What are VServers

The [http://linux-vserver.org Linux VServer Project] provides Linux kernel-based virtual servers running on a single piece of hardware.

VServers are very useful for quickly setting up a set of restricted services for testing or production use.

VServers are not as popular as the similar [http://www.xen-source.com XEN] Hypervisor, but help you a lot, if you have to administrate a large number of servers and services.

While it will take some time until XEN is integrated into Ubuntu, VServers are available now.

Installation

Installation is quite simple - you need:

• Kernel with VServer patch
• util-vserver
• vserver-debiantools

You can install these packages if you add the following lines to your sources.list:

• breezy

  deb      http://ubuntu.uni-klu.ac.at/ubuntu.uniklu/  breezy uniklu-vserver
  #deb-src http://ubuntu.uni-klu.ac.at/ubuntu.uniklu/  breezy uniklu-vserver

• dapper

  deb      http://ubuntu.uni-klu.ac.at/ubuntu.uniklu/  dapper uniklu-vserver
  #deb-src http://ubuntu.uni-klu.ac.at/ubuntu.uniklu/  dapper uniklu-vserver

The uniklu archives are signed - if you want get rid of apt-get warnings: {{{$ wget http://ubuntu.uni-klu.ac.at/uniklu-debuild.pub $ sudo apt-key add uniklu-debuild.pub }}}

To install the VServer Kernel and utils enter:

• breezy

  # apt-get install linux-image-2.6.12-11-686
  # apt-get install util-vserver vserver-debiantools

• dapper

  # apt-get install linux-image-2.6.15-(dapper_abi+1)-686
  # apt-get install util-vserver vserver-debiantools

You should get the following revisions

• breezy

  kernel	-11-2.6.12-11.25vs (one api number higher than the standard kernel)
  util-vserver	>= 0.30.208-4ubuntu1
  vserver-debiantools	>= 0.2.5

• dapper

  kernel	-(dapper_abi+1)-2.6.15-(dapper_abi+1).(dapper_release)vs
  util-vserver	>= 0.30.209-2
  vserver-debiantools	>= 0.2.5

The vserver-debiantools do not work 100% but should help you setting your first vserver quickly - see [http://support.uni-klu.ac.at/VServer Uniklu VServer Info]

The Kernel is the standard Ubuntu Kernel with the Vserver patch applied.

• breezy: Vserver patch 2.0 for kernel-2.6.12
• dapper: Vserver patch 2.0.1.2 for kernel-2.6.15

The Kernel and binaries are available for i386 and amd64

It is possible and supported to run 32bit i386 VServers on an amd64 VServer Kernel.

Links

• [http://linux-vserver.org Linux VServer Project]

• [http://support.uni-klu.ac.at/VServer Uniklu VServer Info]

• [http://www.howtoforge.com/linux_vserver_debian Linux VServer on Debian Sarge]

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