Learning Solaris 10 Check out the Zones F.A.Q. !

Recently tried the Linux Branded zone within OpenSolaris, part of the BrandZ project, added to Solaris 8/07. It is said to be working with only a defined number of Linux distributions, namely CentOS 3.x and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.x. So I went to the CentOS site and downloaded the DVD iso of CentOS 3.9 (i386).

Then created my zone :

• 
root@kiwi:~# zonecfg -z lx1
lx1: No such zone configured
Use ‘create’ to begin configuring a new zone.
zonecfg:lx1> create -t SUNWlx
zonecfg:lx1> add net
zonecfg:lx1:net> set address=172.22.1.1/16
zonecfg:lx1:net> set physical=rge0
zonecfg:lx1:net> end
zonecfg:lx1> set zonepath=/zones/lx1
zonecfg:lx1> exit

root@kiwi:~# zonecfg -z lx1 info
zonename: lx1
zonepath: /zones/lx1
brand: lx
autoboot: false
bootargs:
pool:
limitpriv:
scheduling-class:
ip-type: shared
net:
address: 172.22.1.1/16
physical: rge0
defrouter not specified

root@kiwi:~# ls -lh /zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso
-rw-r–r– 1 nieuwenj staff 1.8G 2009-03-18 15:10 /zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso


Next I have to install the zone by pointing the zoneadm command to the directory that contains the ISO file.

• 
  root@kiwi:/# zoneadm -z lx1 install -d /zones
  A ZFS file system has been created for this zone.

  Checking for valid Linux distribution ISO images...
/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso

  No supported Linux distributions found.

  Installation of CentOS to zone
'lx1' FAILED Thu Mar 19 14:24:26 CET 2009.

  Cleaning up after failed install...

  Installation of zone 'lx1' FAILED.

  See the log file:
'/zones/lx1/root/var/log/lx1.install.12491.log'
for details.

Doesn’t work, my ISO file is seen but it seems that it is not a supported version. Some more looks in the documentation shows that only 3.5 –> 3.8 are supported. Damn’, took me hours to download the 3.9 version. Let’s try some more.
Zoneadm probably calls some brand-specific check script so, using the Dtrace Toolkit (truss -t open would do…)

• 
root@kiwi:/opt/DTT# ./opensnoop -n zoneadm
UID PID COMM FD PATH
0 11904 zoneadm -1 /var/ld/ld.config
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /lib/libc.so.1
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /usr/lib/locale/en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8.so.3
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /usr/lib/locale/common/methods_unicode.so.3
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /lib/libzfs.so.1
0 11904 zoneadm -1 /usr/lib/locale/en_US.UTF-8/LC_MESSAGES/SUNW_OST_SGS.mo
0 11904 zoneadm -1 /usr/lib/locale/en_US.UTF-8/LC_MESSAGES/SUNW_OST_OSLIB.mo
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /usr/lib//libshare.so.1
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /lib/libxml2.so.2
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /lib/libpthread.so.1
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /lib/libz.so.1
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /lib/libm.so.2
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /lib/libsocket.so.1
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /lib/libnsl.so.1
0 11904 zoneadm 3 /dev/zfs
0 11904 zoneadm 4 /etc/mnttab
0 11904 zoneadm 5 /etc/dfs/sharetab
0 11904 zoneadm 6 /usr/lib/libzonecfg.so.1
0 11904 zoneadm 6 /etc/zones/lx1.xml
0 11904 zoneadm 7 /usr/share/lib/xml/dtd/zonecfg.dtd.1
0 11904 zoneadm 6 /usr/lib/brand/lx/config.xml
(…)


The first “lx-related” file is ‘/usr/lib/brand/lx/config.xml’

• 
root@kiwi:/usr/lib/brand/lx# cat config.xml
< ?xml version="1.0"?>
(…)

--install-- /usr/lib/brand/lx/lx_install --/install--


OK, the script is lx_install. After some reading, I see that the script will return more information if the variable verbose_mode is defined. So I change the code at the right function :

validate_iso_distros()
{
export verbose_mode=”t”
typeset cd


And we try again

• 
  root@kiwi:/# zoneadm -z lx1 uninstall
  Are you sure you want to uninstall zone lx1 (y/[n])? y
  The ZFS file system for this zone has been destroyed.
  root@kiwi:/#
  root@kiwi:/# zoneadm -z lx1 install -d /zones
  A ZFS file system has been created for this zone.

  Checking for valid Linux distribution ISO images...
/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso

Checking ISOs against distro file "/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros/centos35.distro"...
ISO "/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso":

  Checking ISOs against distro file "/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros/centos36.distro"...
ISO "/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso":

  Checking ISOs against distro file "/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros/centos37.distro"...
ISO "/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso":

  Checking ISOs against distro file "/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros/centos38.distro"...
ISO "/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso":

  Checking ISOs against distro file "/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros/rhel35.distro"...
ISO "/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso":

  Checking ISOs against distro file "/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros/rhel36.distro"...
ISO "/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso":

  Checking ISOs against distro file "/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros/rhel37.distro"...
ISO "/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso":

  Checking ISOs against distro file "/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros/rhel38.distro"...
ISO "/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso":

  No supported Linux distributions found.

Installation of CentOS to zone
'lx1' FAILED Thu Mar 19 14:35:06 CET 2009.

Cleaning up after failed install...

  Installation of zone 'lx1' FAILED.

  See the log file:
'/zones/lx1/root/var/log/lx1.install.12836.log'
for details.


OK, it seems that I need a distro file for CentOS 3.9. Let’s copy the one for 3.8 and try to modify the relevant fields :

• 
#
# Installation information for the CentOS 3.8 distribution disc set:
#
# + Serial number (as found in the disc set's .discinfo file)
# + Version Name
# + Order CDs holding the distribution must be installed in
# + MB of disk space required to hold a full install of the distribution
#
distro_serial=1155307611.42
distro_version="3.8"


So I need to find the serial number of my 3.9 distro.

• 
root@kiwi:~# lofiadm -a /zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso
/dev/lofi/1
root@kiwi:~# mount -F hsfs /dev/lofi/1 /linux
root@kiwi:~#
root@kiwi:~# cd /linux
root@kiwi:/linux# ls
./ ../ .discinfo
root@kiwi:/linux# cat .discinfo
1183469235.986110
final
i386
1,2,3
RedHat/base
RedHat/RPMS
RedHat/pixmaps


I just copy the serial number just found in the centos39.distro newly created file (with updated comments from 3.8 to 3.9)

• 
root@kiwi:/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros/# cat centos39.distro
(…)
#
# Installation information for the CentOS 3.9 distribution disc set:
#
# + Serial number (as found in the disc set’s .discinfo file)
# + Version Name
# + Order CDs holding the distribution must be installed in
# + MB of disk space required to hold a full install of the distribution
#
distro_serial=1183469235.986110
distro_version=”3.9″
set -A distro_cdorder 1 2 3
(…)

And let’s try again :

• 
root@kiwi:/# zoneadm -z lx1 uninstall
Are you sure you want to uninstall zone lx1 (y/[n])? y
The ZFS file system for this zone has been destroyed.
root@kiwi:/#
root@kiwi:/# zoneadm -z lx1 install -d /zones
A ZFS file system has been created for this zone.


Checking for valid Linux distribution ISO images...
(...)
Checking ISOs against distro file "/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros/centos39.distro"...
ISO "/zones/CentOS-3.9-i386-binDVD.iso":
Serial #1183469235.986110
Release Name "CentOS"
DVD, representing CDs #1,2,3
(...)
Distro "CentOS" (DVD) found.
Installing distribution 'CentOS (DVD)'...
Installing cluster 'desktop'
(...)
Installing miniroot for zone 'lx1'.
(...)
Found DVD (representing CDs 1,2,3), Serial #1183469235.986110
Release Name "CentOS"
(...)
seamonkey-chat ##################################################
(...)


Here we go !
Wait ! No, an error after successful installation of hundreds of packages :

• 
Install of zone 'lx1' from
FAILED.

  Installation of CentOS to zone
'lx1' FAILED Thu Mar 19 20:55:48 CET 2009.


  Looking in the logfile :
ERROR: Unable to locate some needed packages:
gaim expectk tcl-html tcllib


  Seems I don’t really need these packages anyway…

  
root@kiwi:/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros# grep gaim *
rhel_centos_common: gaim \
root@kiwi:/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros# grep expectk *
centos38.distro: expectk \
centos39.distro: expectk \
root@kiwi:/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros# grep tcl-html *
centos38.distro: tcl-html \
centos39.distro: tcl-html \
root@kiwi:/usr/lib/brand/lx/distros# grep tcllib *
centos38.distro: tcllib”
centos39.distro: tcllib”


So let’s update rhel_centos_common and centos39.distro and remove all the lines that refer to packages that seem not to be there in CentOS 3.9…
And try another install afterwards…

• 
Completing installation; this may take a few minutes.
Setting up the initial lx brand environment.
System configuration modifications complete.
Installation of CentOS to zone
'lx1' completed Thu Mar 19 21:29:31 CET 2009.

  Installation of zone 'lx1' completed successfully.


Yope ! Finally….

• 
root@kiwi:~# zoneadm -z lx1 boot
root@kiwi:~# zoneadm list -cv
ID NAME STATUS PATH BRAND IP
0 global running / native shared
3 lx1 running /zones/lx1 lx shared
(…)
root@kiwi:~# zlogin lx1
[Connected to zone ‘lx1′ pts/6]
(…)
-bash-2.05b# top
08:39:41 up 5 min, 1 user, load average: 1.23, 0.79, 0.41
12 processes: 10 sleeping, 2 running, 0 zombie, 0 stopped
CPU states: cpu user nice system irq softirq iowait idle


-bash-2.05b# uname -a
Linux lx1 2.4.21 BrandZ fake linux i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux


T: OpenSolaris, CentOS, BrandZ, Zones