V3 base boxes

[fgrehm]

Introduces a simpler approach for building base boxes.

While it does not introduce breaking changes, V3 boxes should be pushing more work into the base box preparation allowing us to eventually have "generic" creation scripts + lxc configs built into vagrant-lxc itself and also to simplify the process of "promoting" existing containers to base vagrant boxes.

V3 base boxes should now be made of 4 files:

• lxc-template -> The generic creation script
• lxc.conf -> Default container configs
• rootfs.tar.gz
• metadata.json -> Metadata about the box, required by Vagrant to work

Because the lxc config will be bundled with the box (and not built during lxc-create), I'm not willing to keep editing it from vagrant-lxc, so we'll start setting lxc.rootfs and lxc.utsname from the provider itself for both V2 and V3 boxes.

I'm already working on it, just need to find the time to test it and collect feedback from others

[fgrehm]

Ok, so I'm almost done with this, I was able to create and boot a base box with this new approach. I know this description is kinda vague but I'd love some feedback from those who are interested on building base boxes (@Val @aries1980 @adamcstephens @rcarmo). If you need more information just let me know. I'll probably push the code I have so far in a branch soon so that everyone can have a look.

[fgrehm]

BTW, on my laptop I'm keeping initial create + boot times lower than 8 seconds, while with the current boxes it takes at least 11 sec, so things will be faster after this ;-)

[rcarmo]

Hmmm. You know, I've recently had to set up lxc atop btrfs, and creating a brand new container with lxc-clone was instant. Maybe we could leverage that somehow for boxes?

[fgrehm]

Sure, I've done some research on BTRFS as well and lxc-clone will be the
next thing after this is in place ;)
On Jun 6, 2013 7:27 PM, "Rui Carmo" notifications@github.com wrote:

Hmmm. You know, I've recently had to set up lxc atop btrfs, and creating a
brand new container with lxc-clone was instant. Maybe we could leverage
that somehow for boxes?

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Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com//issues/89#issuecomment-19078456
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[fgrehm]

ok guys, I've just blogged about the new boxes that are coming up. I'm still testing the current base boxes we have and as you'll find on the post, I don't have any plans to support boxes other than Ubuntu on the short term. I'll close the boxes related issues and I'd be more than happy to link the boxes people build on an upcoming wiki page.

[rcarmo]

I'm fine with that, although I do need Debian boxes for work. I'd be happy to maintain the Wheezy one, at least.

On Jun 11, 2013, at 01:18 , Fabio Rehm notifications@github.com wrote:

ok guys, I've just blogged about the new boxes that are coming up. I'm still testing the current base boxes we have and as you'll find on the post, I don't have any plans to support boxes other than Ubuntu on the short term. I'll close the boxes related issues and I'd be more than happy to link the boxes people build on an upcoming wiki page.

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Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub.

[fgrehm]

@rcarmo I'll probably leave the Debian scripts around since they are already here :)

[rcarmo]

Okay, then. But if you can't spare the time to build the boxes, I'll do it. Alas, I need to use Wheezy in production.

On Jun 11, 2013, at 17:03 , Fabio Rehm notifications@github.com wrote:

@rcarmo I'll probably leave the Debian scripts around since they are already here :)

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