vserver enabled kernel

[markba]

vserver is a powerfull yet easy to use virtualisation architecture. vserver it self depends from specific features in the kernel, so this have to be patched, which is not an easy task. Also, maintenance of those patched kernel becomes very tedious.

People are building and distributing those kernel themselves: http://git.u32.net/, but using a private build kernel is for security reasons not recommended.
Another solution is using a kernel from debian. In debian, a modified kernel is build and distributed trough the normal repo's. Using a debian build kernel seems to works, but one can expect problems with this solution.

So, all solutions provide a great barrier for using vserver. That's a pity, because Ubuntu want to be a 'first citizen' as virtualisation host:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuVirtualisationHostSpec

I would like to see that a patched kernel to be build and distributed trough the Ubuntu repo's.

[markba (mark-baaijens)]

See also this thread for some discussion:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=492000

[PtOLU8zjbZxlgNOiyGyd (lkgdx5kefrptmd7ccufa-deactivatedaccount)]

I'd like to see this implemented as well. As far as the technology behind vserver, it is very similar to the one seen in Solaris Zones. A similar concept some may be familiar with is that of FreeBSD Jails. But contrary to jails, that are glorified chroot environments with some security built in, Solaris Zones and vserver instances are truly virtualized operating system instances that while isolated from the main OS instance, can share and use the parent reousrces in a controlled way without imposing the load of a full virtualization environment nor the requirement of a CPU with builtin vistualization support. It makes vserver an attractive proposition for older hardware such as that that would be used for a server in your own home, many SMBs and in second- and third- world countries. Combine vserver with apparmor and you have a very intereing proposition for a secured virtualized server solutiuon.

Now, on implementation... Debian has already done most of the work and it is available in Testing and Sid.

(Assigning to the kernel team. Please consider it a wishilist.)

[Konrad Riedel (k-riedel)]

+1 on this

[HF (helmut-franzke)]

... and one more

[Murat Gunes (mgunes)]

Please don't post comments to bug reports that do not add any information, as this just creates superfluous mail and annoys subscribers. If you just want to show your support, simply add yourself to the subscribers.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

The Ubuntu Kernel Team is planning to move to the 2.6.27 kernel for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. As a result, the kernel team would appreciate it if you could please test this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. There are one of two ways you should be able to test:

1) If you are comfortable installing packages on your own, the linux-image-2.6.27-* package is currently available for you to install and test.

--or--

2) The upcoming Alpha5 for Intrepid Ibex 8.10 will contain this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. Alpha5 is set to be released Thursday Sept 4. Please watch http://www.ubuntu.com/testing for Alpha5 to be announced. You should then be able to test via a LiveCD.

Please let us know immediately if this newer 2.6.27 kernel resolves the bug reported here or if the issue remains. More importantly, please open a new bug report for each new bug/regression introduced by the 2.6.27 kernel and tag the bug report with 'linux-2.6.27'. Also, please specifically note if the issue does or does not appear in the 2.6.26 kernel. Thanks again, we really appreicate your help and feedback.

[PtOLU8zjbZxlgNOiyGyd (lkgdx5kefrptmd7ccufa-deactivatedaccount)]

No, no luck on this one. The development seems to have stopped at 2.6.22 [1] which is an unfortunate event. Too much emphasis on paravirtualization upstream while resource partitioning seems to be considered a thing of the past (yeah, right!).

[1] http://linux-vserver.org/Welcome_to_Linux-VServer.org

[ChrisMoeller (moeller-network-publishing)]

No, development hasn't stopped: http://vserver.13thfloor.at/Experimental/?C=M&O=D
The VServer project's website definitely needs an update, though.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Per a decision made by the Ubuntu Kernel Team, bugs will longer be assigned to the ubuntu-kernel-team in Launchpad as part of the bug triage process. The ubuntu-kernel-team is being unassigned from this bug report. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeamBugPolicies for more information. Thanks.

[Christoph Lukas (christoph-lukas)]

For anyone interested in Linux-VServer kernel packages:

I have made Linux-VServer kernel packages available for hardy, intrepid and jaunty in my ppa at:

https://launchpad.net/~christoph-lukas/+archive/ppa

Any feedback welcome.

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

This bug report was marked as Triaged a while ago but has not had any updated comments for quite some time. Please let us know if this issue remains in the current Ubuntu release, http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download . If the issue remains, click on the current status under the Status column and change the status back to "New". Thanks.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Sascha Silbe (sascha-ubuntu-launchpad)]

AFAICT there's still no vserver-enabled kernel in Ubuntu, so marking as New as requested.

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

Thanks Sascha,
     I'll bring this issue up with the team and perhaps one of them will be able to weigh in on the issue.

Thanks!

~JFo

[Andy Whitcroft (apw)]

The patch set required is pretty huge. It also does not appear to be something which can turned off once applied which would make this a risk-full proposition for the main kernel. Looking at the virtualisation spec linked above the decision of the Server team there was that KVM was their virtualisation platform of choise, and they are focussed on facilitation of virtualisation through that mechanism, the kernel team is committed to supporting that effort. The kernel team does not have the resources currently to maintain this patch kit on top of our kernels, so it seems unlikely we could do this for Lucid.

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

marking Won't Fix per the above.

~JFo