On Wed, Apr 07, 2004 at 12:41:55AM +0200, Enrico Scholz wrote: > Hello, Hi Enrico!
> the alpha branch of util-vserver has reached a state where it becomes > usably and a real replacement for the current stable branch[1]. So I am > planning to put it into beta state in the next days (the exact date is > not fixed yet, but it happens "in the next days" ;)). great news! okay, please make sure that the tools work with 1.9.x, and where possible support the non-legacy API, mayb we can manage to get the ip-API into non-legacy state "in the next days" too? thanks, Herbert > When you want to get an impression about it, please see > > http://www.linux-vserver.org/index.php?page=alpha+util-vserver > > Beside documentation you will find links to other documentation and to > the downloadplace there. Because of the lack of a old->new converting > tool (see below), it will be the best to create a vserver from scratch > and to play with it. > > > > A short (and incomplete) summary of the new features: > ----------------------------------------------------- > > * the new branch is invulnerably against symlink attacks from inside of > the vserver; current tools are full of statements like > > | rm -f var/lock/subsys/* > > (which operates within /vservers/<id>). I do not think that I have to > say more... > > * it introduces a completely new configuration format which was designed > to: > - be easy changeable with cfengine > - be easy parsable by scripts *and* native C programs > - support all the new features (e.g. a vserver-fstab, complex > netinterface definitions, setup of applications like vunify, > support of external packagemanagement, ...) > > Starting and stopping of old-style vservers is still supported but > this happens by calling the old tools without using all the cool new > features. > > * it has new vserver-build methods; currently the apt-rpm, debootstrap and > a simple skeleton methods are implemented. New methods are in preparation > (copy) or are waiting for community input (gentoo, slackware). For RPM > based distributions, 'vapt-get' and 'vrpm' tools were written which are > allowing a secure external packagemanagement. > > * most new kernelfeatures (namespaces, uts modifications, context > migration, vshelper...) are supported > > * vunify is not rpm-specific anymore but works with everything which > places files into a filesystem > > * a parallelizing init-script; most time while initializing or stopping of > vservers is spent in waiting for some kind of timeout. By parallelizing > this, 100's of vservers can be started or stopped in <20 seconds. > > * almost all new programs are optimized for dietlibc and every Perl code > was dropped. A libvserver library can be used for language bindings. > > > > Pending tasks are: > ------------------ > > * the writing of documentation; every (new) tool should have a > self-explaining '--help' option already and the new configuration > scheme is described rudimentary. But HOWTOs, FAQs and enduser-readable > READMEs are missing. This task will need help from the community. > > * vunify toolfamily must be completed (vdu, vfiles); since these are > informational tools only, it will be deferred past 1.0 > > * a tool for converting the old configuration into the new one; I am > thinking about a CLI driven configuration tool like 'kadmin' which > should make this very simple, but its implementation will take some > time and I do not want to delay 1.0 because of it. So probably a fast > hack will be needed. > > * a 'copy' build-method; it depends on the configuration tool mentioned > above > > * tests, tests, tests; especially with the new 2.6 kernel features[2] > > > > alpha util-vserver should have all features of the current stable tools > with the following exceptions: > ------------------------------ > > * vdu/vfiles are missing but their implementation is planned > > * vbuild was replaced by vcopy which belongs to the vunify tool-family > and supports excludelists > > * vserver-copy does not work anymore; it is a really complex tool and > there was not enough time to port it > > * newvserver was dropped (I do not know enough about linuxconf) > > * the *-minimum files disappeared; they are very inflexibly and can be > replaced by the apt-rpm method > > > > The new branch gets probably numbers beginning at 0.90 (beta) and 1.0 > (when it can be considered as stable). I am a little bit unsure about > the old tools; I see two options regarding them: > > * keep it as is and make a last 0.30 release > * rename the old tools to something like 'util-vserver0' and provide > critical bugfixes > > Since the new branch introduces lots of new features and obsoletes > probably >95% of existing vserver documentation and 3rd party tools, I > am tending to the latter option. > > > > > Enrico > > Footnotes: > [1] indeed, I am running all my production and non-production servers > with 0.29.207 and patch vs1.26 > > [2] problems with vserver-stat are known and partially solved in CVS, > but there are still needed fixes in the kernel _______________________________________________ Vserver mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://list.linux-vserver.org/mailman/listinfo/vserver
