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René Jochum

Blog of René Jochum - A FOSS enthusiast who's programming since 2002.

Prepare a minimal lxc image for salt


These are basic commands i use to prepare a minimal lxc image for saltstack. This requires the howto Install lxc and prepare it for a unprivileged user

Login as lxd

if you have got a unprivileged install like me.

$ ssh lxd@localhost

Download the Image

I use the btrfs backing store driver here, see its man page for more.

$ lxc-create -B btrfs -t download -n trusty64 -- -d ubuntu -r trusty -a amd64

Start and attach

lxc-start -n trusty64
lxc-attach -n trusty64

Upgrade the base system

You’r now in the machine, its like chroot on steroids

apt-get update && apt-get -qy dist-upgrade

Install openssh-server

apt-get -qy install openssh-server

Install salt-minion

apt-get -qy install software-properties-common
add-apt-repository -y ppa:saltstack/salt
apt-get update
apt-get -qy install salt-minion

Configure salt-minion for the first connect

I enable IPv6 here as i use a IPv6 only network to play around.

service salt-minion stop
echo -e "master: salt\nipv6: True" > /etc/salt/minion.d/master.conf
rm -rf /etc/salt/minion_id /etc/salt/pki/

Remove ssh keys, let salt provision it

rm -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_*_key*

Set the hostname to FQDN so you have it later with a Domain in your saltmaster

Replace lxc.example.lan with the domain you have in /etc/default/lxc-net

$ sed -i -e's|trusty64|trusty64.lxc.example.lan|' /etc/hosts

Delete default “ubuntu” user (want salt to provision the id:1000 user)

$ userdel -rf ubuntu

Now get back on your machine:

$ exit

and stop the base image you must made:

$ lxc-stop -n trusty64

Do this every time you need a new testing/production machine

Clone it and let your salt master provision it :)

I use the snapshot feature here.

replace jupiter with your own hostname.

$ lxc-clone -s trusty64 jupiter
$ lxc-start -n jupiter

Get info from your new machine

$ lxc-ls -f

On the Master

$ salt-key -a 'jupiter.*'

If you have a firewalled development saltmaster you may want to activate auto_accept

Wanna do it again?

Destroy the machine (as lxd@localhost)

$ lxc-destroy -n jupiter

Remove the key on the Master

$ salt-key -d 'jupiter.*'

Clone it again and let the master provision it (again as lxd@localhost)

$ lxc-clone -s trusty64 jupiter
$ lxc-start -n jupiter