Subject: Re: [vserver] end of the vserver story for us
From: Herbert Poetzl <herbert@13thfloor.at>
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2024 17:19:46 +0100

On Sun, Jan 28, 2024 at 09:20:51AM +1030, Mike O'Connor wrote:
> On 26/1/2024 10:58 pm, Ghislain Adnet wrote:
>> hi there,

Hey Ghislain,

>>   Hopes all is well for you :)

>>   It seems now established that Bertl do not have enough time
>> and ressources for linux 6.x adaptation of the vserver patch,

Unfortunately a number of (private) issues kept (and somewhat
still keep) me from the planned kernel development.

>> Daniel also do not have time to change/adapt the client part.

This is also a very relevant problem, as any modernisation or
Linux Kernel feature integration (e.g. use mainline contexts
for isolation) naturally requires changes to the tools as well.

>>   The project is then frozen as lives goes on for everyone :)

For now, it definitely is.

>>   The momentum is lost as other technologies took the space
>> like docker kubernete, lxc/lxd etc... so the chance of having
>> passionnate new developpers joinging the project is more than
>> slim to help those two battle veterant of the vserver/kernel
>> battle :)

The momentum was lost some years ago, but given the fact that
we managed to make this work for so many years makes me think
that it definitely was worth the time and effort.

>>   The 4.9 kernel is not maintened so we have to move on. This
>> was a great adventure and a great pleasure to use vserver all
>> this time and have wonderfull exchange with the vserver team
>> and people here on the list.

>>   On our side we will rollout vserver for migration to lxd,
>> it is a lot heavier than vserver but this is the only route 
>> we see now.

Is it really that much heavier?
And if so, what are the main causes for that?

>>   Thanks again for all your work and help all those years and
>> I hope 2024 will be a good year for you all !

With the recent advances in AI, I'm pretty sure that 2024
will be 'interesting times' ...

>> -- 
>> cordialement,
>> Ghislain ADNET.
>> AQUEOS.

> Hi All

Hey Mike,

> I also stopped using vservers some time ago, after starting to
> use it during 2003 (I think it was then)

> I used to build a debian voyage image with the vserver patches
> and tools (using a IDE Flash device usinga Read only disk) and
> install this on a machine which would mount a set of disks in a
> software raid.

> I used this for small to medium ISP's in Australia for around
> 10 years.

That is great to hear!

> So I want to thank the developers of the patch's for the kernel
> and the user land tools because this allowed these ISP's to
> compete with the big guys.

I'm really glad that the software was useful and that we 
could make a difference for the small companies out there.

All the best,
Herbert

> Thanks
> Mike