Explanation¶

Explanation pages help you understand tailor's model and design choices. Unlike the how-to guides, they are meant to be read rather than followed.

Start here (the model)¶

Concepts — the core vocabulary: images, matrices, axes, cells, slugs, fragments, and toolchains. Read this first.
Merge model — how base config and per-axis fragments combine, and the precedence rules that decide the final cell config.
Target architectures — how the reserved arch axis selects the target platform and base image, and how the effective arch is resolved.
Base images — where a cell's starting image comes from and the ways to declare one.

Architecture — the crate layout and dependency direction of the tailor workspace.
Design rationale — why tailor is shaped the way it is, and the trade-offs behind the key decisions.

Threat model — the trust boundaries and what tailor does to keep a build from reaching the host.
Licensing and third-party notices — tailor's license and how it reports the licenses of its dependencies.