs	`cargo xtask build rpi5 -- release embedded-rpi5`	supported after HIL
AArch64 `virt` rootfs	`cargo xtask run virt`	experimental
Shrike RP2040 ELF	standalone `firmware/shrike/rp2040` build	supported after HIL

See Getting Started for the commands in practice.