OSInside · schaefi · Mar 14, 2026
diff --git a/build-tests/x86/tumbleweed/test-image-disk-formats/appliance.kiwi b/build-tests/x86/tumbleweed/test-image-disk-formats/appliance.kiwi
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+
+<image schemaversion="7.5" name="kiwi-test-image-disk-formats" displayname="Disk Formats">
+    <description type="system">
+        <author>Marcus Schäfer</author>
+        <contact>marcus.schaefer@gmail.com</contact>
+        <specification>Build different disk formats</specification>
+    </description>
+    <preferences>
+        <version>1.42.1</version>
+        <packagemanager>zypper</packagemanager>
+        <locale>en_US</locale>
+        <keytable>us</keytable>
+        <timezone>Europe/Berlin</timezone>
+        <rpm-excludedocs>true</rpm-excludedocs>
+        <rpm-check-signatures>false</rpm-check-signatures>
+        <bootsplash-theme>breeze</bootsplash-theme>
+        <bootloader-theme>openSUSE</bootloader-theme>
+        <type image="oem" filesystem="ext3" kernelcmdline="console=ttyS0" firmware="uefi" eficsm="false" format="oci:raw:docker://alpine:latest">
+            <oemconfig>
+                <oem-resize>false</oem-resize>
+            </oemconfig>
+            <containerconfig name="alpine_baked_tw"/>
+            <machine memory="4096"/>
+            <bootloader name="grub2" console="serial" timeout="10"/>
+        </type>
+    </preferences>
+    <users>
+        <user password="$1$wYJUgpM5$RXMMeASDc035eX.NbYWFl0" home="/root" name="root" groups="root"/>
+    </users>
+    <repository type="rpm-md">
+        <source path="obsrepositories:/"/>
+    </repository>
+    <packages type="image">
+        <package name="patterns-base-minimal_base"/>
+        <package name="bind-utils"/>
+        <package name="systemd"/>
+        <package name="plymouth-theme-breeze"/>
+        <package name="plymouth-plugin-script"/>
+        <package name="grub2-branding-openSUSE"/>
+        <package name="iputils"/>
+        <package name="vim"/>
+        <package name="grub2"/>
+        <package name="grub2-x86_64-efi" arch="x86_64"/>
+        <package name="grub2-i386-pc"/>
+        <package name="lvm2"/>
+        <package name="plymouth"/>
+        <package name="fontconfig"/>
+        <package name="fonts-config"/>
+        <package name="tar"/>
+        <package name="parted"/>
+        <package name="openssh"/>
+        <package name="iproute2"/>
+        <package name="less"/>
+        <package name="bash-completion"/>
+        <package name="dhcp-client"/>
+        <package name="which"/>
+        <package name="kernel-default"/>
+        <package name="shim"/>
+        <package name="timezone"/>
+    </packages>
+    <packages type="bootstrap">
+        <package name="gawk"/>
+        <package name="grep"/>
+        <package name="gzip"/>
+        <package name="udev"/>
+        <package name="xz"/>
+        <package name="shadow"/>
+        <package name="filesystem"/>
+        <package name="glibc-locale"/>
+        <package name="cracklib-dict-full"/>
+        <package name="ca-certificates"/>
+        <package name="ca-certificates-mozilla"/>
+        <package name="openSUSE-release"/>
+    </packages>
+</image>
diff --git a/build-tests/x86/tumbleweed/test-image-disk-formats/config.sh b/build-tests/x86/tumbleweed/test-image-disk-formats/config.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -ex
+
+#======================================
+# Activate services
+#--------------------------------------
+systemctl enable sshd
diff --git a/doc/source/image_description/elements.rst b/doc/source/image_description/elements.rst
@@ -931,10 +931,33 @@ flags="overlay|dmsquash":
   system based on the capabilities of the upstream dracut
   module.
 
-format="gce|ova|qcow2|vagrant|vmdk|vdi|vhd|vhdx|vhd-fixed":
-  For disk image type oem, this specifies the format of
-  the virtual disk so that it can run on the desired target
-  virtualization platform.
+format="format_name":
+  For disk image type `oem`, this specifies the format of the virtual disk
+  so that it can run on the desired target virtualization platform. The
+  supported formats_name's are:
+
+   * `gce`: Google Compute Engine image format.
+   * `ova`: Open Virtualization Format Archive.
+   * `qcow2`: QEMU Copy-On-Write version 2.
+   * `vagrant`: Vagrant box format (tar.gz).
+   * `vmdk`: VMware Virtual Machine Disk.
+   * `vdi`: VirtualBox Disk Image.
+   * `vhd`: Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk.
+   * `vhdx`: Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk version 2.
+   * `vhd-fixed`: Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk with fixed size.
+   * `oci:image_format:container_transport`: OCI image archive.
+
+   The `oci:...` format is a special case that allows you to create an
+   OCI-compliant container from a specified reference container. The
+   created container image has the actual disk image added as a new layer.
+   The specification of the `oci:image_format:container_transport` format
+   contains two parts separated by a colon. The first part specifies
+   one of the above disk formats or just `raw` if the disk should be
+   stored as raw disk inside of the container. The second part specifies
+   one of the supported `skopeo` container transport formats, for
+   details see the `skopeo` man page. This format is particularly useful
+   for building an image which bundles the actual disk image and its
+   runtime requirements into one artifact.
 
 formatoptions="string":
   Specifies additional format options passed on to `qemu-img`.

diff --git a/kiwi/defaults.py b/kiwi/defaults.py
@@ -1528,8 +1528,19 @@ def get_disk_format_types():
         :rtype: list
         """
         return [
-            'gce', 'qcow2', 'vmdk', 'ova', 'meta', 'vmx', 'vhd', 'vhdx',
-            'vhdfixed', 'vdi', 'vagrant.libvirt.box', 'vagrant.virtualbox.box'
+            'gce',
+            'qcow2',
+            'vmdk',
+            'ova',
+            'meta',
+            'vmx',
+            'vhd',
+            'vhdx',
+            'vhdfixed',
+            'vdi',
+            'vagrant.libvirt.box',
+            'vagrant.virtualbox.box',
+            'oci'
         ]
 
     @staticmethod

diff --git a/kiwi/schema/kiwi.rnc b/kiwi/schema/kiwi.rnc
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ grub_console_input = xsd:token {pattern = "(none|console|serial|at_keyboard|usb_
 fs_attributes = xsd:token {pattern = "(no-copy-on-write|synchronous-updates)(,(no-copy-on-write|synchronous-updates))*"}
 package-version-type =  xsd:token {pattern = "(0|[1-9][0-9]{0,3}|[1-5][0-9]{4}|6[0-4][0-9]{3}|65[0-4][0-9]{2}|655[0-2][0-9]|6553[0-5])(\.(0|[1-9][0-9]{0,3}|[1-5][0-9]{4}|6[0-4][0-9]{3}|65[0-4][0-9]{2}|655[0-2][0-9]|6553[0-5])){3}"}
 simple-uri-type = xsd:token {pattern = "(file:|https:|http:|ftp:).*"}
+oci_format_type = xsd:token {pattern = "oci:(gce:|ova:|qcow2:|vmdk:|vdi:|vhd:|vhdx:|vhd-fixed:|raw:).*"}
 
 #==========================================
 # start with image description
@@ -1986,7 +1987,7 @@ div {
         ## Specifies the format of the virtual disk.
         attribute format {
             "gce" | "ova" | "qcow2" | "vagrant" | "vmdk" |
-            "vdi" | "vhd" | "vhdx" | "vhd-fixed"
+            "vdi" | "vhd" | "vhdx" | "vhd-fixed" | oci_format_type
         }
         >> sch:pattern [ id = "format" is-a = "image_type"
             sch:param [ name = "attr" value = "format" ]
@@ -3090,14 +3091,30 @@ div {
             ]
         ]
     ]
+    sch:pattern [
+        abstract = "true"
+        id = "format_type"
+        sch:rule [
+            context = "containerconfig[@$attr]"
+            sch:assert [
+                test = "not(../@format) or starts-with(../@format, '$format')"
+                "containerconfig($attr) is only available for the following "~
+                "image @format values: $format"
+            ]
+        ]
+    ]
     k.containerconfig.name.attribute =
         ## Specifies a name for the container. This is usually the
         ## the repository name of the container as read if the container
         ## image is imported via the docker load command
         attribute name { text }
-        >> sch:pattern [ id = "name" is-a = "container_type"
+        >> sch:pattern [ id = "image_name" is-a = "container_type"
+            sch:param [ name = "attr" value = "name" ]
+            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "oem docker oci appx" ]
+        ]
+        >> sch:pattern [ id = "format_name" is-a = "format_type"
             sch:param [ name = "attr" value = "name" ]
-            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "docker oci appx" ]
+            sch:param [ name = "format" value = "oci" ]
         ]
     k.containerconfig.tag.attribute =
         ## Specifies a tag for the container. This is usually the
@@ -3106,7 +3123,7 @@ div {
         attribute tag { text }
         >> sch:pattern [ id = "tag" is-a = "container_type"
             sch:param [ name = "attr" value = "tag" ]
-            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "docker oci" ]
+            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "oem docker oci" ]
         ]
     k.containerconfig.additionalnames.attribute =
         ## Specifies additional names for the container using a comma
@@ -3117,28 +3134,28 @@ div {
         attribute additionalnames { text }
         >> sch:pattern [ id = "additionalnames" is-a = "container_type"
             sch:param [ name = "attr" value = "additionalnames" ]
-            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "docker oci" ]
+            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "oem docker oci" ]
         ]
     k.containerconfig.maintainer.attribute =
         ## Specifies a maintainer for the container.
         attribute maintainer { text }
         >> sch:pattern [ id = "maintainer" is-a = "container_type"
             sch:param [ name = "attr" value = "maintainer" ]
-            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "docker oci" ]
+            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "oem docker oci" ]
         ]
     k.containerconfig.user.attribute =
         ## Specifies a user for the container.
         attribute user { text }
         >> sch:pattern [ id = "user" is-a = "container_type"
             sch:param [ name = "attr" value = "user" ]
-            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "docker oci" ]
+            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "oem docker oci" ]
         ]
     k.containerconfig.workingdir.attribute =
         ## Specifies the default working directory of the container
         attribute workingdir { text }
         >> sch:pattern [ id = "workingdir" is-a = "container_type"
             sch:param [ name = "attr" value = "workingdir" ]
-            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "docker oci" ]
+            sch:param [ name = "types" value = "oem docker oci" ]
         ]
     k.containerconfig.attlist =
         k.containerconfig.name.attribute &

diff --git a/kiwi/schema/kiwi.rng b/kiwi/schema/kiwi.rng
@@ -116,6 +116,11 @@
       <param name="pattern">(file:|https:|http:|ftp:).*</param>
     </data>
   </define>
+  <define name="oci_format_type">
+    <data type="token">
+      <param name="pattern">oci:(gce:|ova:|qcow2:|vmdk:|vdi:|vhd:|vhdx:|vhd-fixed:|raw:).*</param>
+    </data>
+  </define>
   <!--
     ==========================================
     start with image description
@@ -2914,6 +2919,7 @@ a different set of live features.</a:documentation>
           <value>vhd</value>
           <value>vhdx</value>
           <value>vhd-fixed</value>
+          <ref name="oci_format_type"/>
         </choice>
       </attribute>
       <sch:pattern id="format" is-a="image_type">
@@ -4700,15 +4706,24 @@ and to provide configuration parameters for it</a:documentation>
         <sch:assert test="contains('$types', ../@image)">containerconfig($attr) is only available for the following image types: $types</sch:assert>
       </sch:rule>
     </sch:pattern>
+    <sch:pattern abstract="true" id="format_type">
+      <sch:rule context="containerconfig[@$attr]">
+        <sch:assert test="not(../@format) or starts-with(../@format, '$format')">containerconfig($attr) is only available for the following image @format values: $format</sch:assert>
+      </sch:rule>
+    </sch:pattern>
     <define name="k.containerconfig.name.attribute">
       <attribute name="name">
         <a:documentation>Specifies a name for the container. This is usually the
 the repository name of the container as read if the container
 image is imported via the docker load command</a:documentation>
       </attribute>
-      <sch:pattern id="name" is-a="container_type">
+      <sch:pattern id="image_name" is-a="container_type">
         <sch:param name="attr" value="name"/>
-        <sch:param name="types" value="docker oci appx"/>
+        <sch:param name="types" value="oem docker oci appx"/>
+      </sch:pattern>
+      <sch:pattern id="format_name" is-a="format_type">
+        <sch:param name="attr" value="name"/>
+        <sch:param name="format" value="oci"/>
       </sch:pattern>
     </define>
     <define name="k.containerconfig.tag.attribute">
@@ -4719,7 +4734,7 @@ image is imported via the docker load command</a:documentation>
       </attribute>
       <sch:pattern id="tag" is-a="container_type">
         <sch:param name="attr" value="tag"/>
-        <sch:param name="types" value="docker oci"/>
+        <sch:param name="types" value="oem docker oci"/>
       </sch:pattern>
     </define>
     <define name="k.containerconfig.additionalnames.attribute">
@@ -4732,7 +4747,7 @@ will be used to build a complete image referrence.</a:documentation>
       </attribute>
       <sch:pattern id="additionalnames" is-a="container_type">
         <sch:param name="attr" value="additionalnames"/>
-        <sch:param name="types" value="docker oci"/>
+        <sch:param name="types" value="oem docker oci"/>
       </sch:pattern>
     </define>
     <define name="k.containerconfig.maintainer.attribute">
@@ -4741,7 +4756,7 @@ will be used to build a complete image referrence.</a:documentation>
       </attribute>
       <sch:pattern id="maintainer" is-a="container_type">
         <sch:param name="attr" value="maintainer"/>
-        <sch:param name="types" value="docker oci"/>
+        <sch:param name="types" value="oem docker oci"/>
       </sch:pattern>
     </define>
     <define name="k.containerconfig.user.attribute">
@@ -4750,7 +4765,7 @@ will be used to build a complete image referrence.</a:documentation>
       </attribute>
       <sch:pattern id="user" is-a="container_type">
         <sch:param name="attr" value="user"/>
-        <sch:param name="types" value="docker oci"/>
+        <sch:param name="types" value="oem docker oci"/>
       </sch:pattern>
     </define>
     <define name="k.containerconfig.workingdir.attribute">
@@ -4759,7 +4774,7 @@ will be used to build a complete image referrence.</a:documentation>
       </attribute>
       <sch:pattern id="workingdir" is-a="container_type">
         <sch:param name="attr" value="workingdir"/>
-        <sch:param name="types" value="docker oci"/>
+        <sch:param name="types" value="oem docker oci"/>
       </sch:pattern>
     </define>
     <define name="k.containerconfig.attlist">

diff --git a/kiwi/storage/subformat/__init__.py b/kiwi/storage/subformat/__init__.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ def new(
         name: str, xml_state: XMLState, root_dir: str, target_dir: str
     ) -> DiskFormatBase:
         name_map = {
+            'oci': 'Oci',
             'qcow2': 'Qcow2',
             'vdi': 'Vdi',
             'vhd': 'Vhd',
@@ -108,4 +109,13 @@ def _custom_args_for_format(name: str, xml_state: XMLState) -> Tuple[Dict, str]:
                 )
         elif name == 'raw':
             module_namespace = 'base'
+        elif name.startswith('oci:'):
+            module_namespace, base_format, base_container_uri = \
+                name.split(':', 2)
+            custom_args.update(
+                {
+                    'base_container_uri': base_container_uri,
+                    'base_format': base_format
+                }
+            )
         return custom_args, module_namespace