docs: init package clarity and cleanup

site/src/content/docs/ref/init-package.mdx

@@ -104,6 +104,18 @@ The `registry:2` image and the Zarf Agent image can be configured with a custom
 
 :::
 
+## Cluster creation
+
+If there is no running cluster, the init package can be used to create one. It has a deployable K3s cluster component that can be optionally deployed on your machine. To install a K8s distribution other than k3s, finding or creating a custom Zarf package is necessary.
+
+Typically, an init package is the first Zarf Package to be deployed on a cluster as other packages often rely on the services it installs or configures, however Zarf may be used to package and install the cluster distribution itself.  In this scenario, the distribution package would be deployed first, followed by the init package, and then any other packages planned for deployment.
+
+:::tip
+
+Check out our [k3s cluster package](https://github.com/defenseunicorns/zarf/blob/main/packages/distros/k3s/zarf.yaml) to see an example of a Zarf package which installs a kubernetes distribution
+
+:::
+
 ## The `zarf init` Lifecycle
 
 The `zarf init` lifecycle is _very similar_ to the [`zarf package deploy` lifecycle](/ref/deploy/) except that it sets up resources specific to Zarf such as the `zarf-state` and performs special actions such as the injection procedure.
@@ -123,7 +135,7 @@ graph TD
     B12(prompt to confirm components)-->B13
     B13(prompt to choose components in '.group')-->B14
 
-    subgraph  
+    subgraph  ""
     B52 --> |Yes|B14(deploy each component)-->B14
     B14 --> B15{Component is \n zarf-seed-registry}
     B15 --> |Yes|B51(initialize zarf-state secret):::action

site/src/content/docs/ref/packages.mdx

@@ -20,17 +20,9 @@ Throughout the rest of the documentation, we will refer to the `ZarfInitConfig`
 
 ### `ZarfInitConfig`
 
-The init package is used to initialize a cluster, making it ready for deployment of other Zarf packages. It must be executed once on each cluster that you want to deploy another package onto, even if multiple clusters share the same host. For additional information on the init package, we provide detailed documentation on the Zarf ['init' package page](/ref/init-package/).
+The init package is used to initialize a cluster, making it ready for deployment of other Zarf packages. It must be executed once on each cluster that you want to deploy another package onto, even if multiple clusters share the same host.
 
-If there is no running cluster, the init package can be used to create one. It has a deployable K3s cluster component that can be optionally deployed on your machine. Usually, an init package is the first Zarf Package to be deployed on a cluster as other packages often depend on the services installed or configured by the init package. If you want to install a K8s cluster with Zarf, but you don't want to use K3s as your cluster, you will need to create or find another Zarf Package that will stand up your cluster before you run the zarf init command.
-
-:::note
-
-To clarify, in most cases, the first Zarf Package you deploy onto a cluster should be the init package since other packages often depend on the services it installs onto your cluster. However, if you don't want to use the K3s distribution included in the init package or if you already have a preferred K8s distribution, you can deploy the distribution package first, followed by the init package, and then any other packages you want. This only applies if you don't have a K8s cluster yet.
-
-:::
-
-During the initialization process, Zarf will seed your cluster with a container registry to store images that other packages may require. Additionally, the init package has the option to deploy other features to your cluster, such as a Git server to manage your repositories or a PLG logging stack that allows you to monitor the applications running on your cluster.
+During the initialization process, Zarf will seed your cluster with a container registry to store images that other packages may require. Additionally, the init package has the option to deploy other features to your cluster, such as a Git server to manage your repositories or a PLG logging stack that allows you to monitor the applications running on your cluster. For additional information on the init package, we provide detailed documentation on the Zarf ['init' package page](/ref/init-package/).
 
 #### Using the init-package
 
@@ -89,3 +81,61 @@ In addition to the traditional sources outlined above, there is also a special "
 Additionally, inspecting a package deployed to a cluster will not be able to show the package's SBOMs, as they are not currently persisted to the cluster.
 
 :::
+
+## Package create lifecycle
+import Mermaid from "@components/Mermaid.astro";
+import Details from "@components/Details.astro";
+
+The following diagram shows the order of operations for the `zarf package create` command and the hook locations for [actions](/ref/actions).
+
+<Details label="Lifecycle Diagram">
+<Mermaid diagram={`
+graph TD
+    A1(set working directory)-->A2
+    A2(parse zarf.yaml)-->A3
+    A3(filter components by architecture)-->A4
+    A4(detect init package)-->A5
+    A5(handle deprecations)-->A6
+    A6(parse component imports)-->A7
+    A7(process create-time variables)-->A8
+    A8(write build data and zarf.yaml)-->A9
+
+    A9(run validations)-->A10
+    A10(confirm package create):::prompt-->A11
+    A11{Init package?}
+    A11 -->|Yes| A12(add seed image)-->A13
+    A11 -->|No| A13
+
+    subgraph  ""
+    A13(add each component)-->A13
+    A13 --> A14(run each '.actions.onCreate.before'):::action-->A14
+    A14 --> A15(load '.charts')-->A16
+    A16(load '.files')-->A17
+    A17(load '.dataInjections')-->A18
+    A18(load '.manifests')-->A19
+    A19(load '.repos')-->A20
+    A20(run each '.actions.onCreate.after'):::action-->A20
+    A20-->A21{Success?}
+    A21-->|Yes|A22(run each\n'.actions.onCreate.success'):::action-->A22
+    A21-->|No|A23(run each\n'.actions.onCreate.failure'):::action-->A23-->A999
+    end
+
+    A22-->A24(load all '.images')
+    A24-->A25{Skip SBOM?}
+    A25-->|Yes|A27
+    A25-->|No|A26
+    A26(generate SBOM)-->A27
+    A27(reset working directory)-->A28
+    A28(create package archive)-->A29
+    A29{Is multipart?}
+    A29-->|Yes|A30(split package archive)-->A31
+    A29-->|No|A31
+    A31(handle sbom view/out flags)
+
+    A999[Abort]:::fail
+
+    classDef prompt fill:#4adede,color:#000000
+    classDef action fill:#bd93f9,color:#000000
+    classDef fail fill:#aa0000
+`}/>
+</Details>