upload the image to pithos with name FILENAME
-r IMAGENAME, --register=IMAGENAME
register the image with ~okeanos as IMAGENAME
- -a ACCOUNT, --account=ACCOUNT
- use this ACCOUNT when uploading/registering images
- [Default: None]
-m KEY=VALUE, --metadata=KEY=VALUE
add custom KEY=VALUE metadata to the image
-t TOKEN, --token=TOKEN
media
--no-sysprep don't perform any system preparation operation
--no-shrink don't shrink the image
+ --public register image with cyclades as public
--tmpdir=DIR create large temporary image files under DIR
Most input options are self-describing. If you want to save a local copy of
the image you create, provide a filename using the *-o* option. To upload the
-image to *pithos+*, provide valid credentials using *-a* and *-t* and a
+image to *pithos+*, provide a valid authentication token using *-t* and a
filename using *-u*. If you also want to register the image with *~okeanos*, in
-addition to *-u* provide a registration name using *-r*.
+addition to *-u* provide a registration name using *-r*. All images are
+registered as *private*. Only the user that registers the image can create
+VM's out of it. If you want the image to be visible by other user too, use the
+*--public* option.
By default, before extracting the image, snf-image-creator will perform a
number of system preparation operations on the snapshot of the media and will
* Name: A short name for the image (ex. "Slackware")
* Description: An one-line description for the image
(ex. "Slackware Linux 14.0 with KDE")
- * Account: An *~okeanos* account email
- * Token: A token corresponding to the account given above
+ * Registration Type: Private or Public
+ * Account: The authentication token for an *~okeanos* account
After confirming, the image will be extracted, uploaded to *pithos+* and
registered with *~okeanos*. The user will also be given the choice to keep a
In the *Register* sub-menu the user can provide:
- * The credentials to login to *~okeanos*
+ * The credentials (authentication token) to use when authenticating
+ to *~okeanos*
* A *pithos+* filename for the uploaded *diskdump* image
- * A name for the image to be registered to *~okeanos* with
+ * A name for the image to use when registering it with *~okeanos*, as well as
+ the registration type (*private* or *public*)
By choosing the *Extract* menu entry, the user can dump the image to the local
file system. Finally, if the user selects *Reset*, the system will ignore
media or by using the *Bundle Host* button in the media selection dialog of
snf-mkimage. During this operation, the files of the disk are copied into a
temporary image file, which means that the file system that will host the
-temporary image needs to have a lot of free space (see `the tmpdir option`_
+temporary image needs to have a lot of free space (see `large temporary files`_
for more information).
Creating a new image
.. code-block:: console
- $ wget http://ubuntureleases.tsl.gr/12.04.1/ubuntu-12.04.1-server-amd64.iso
+ $ wget http://ubuntureleases.tsl.gr/12.04.2/ubuntu-12.04.2-server-amd64.iso
Verify that it has been downloaded correctly:
.. code-block:: console
- $ echo 'a8c667e871f48f3a662f3fbf1c3ddb17 ubuntu-12.04.1-server-amd64.iso' > check.md5
+ $ echo 'a8c667e871f48f3a662f3fbf1c3ddb17 ubuntu-12.04.2-server-amd64.iso' > check.md5
$ md5sum -c check.md5
Create a 2G sparse file to host the new system:
.. code-block:: console
$ sudo kvm -boot d -drive file=ubuntu_hd.raw,format=raw,cache=none,if=virtio \
- -m 1G -cdrom ubuntu-12.04.1-server-amd64.iso
+ -m 1G -cdrom ubuntu-12.04.2-server-amd64.iso
.. warning::
In the first screen you will be asked to choose if you want to run the program
in *Wizard* or *Expert* mode. Choose *Wizard*.
-.. image:: /snapshots/01_wizard.png
+.. image:: /snapshots/wizard.png
-Then you will be asked to provide a name, a description, an *~okeanos* account
-and the token corresponding to this account. Finally, you'll be asked to
-confirm the provided data.
+Then you will be asked to provide a name, a description, a registration type
+(*private* or *public*) and the authentication token corresponding to your
+*~okeanos* account. Finally, you'll be asked to confirm the provided data.
-.. image:: /snapshots/06_confirm.png
+.. image:: /snapshots/confirm.png
Choosing *YES* will create and upload the image to your *~okeanos* account.
-Some caveats on image creation
-==============================
+Limitations
+===========
+
+Supported operating systems
+---------------------------
+
+*snf-image-creator* can only fully function on input media hosting *Linux*
+systems. The program will detect the needed metadata and you may use it to
+upload and register other *Unix* or *Windows* images, but you cannot use it to
+shrink them or perform system preparation operations.
+
+Logical Volumes
+---------------
+
+The program cannot work on LVM partitions [#f1]_. The input media may only
+contain primary or logical partitions.
Para-virtualized drivers
------------------------
Many popular Linux distributions, like Ubuntu and Debian, will automatically
create a generic initial ramdisk file that contains many different modules,
including the VirtIO drivers. Others that target more experienced users, like
-Slackware, won't do that [#f1]_. *snf-image-creator* cannot resolve this kind
+Slackware, won't do that [#f2]_. *snf-image-creator* cannot resolve this kind
of problems and it's left to the user to do so. Please refer to your
distribution's documentation for more information on this. You can always check
if a system can boot with para-virtualized disk controller by launching it with
kvm using the *if=virtio* option (see the kvm command in the
`Creating a new image`_ section).
+Some caveats on image creation
+==============================
+
Image partition schemes and shrinking
-------------------------------------
partition placed as the last partition on the disk and have your largest
partition (*/* or */home*) just before that.
-The tmpdir option
------------------
+Large temporary files
+---------------------
*snf-image-creator* may create large temporary files when running:
.. rubric:: Footnotes
-.. [#f1] http://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-14.0/README.initrd
+.. [#f1] http://sourceware.org/lvm2/
+.. [#f2] http://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-14.0/README.initrd
projects / snf-image-creator / blobdiff