# graft

> Org-specific forks of upstream software. Each org keeps its own fork that
> tracks upstream, and AI maintains a patch series of only the changes that
> reach what the org's instance actually runs. Updates happen when something
> that matters changed.

Site: https://graft.proc.io/
Status: working engine and backtest; no hosted service or signup yet.

## The model

graft extends the Red Hat model (a vendor maintains patch sets for supported
releases) down to the customer. Rootstock: a pinned upstream base. Scion: the
carried patch series. The org's installer is built from the two.

## The loop

1. Profile: read-only probes record bound drivers, loaded modules, kernel
   config, mounted filesystems, socket families, listening ports, extensions
   and machine-config features.
2. Triage: every upstream change is placed against that surface. Rules first
   (Kbuild maps kernel files to CONFIG symbols and modules; unmounted
   filesystems and unbound hardware drivers are off-surface; CVEs from the
   kernel CNA with CVSS urgency). A local model on the org's own GPU judges
   the rest; it can raise a tier but never lower a rule's floor.
   Tiers: outside < hold < ship-batch < ship-now. ship-batch and ship-now are carried.
3. Series: pinned base plus cherry-picks of the carried changes; the branch
   is regenerated from the series.
4. Build and test: the org's own Talos installer, booted in QEMU, tested by
   exact series digest.
5. Release: only when the series changed. The release pipeline is
   model-checked in TLA+ (TLC found three races: promoting an untested series,
   an older build overtaking a newer one, a model verdict un-shipping a
   rule-required fix).

## Backtest (one test instance, not a production claim)

Talos v1.13.0 to v1.13.10, 27 April 2026 to 3 September 2026.
Instance: Talos in QEMU: virtio disk + NIC, single control-plane node, flannel. Triage: 6,385 rule verdicts and 526 model verdicts.
Numbers will change as the model pass completes and more instances are added.

- upstream changes: 6,911 (156 talos, 65 pkgs, 6,690 linux-stable)
- installed: 1,458 with graft vs 6,911 following upstream (21%)
- CVE fixes: 2,981 upstream; 893 carried, 2,088 deferred as off-surface with a stated reason
- following upstream: 10 releases, ship-now fixes running in 7.9 days
- fast: 45 releases, ship-now fixes running in 2.0 days, CVE fixes in 2.0 days
- weekly: 20 releases, ship-now fixes running in 3.8 days, CVE fixes in 3.8 days
- upstream-paced: 11 releases, ship-now fixes running in 7.5 days, CVE fixes in 7.3 days

## Risks

- Security fixes are often unlabelled, so triage is rules-first and the model
  can only raise a tier.
- Code the instance does not compile or load is treated as unreachable;
  physical access (e.g. a USB NIC) is out of scope for the VM profile.
- The org must rebase before its pinned base goes end of life.

## Next

- A Dell server running Talos: different profile, different patch set.
- The local model pass over what the rules cannot place.
- A kernel trimmed to the surface, so off-surface code is absent from the image.

An Infinite Logic PBC experiment (https://infinitelogic.org).