Subject: Re: [vserver] Developer recommendations.
From: Herbert Poetzl <herbert@13thfloor.at>
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2010 16:58:22 +0200

On Tue, Jul 06, 2010 at 03:13:25PM -0700, Roderick A. Anderson wrote:
> I currently use LV hosts and guests based on CentOS 5.x.

> This means I either have to learn to build my own kernel RPM or (this is 
> going to sound bad no matter how I put it) trust in others.  The trust 
> isn't so much in their work but in their having time to do the work.

> I figure I should start building my own.  This way I get the latest and 
> greatest and it could lead to a LV "distribution."

> So how do I go about getting the leanest and meanest host?  Right now, 
> even if I build from a stripped down install of CentOS there are a pile 
> of "extras".

> But I'd still like to build CentOS guests (yum, etc.) to make the 
> maintenance/upkeep easier on others.

> They feel like contradictory goals.

> So my question for now: How do the developers build their systems?

I usually install latest Mandriva (2010.x atm) from the
dual boot disk or via pxe network booting, selecting the
absolute minimum of packages (takes usually 10min to
complete), then I remove all media and add rsync media
and run an update (to make sure that all fixes are there)
after that I install a toolchain, grab the kernel source
and patches, as well as util-vserver, copy over my base
config and do some hardware specific modifications, then
build the kernel and tools (takes about 15-20 min on the
first run), after that and another reboot, the system is
up and ready to get some guests ... usually I build a
debian guest to check that the build system works, after
that I copy over my templates and/or build a new system
via urpmi or debootstrap (depends on what I use it for)
and that's basically it :)

best,
Herbert

> \\||/
> Rod
> --