Editing Archlinux Template creation

Script & archived instructions for creating an Arch container.

== Script ==

Script for creating a minimal Arch Linux template adapted from the script in [[Talk:Archlinux_Template_creation|Disussion]].
<pre>#!/bin/bash -x

DISTRO=arch
VERSION=2013

# set up base system plus:
#    syslinux (necessary? i don't think it is...)
#    vim (because nano is lame)
#    openssh
# ...any other package from standard Arch repos...
PACKS="base base-devel syslinux openssh vim"

MIRROR1=http://mirror.umoss.org/archlinux
MIRROR2=http://mirror.rit.edu/archlinux

if [[ ${1} == 64 ]]; then
  ARCH=x86_64
else
  if [[ ${1} == 32 ]]; then
    ARCH=i686
  else
    echo "Usage: ${0} 32|64"
    exit 1
  fi
fi

ROOT=${DISTRO}-${VERSION}-${ARCH}

TEMPLATE=$(pwd)/${ROOT}.tar.gz

if [[ "$(whoami)" == "root" ]]; then
    echo "Building template: ${ROOT}"
else
    echo "This script must be run as root (or with sudo)"
    exit 1
fi

cat <<EOF > pacman.conf
[options]
HoldPkg     = pacman glibc
SyncFirst   = pacman
Architecture = ${ARCH}

[core]
Server = ${MIRROR1}/\$repo/os/${ARCH}
Server = ${MIRROR2}/\$repo/os/${ARCH}
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
[extra]
Server = ${MIRROR1}/\$repo/os/${ARCH}
Server = ${MIRROR2}/\$repo/os/${ARCH}
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
[community]
Server = ${MIRROR1}/\$repo/os/${ARCH}
Server = ${MIRROR2}/\$repo/os/${ARCH}
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
EOF

mkarchroot -C pacman.conf ${ROOT} ${PACKS}

if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
    echo "Build failed".
    exit 1
fi

chmod 666 ${ROOT}/dev/null
chmod 666 ${ROOT}/dev/zero
mknod -m 666 ${ROOT}/dev/random c 1 8
mknod -m 666 ${ROOT}/dev/urandom c 1 9
mkdir -m 755 ${ROOT}/dev/pts
mkdir -m 1777 ${ROOT}/dev/shm
mknod -m 666 ${ROOT}/dev/tty c 5 0
mknod -m 666 ${ROOT}/dev/full c 1 7
mknod -m 600 ${ROOT}/dev/initctl p
mknod -m 666 ${ROOT}/dev/ptmx c 5 2


# we don't need any getty entries in a container
sed 's/^.*getty.*$//' -i ${ROOT}/etc/inittab

cd ${ROOT}
tar czvf ${TEMPLATE} .

echo "Created template: ${ROOT}"</pre>

== Manual Instructions ==

The instructions below are informative but out of date and likely '''will not''' work with an Arch system built after 2011.

=== 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:

{| class="wikitable"
|| [[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

<code>/etc/resolv.conf</code> 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' >> ../exclude.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 ===

* [http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Main_Page Arch Linux Wiki]

[[Category: HOWTO]]
[[Category: Templates]]