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Matthew Thode <prometheanfire@g.o> writes: |
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> I've updated the openstack images to make them smaller, make them work |
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> with dynamic ethernet interface add/delete, and make the disk resize on |
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> first boot. I've also made nomultilib and hardened images. |
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Good work on these images, prometheanfire. I've launched a few |
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instances and they work nicely. |
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I have some feedback: |
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- root can log in at the console with no password. This may have been |
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intentional but it's unusual in the industry. Consider a 'passwd -l |
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root' to lock the account from any access (until a sudo'ed 'gentoo' |
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user decides to set one). |
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- I noticed there is a reboot during the first launch. I assume this is |
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because of the disk resize. Consider these two other mechanisms for |
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accomplishing the resize (I've implemented both at my job, but in |
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other distros). |
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1) The initramfs has additional code that grows the / partition before |
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it is mounted. Probably genkernel doesn't support this today, but |
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it could. |
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2) / is on a small LVM logical volume. At early boot, an 'lvextend' |
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grows the lv to use the full disk without requiring the kernel to |
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re-read the partition table. This is the approach most distros |
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take. |
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Eliminating the reboot would shave some time off the launch. Also |
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cloud-init would be able to execute its new-instance code on the |
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system's final state (larger disk) instead of the intermediate |
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(pre-reboot, small-disk) state. |
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- I see the kernel sources are deleted (and a dangling symlink remains). |
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What Rackspace has done with its Gentoo images (and I've appreciated |
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it) is leave the kernel sources there. If I need some obscure module, |
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I can quickly build the single module and modprobe it. |
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I was able to make kernel adjustments by using /proc/config.gz, |
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re-installing the sources, building, and rebooting. It just took longer. |
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- The root disk is 5GB, and can grow from there. If it could fit into |
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1G, then m1.tiny's could be launched. This is probably a low-value |
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activity since 1G is hard to achieve (no portage tree!) and m1.tiny's |
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aren't useful generally. |
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Thanks for considering these enhancements for future builds. I'd love |
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to hear feedback on any of these suggestions. |
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-- |
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Erik Mackdanz |
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