Archlinux Template creation

Instructions manually create a minimal Archlinux (0.8) "Voodoo" OS Template.

Prerequisites

I used a modified archbootstrap script which can be found at http://forzza.systs.org/openvz-misc/

Note: This link is currently broken

Note: One can use mkarchroot (provided by devtools) in place of archbootstrap if building the template on Archlinux. See Disussion.

Edit settings of script "archbootstrap" :

ARCH="i686"
IGNORE="rp-pppoe ppp wireless_tools xfsdump xfsprogs reiserfsprogs lshwd usbutils pciutils pcmciautils module-init-tools mdadm mkinitcpio libusb jfsutils lvm2 lilo cryptsetup device-mapper dhcpcd hwdetect dmapi gen-init-cpio grub"
umark PACMAN_OPTS (remove '#')

Note: I suggest to place the build for OpenVZ templates to /vz/template/, schema: /vz/template/$DIST/$VERSION/$ARCH/

Built this OS-Template with:

CT0_dist	Debian
CT0_ARCH	i386
DIST	arch
VERSION	0.8
ARCH	depends on CT0 settings above

bootstrapping Archlinux

Syntax:

CT0_# /usr/bin/archbootstrap /vz/template/$DIST/$VERSION/$ARCH/ [MIRROR]

Note: Please use mirrors! A full list of Archlinux mirrors: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Mirror

enter the Build with chroot

All the commands below are executed from the root shell. I this howto "chroot" is used to enter as NEWROOT, a BUILD-VE must not be created!

CT0_# chroot /vz/template/$DIST/$VERSION/$ARCH/

setting DNS server

For the chroot BUILD we also need to specify a DNS for it:

BUILD_# mv /etc/resolv.conf.pacorig /etc/resolv.conf

update and install packages

Update (sync) pacman cache and update installed packages

BUILD_# pacman -Syu

Install openssh (client and server) , quota-tools and iproute

BUILD_# pacman -S openssh quota-tools iproute

fix /etc/mtab

Add symlink /proc/mount /etc/mtab

BUILD_# ln -s /proc/mounts /etc/mtab

fix /etc/inittab

Remove getty lines from inittab:

BUILD_# sed -i -e '/getty/d' /etc/inittab

create device nodes

Create device nodes at /dev, like console, full, null, zero, urandom, ptmx and fifo of initctl

BUILD_# mknod -m 600 /dev/console c 5 1
BUILD_# mknod -m 666 /dev/tty c 5 0
BUILD_# mknod -m 666 /dev/full c 1 7
BUILD_# mknod -m 600 /dev/initctl p
BUILD_# mknod -m 666 /dev/null c 1 3
BUILD_# mknod -m 666 /dev/ptmx c 5 2 
BUILD_# mkdir pts
BUILD_# mknod -m 666 /dev/random c 1 8
BUILD_# mknod -m 444 /dev/urandom c 1 9 
BUILD_# mknod -m 666 /dev/zero c 1 5

sysinit script modification

Remove deleting of /etc/mtab in /etc/rc.sysinit and add mounting of /dev/pts

BUILD_# nano /etc/rc.sysinit

[...]
/bin/rm -f /etc/mtab
[...]

to

[...]
#/bin/rm -f /etc/mtab
/bin/mount -t devpts none /dev/pts
[...]

modify the main configuration file

BUILD_# nano /etc/rc.conf

# Localization
LOCALE="en_US.utf8"
HARDWARECLOCK="localtime"

# example : German KEYMAP and Timezone to Berlin
TIMEZONE="Europe/Berlin"
KEYMAP="de-latin1-nodeadkeys"

CONSOLEFONT=
CONSOLEMAP=
USECOLOR="yes"

# Network settings
HOSTNAME="localhost"

# DAEMONS
# Add openssh to DAEMONS, start at bootup ; ssh-keys are build on first VE start !!!
DAEMONS=(syslog-ng network netfs crond ssh)

enable ssh connections

Note: All connection are disabled to VE, see /etc/hosts.deny, only affected server built-in with libwrap

Allow ssh:

BUILD_# echo "ssh: ALL : ALLOW" >> /etc/hosts.allow

lock (disable) the root account

BUILD_# passwd -l root

exit the chroot to CT0

BUILD_# exit

build a exclude list

Shrink the OS-Template, so not all files needed in a VE - OS - TEMPLATE

Remove unused pacman backup files:

CT0_# find ./ -name '*.pacorig' > ../exclude.list-$ARCH

/etc/resolv.conf is added by vzctl:

CT0_# echo "etc/resolv.conf" >> ../exclude.list-$ARCH

Don't add downloaded pkg to ostemplate:

CT0_# find ./var/cache/ -name '*.tar.gz' >> ../exclude.list-$ARCH

We dont need no logs and history:

CT0_# find ./var/cache/ -name '*.tar.gz' >> ../exlcude.list-$ARCH
CT0_# find ./root/.bash_history >> ../exclude.list-$ARCH

create OS template

CT0_# tar --numeric-owner -X ../exclude.list-$ARCH -czf /vz/template/cache/arch-0.8-$ARCH-minimal.tar.gz ./

use the OS template

CT0_# vzctl create <VEID> --ostemplate arch-0.8-$ARCH-minimal ...

== update the OS template ==

To update a template is really easy, enter the build with chroot, performing upgrade task

CT0_# chroot /vz/template/$DIST/$VERSION/$ARCH/ 'pacman -Syu'

Update the exclude list, and pack upgraded OS - Template

Links

• Archlinux wiki