3 Replies Latest reply on Feb 24, 2012 4:55 AM by msavy

    Best practice, build platform vs kernel version in appliance?

    hagis

      What is recommended as platform when building specific release versions?

       

      If I plan to build RHEL 6.2 appliances should I build on the same platform? This to get the corresponding kernel version.

       

      I ask since I tried to build a RHEL 5.4 on f16 with not good results.

       

      What say you?

        • 1. Re: Best practice, build platform vs kernel version in appliance?
          msavy

          Hi Håkan,

           

          We advise building all images using Fedora 15 or 16 (Fedora 14 still worked last time I checked, but it is technically EOL ). What were the problems you encountered?

           

          If you saw a message like this whilst building RHEL/SL etc:

           

          checking modpath /lib/modules/2.6.38.2-9.fc15.x86_64 is a directory
          picked vmlinuz-2.6.38.2-9.fc15.x86_64 because modpath /lib/modules/2.6.38.2-9.fc15.x86_64 exists
          

           

          Then fear not, it is just an underlying part of the build process using the kernel's virtualisation features to launch a VM, in order to customise your image.

           

          So you can safely ignore that.  It is simply locating the bits it needs (of any version it finds on the build machine) that contain the relevant virtualisation features so it can launch a super minimal appliance (supermin).

           

          If that isn't your issue, can you go into a bit more detail? What problems did you have building a RHEL image?

          • 2. Re: Best practice, build platform vs kernel version in appliance?
            hagis

            Thanks and yes that line started ringing bells in my head. But I checked in a RHEL 6.2 boxgrinder-build and the correct kernel was present. So this question was a bit premature.

             

            When I built a RHEL5.4 appliance using a loop mounted 5.4 iso the build went fine but when I tried to start the exported machine it failed. This was built on a f16 host. Perhaps my fault as all other builds have gone without any issues, building CentOS5, CentOS6, RHEL6 and fedora in different flavours so I figured that it should just work

             

            I will try to build a RHEL5.8 machine soon on a f15 host. I will let you know the results.

             

            Then I can post more details.

             

            Thanks again for answering!

            Håkan

             

            Message was edited by: Håkan Hagenrud

            • 3. Re: Best practice, build platform vs kernel version in appliance?
              msavy

              It should work  fine on Fedora 16, so if something breaks I'd be very interested to hear the details so I can try to replicate it.

               

              Thanks!