Use Case Analysis

Purpose

This document provides an overview of primary use cases for AirGap Deploy, a declarative packaging tool that enables developers to prepare any application for deployment on air-gapped systems using simple TOML manifests.

User Personas

Release Engineer

  • Needs: Automate packaging of applications for air-gapped customers

  • Environment: CI/CD pipelines, GitHub Actions, multi-platform builds

  • Priority: Reproducibility, automation, cross-platform support

Application Developer

  • Needs: Package own application with complex dependencies for offline use

  • Environment: Development machine with internet, targeting air-gapped systems

  • Priority: Simple manifest format, handles Rust + native deps + ML models

IT Administrator

  • Needs: Deploy pre-built packages to air-gapped fleet

  • Environment: Air-gapped workstations, enterprise infrastructure

  • Priority: Unattended installation, predictable behavior, clear verification

Open-Source Maintainer

  • Needs: Offer air-gap-ready releases alongside standard releases

  • Environment: GitHub releases, community users in restricted environments

  • Priority: Low maintenance overhead, works for multiple platforms

Primary Use Cases

Cleanroom Whisper Deployment

Scenario: Package Cleanroom Whisper (Rust app + whisper.cpp + ML models) for installation on air-gapped desktops.

Key Requirements:

  • Declarative manifest defines all components

  • Cross-platform install scripts (Bash + PowerShell)

  • Checksum verification of all downloaded artifacts

Use Case: Cleanroom Whisper Deployment

Ollama Deployment

Scenario: Package Ollama with multiple large language models (20GB+) for deployment to an air-gapped server.

Key Requirements:

  • Handle large model files with checksum verification

  • Integration with AirGap Transfer for multi-USB chunking

  • Unattended installation on target system

Use Case: Ollama Deployment

Common Requirements Across All Use Cases

Requirement

Rationale

Declarative manifests (TOML)

Reproducible, version-controllable packaging

Offline installation

Target systems have zero internet access

Checksum verification

Ensure integrity of downloaded components

Cross-platform install scripts

Bash (Linux/macOS) and PowerShell (Windows) generation

Self-contained packages

Single archive with all dependencies vendored

Integration Scenarios

With AirGap Transfer

When deployment packages exceed USB capacity, AirGap Transfer handles chunked transfer:

  • Package created by AirGap Deploy is chunked by AirGap Transfer

  • Chunks transferred across air-gap on multiple USB drives

  • Reconstructed on target, then installed normally

See: AirGap Transfer use cases

With Cleanroom Whisper

Cleanroom Whisper is AirGap Deploy’s primary reference use case:

  • AirGap Deploy packages Whisper binary, whisper.cpp source, and ML models

  • Generated install script builds from source on the air-gapped system

  • Post-install configuration enables auto-discovery of models and binary

See: Use Case: Cleanroom Whisper Deployment

With CI/CD Systems

AirGap Deploy integrates with CI/CD for multi-platform releases:

  • GitHub Actions matrix builds create platform-specific packages

  • Release artifacts are uploaded automatically

  • Users download pre-built packages from releases

Out of Scope

The following are explicitly NOT supported:

Use Case

Why Not Supported

Runtime application management

AirGap Deploy is a packaging tool only

Container/Kubernetes deployment

Targets desktop/server, not orchestrators

Network-based deployment

Violates air-gap design principle

Application-specific build logic

Remains generic; apps define own steps

Success Metrics

Metric

Target

Package creation time

< 5 minutes (excluding downloads)

Installation success rate

> 95% on supported platforms

Manifest complexity

< 50 lines for typical application

Package integrity

100% checksum verification

Cross-platform support

Linux x86_64, macOS ARM, Windows x86_64

See Also