sbscherer's picture

Hi everyone,

I have two related questions and apologize in advance if they have already been covered in previous posts.

First, the amount content that has been created in the form of TKLPatches as a result of the contest is just amazing. Does TKL plan to spin all these into appliances, publish just the TKLPatches in the repository, or do some combination of both?

Second, I have followed TKL for over a year now and the TKLPatch subject comes up pretty frequently.  However, I haven't been able to find a good post to learn how to install a TKLPatch.   Would someone be willing to put together a post with directions, maybe even with a screen recording if complex, to help catch some of us up?  

I appreciate all the hard work that has gone into TKL.  I can't wait to see what the contest will bring.  Thanks!

Forum: 
Jeremy Davis's picture

You'll need to wait to hear from Alon & Liraz re your first question, but I'd imagine that they'll look through the patches and make a decision on which ones to release as TKLpatches. TBH I'd guess they'll use many of them. I doubt they'll publish any patches as they're all available here anyway, but I could be wrong.

It's really easy to apply a patch to an ISO. You'll need TKLPatch installed obviously. Unless you're running Ubuntu (and probably even them) the best way is to install TKL Core into a Virtual Machine (Virtual Box is a nice free one, but there are others). Then install TKLPatch (apt-get update && apt-get install tklpatch), then have the patch and the ISO to be patched in the same folder and run this command:

tklpatch image.iso patch.tar.gz

Using this example you will get a resulting ISO called image-patched.iso Too easy! You can also install to a live system but it is not recommended as there are some potential downfalls. Read about that in the TKLPatch documentation.

If you want to have a play with TKLPatch I'd strongly suggest you read through the whole documentation, if you can cope with commandline then it's all pretty straightforward.

sbscherer's picture

 

I am definitely looking forward to seeing more appliances.  However, I figure whether or not everything gets converted into appliances, I should probably learn a lot more about the patch process. 

It seems I was just misunderstanding which environment to use in order to apply the patch, so I should be able to handle it.  I appreciate the guidance JedMeister.

I might be getting ahead of myself, but I am wondering if it is possible to use a TKLPatch to reliably convert a batch of appliances to run in para-virtualized mode, like to run on XenServer or ESXi.  Any thoughts?

Liraz Siri's picture

Good news. We already have a conversion process for Xen and ESXi in place. The Xen images we've been providing to hosting providers that reached out to us. The ESXi we gave to VMWare for integration with vSphere and the VMWare marketplace but for some reason they've only integrated a handful of appliances.

I just launched our conversion machine on EC2 and will be uploading these images to sourceforge where everyone can get them.

Liraz Siri's picture

OK the upload for the ESX4 optimized images just finished (at 10MB/s), and I've just starting uploading the Xen optimized builds. Should be done in a few minutes.

For some reason it impresses the hell out of me I'm getting faster upload speeds between EC2 and Sourceforge than I can get on my home 100Mbit LAN...

sbscherer's picture

I can't tell you how happy it makes me to be able to use those images as a starting point.  I will finally be able to deploy some of these great tools into a real production environment.

This is huge for our small business, because this will be the first step towards reducing Microsoft's footprint as well as the first time since 2003 (Office and XP) that we can deploy new productivity tools.  High prices, reliability concerns, support expenses, and the resulting lock-in has kept our users in the dark ages.  

For anyone else reading this post, see the link below for the XenServer and ESXi images...

http://sourceforge.net/projects/turnkeylinux/files/

sbscherer's picture

One follow up question.  What is the proper way to convert the file system into an .iso that can be used on the Xen or ESXi hypervisor?  I have tried a couple things, but am getting errors.  Thanks!

L. Arnold's picture

I ended up at Turnkey because I was looking for prebuilt appliances.   ISo's seemed not where i wanted to go as I was scared (still am) of some of Linux...  that said, by now I have found using ISO's is no problem

This is the process I use w/ VMWare Esxi 4  (similar process in VMWare Server also - just a few diffs)

---------------

Download the ISO

Open VMWARE Sphere Client, log in as Root. 

Configuration ->  hit Storage

right click on your Data Store (DataStore1 for me), and choose -> Browse Datastore

If you have not made a Folder, hit the Folder+ icon  -- to make a new Folder

Call it ISOImages or ISODisks

Open the Folder

Hit the "upload file' button.

Choose your TKL ISO image.

Close your Datastore Browser

---

have a beer

---

(Add a "Next Click to each of the following lines0

now go to "Virtual Machines" tab in VMWare Client (near where you are in "Configuration"

Right Click below all the other machines and choose "New Virtual Machine" .

Choose "typical"

Give it a Name (I like to use a close resembance to the ISO I want to install from)

Double click on your DataStore, to define where you want to store it, and then hit NEXT

Select "Linux" radio button, and then select "Ubuntu Linux 32bit"

(now slow down here)

I take the standard 8gb Virtual Disk, then CLICK "Allocate Space on Demand"  (this will save a lot of space till you need it!) -- if it is a super high load site, maybe don't do that.. but for me it works.

Click IMMEDIATELY next on "Edit the virtual machine settings", then Click "Finish"

You will be presented with your Settings now:

Go to "New CD/DVD"

Choose - > "DataStore ISO" 

Choose the ISO File in the DataStore/ISOImages Folder you already uploaded

IMMEDIATELY Choose "Power on at Startup" - you can't boot without this switch!

you are ready to Roll now  (Installation is pretty much Automatic)

--------------

Your VMWare Machine is on equal footing with any others now. 

--------------

Hit the Power/Go/Green Arrow. 

Click on the Console Button (better than the tab) in order to watch and interact with the install.

If "No OS is found" you need to Auto Power Down via "Inventory Virtual Machines, Right Click Power Down" as you don't have VMWare tools installed and this is the only place to do this othewise.  Click Edit settins, and make sure "Power On at Startup" is clicked for your CD - so the machine can boot from the ISOFile.

-----------

During Installation, I have learned to choose the LVD Options and then answer yes and no in ways that are occassionally counterintuitive (and compunded because the whole install is rolling pretty fast)

You will get all the way to the end and it will ask you to implement TKLBam (choose Skip is my recomendation, it won't work if you don't have an IP address yet and you can get it going very quickly when you login to WebMin (:12321) as soon as you want)

Next:  Accept the "Auto Security Updates"  --> this will create an error as you still don't have a Network connection, but I don't know how to set it up automatically in WebMin otherwise...

Finally: you will may be told:  No Networking is SetUp and you will  be moved on to a screen where you can choose between DHCP (auto ip assignment) or Static IP.  I use DHCP behind my firewall, and Static in my DMZ as I don't have DHCP in the DMZ and I usually need a Server there not on the back side.

In Static: Know the IP you are assigning, and hopefully you will already have DNS setup to point at the IP / or Mapped IP you are defining. IF not, give it a Free IP Address and know your host/dns/access mappings so that you can set your Router to allow-facilitate access. 

Once you define the IP, the system will be LIVE.

This all takes a lot less time than I just spent typing this and you will have an awesome system that is easy to maintain and easy to backup and many other things.  ISO Files are a fine way to install.

TKL Patch turns out to be pretty easy too...  Read the post below, or float around a bit and you will find logs of the install process.  Really quite easy.  Creates an ISO you can Install just the way I have tried to describe.

Basically any version of VMSomethng will install similarly to the VMWware ESXI process I have been referencing.

A few closing notes:

You can boot from a CD the same way also, just by not using an ISO but by using your Server's CD drive.  Don't try to use a Remote CD however (in my experience --  you can't engage the remote CD at startup fast enough no matter how many times you try).  VMWare Server (on another Server can use a Mapped Drive which was intuitively easier for me than the Browse DataStore to find - BUT DOES NOT WORK W/ ESXI without some ISCSI or SMB connection. 

Ideally a Shared DataStore that you can get to from any Server is Best as you only would have to store an ISO Once and use it on any Server Box.., but I haven't crossed that Rubicon yet though I have tried a few times. (Can't figure how to get the TKL FileServer to work the way I understand it does in CIFS or SMB)..  If your Server is not performing as you like "edit settings" give it more ram, and do a google search on "PHP Ram" in refernce to your Application.  You will probably want to give the Application more Ram in one of its settings files, not just the Virtual Machine.

all for now.  I hope this is helpful 

(I notice here it is a bit out of synch but I think folks will be running into the same questions I had over the last few months --  it gets pretty easy w/ a little practice.)

Liraz Siri's picture

http://www.turnkeylinux.org/blog/convert-vm-iso

And I wrote one that is more distantly related but that you might find helpful as well:

http://www.turnkeylinux.org/blog/convert-vdi-vmdk

sbscherer's picture

You make an excellent point about community assisting. I brought up the idea of a TKLPatch earlier. However that is too complicated for me to put together and probably for many others with familiarity with Ubuntu command line.

There is another option that would make sense. If liraz or Alan put a Citrix XenServer TKL Core appliance together, it would jumpstart development within the community. I would personally be happy to share appliances and documentation as time permits. The only barrier is I don't have the Citrix XenServer compatible 10.04 LTS Core appliance to start from. As you pointed out, it is difficult to swap kernels and more complicated with a TKL appliance.

Jeremy Davis's picture

Obviously I can't speak for the devs but I'd be surprised if they dedicate any of their time, anytime soon to support XenServer.

When you put it in perspective they have had plans to support OpenVZ (open source container virtualisation) for as long as I've been a member here (well over a year) and there is still no official support. Considering that XenServer support is not even on their todo list AFAIK, even if they add it, reality is that it could be years away (unless of course you or someone else contracts them to do it).

Even if you could just set it up (following the instructions from one of the links I posted earlier or similar) and clearly document your steps (in the Dev Wiki) would help. Getting Lucid based TKL to run nicely should be basically the same as getting Ubuntu Lucid/10.04 going. From there someone else may be willing to take the extra step to create a TKLPatch which would allow any of the ISOs to be patched to run nicely on XenServer.

sbscherer's picture

Did you get this to work on a TKL appliance?  These instructions work fine on Server and JeOS installations, but not TKL appliances.  I just did it again and encountered the same error as before.  

Internal error: XenguestHelper.Xc_dom_LInux_build_failure(2, " elf_xen_note_check: ERROR: Will only load images built \\\"")

Jeremy Davis's picture

So I'd guess that its an option that is selectable in Ubuntu but pre-configured in TKL. What about GRUB legacy? I read that apparently XenServer doesn't like GRUB2? Could that be it maybe? (I'm really only guessing).

TBH XenServer seems like a complete PITA, especially used in conjunction with Ubuntu. I certainly won't be trading in my (free, open source) ProxmoxVE server.

sbscherer's picture

 

We were so close before, all we needed to install was the proper kernel.  Confirmed working on TKL Core 10.04 LTS (32-bit) appliance.  Thanks JedMeister!

Ubuntu Guest Console (Configure Guest):

  1. apt-get update && apt-get install linux-image-generic-pae
  2. cp /etc/init/tty1.conf /etc/init/hvc0.conf
  3. nano -w /etc/init/hvc0.conf (replace all tty1 with hvc0)
  4. shutdown -P now

Citrix XenServer Console (Configure XenServer):

  1. xe vm-list power-state=halted (write down UUID for TKL VM)
  2. xe vm-param-set uuid=<UUID> HVM-boot-policy=
  3. xe vm-param-set uuid=<UUID> PV-bootloader=pygrub
  4. xe vm-disk-list uuid=<UUID> (find VB disk UUID)
  5. xe vbd-param-set uuid=<VBD UUID> bootable=true
  6. Start appliance and restart XenCenter Manager

Ubuntu Guest Console (Install XenTools)

  1. mount /dev/xvdd /cdrom
  2. dpkg -i /mnt/Linux/xe-guest-utilities*i386.deb (OR dpkg -i /mnt/Linux/xe-guest-utilities*amd64.deb for 64-bit appliances)
  3. umount /mnt
  4. sudo reboot
Adrian Moya's picture

Glad to see you made this. Would you be so kind to make an entrance on the community documentation on this procedure? That way we can always point to your explanation when someone had the same question.

Thanks!

Jeremy Davis's picture

I'm really glad this is now working. It definately deserves a place in the wiki (the Dev wiki?). Nice work.

sbscherer's picture

Please feel free to help keep the instructions up-to-date.  Thanks to everyone who helped to get this worked out.  

http://wiki.turnkeylinux.org/Reference/Citrix_XenServer

Jeremy Davis's picture

The new v12.0 TKL appliances are now based on Debian so the original process may require some subtle tweaks. As above, if you can find some instructions that work with vanilla Debian Squeeze/6.0 then that will give you a good starting point for adapting TKL.

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