Cloud image on Fedora Server
by Peter Boy
I know, it’s probably the wrong list here, but I asked over on cloud list and couldn’t induce an answer. I hope the technical experts here can help me.
I’m currently working on a text how to use Fedora cloud images as VM’s for production on a standalone Fedora Server, intended as part of our work to enhance our documentation.
Specifically, it is about the use of --cloud-init option in virt-install version 3, which has become available in Fedora 33. It is quite a simple way, especially useful if you only want to create a few VMs once. And you can use it perfectly in scripts or Ansible playbooks.
I have already got it to work with CentOS cloud image.
Now I am looking for information on what the differences are between the Fedora Base Raw image and the Openstack Base qcow2 image (beyond the file format). What different usage rationale underlies the construction of the images.
The documentation I found is quite old (Fedora 25 here in docs, or from about 2016 over at https://fedoracloud.readthedocs.io).
Please could someone give me a hint where I can grap the info I’m seeking.
Thanks
Peter
16 hours, 17 minutes
Fedora Server Doc Page first draft proposal
by Peter Boy
During our IRC meeting last Wednesday we had agreed that I would make a first draft proposal for contents of a possible Fedora Server box on the docs landing page (as to the already existing ones on IoT, CoreOS etc).
It is now available at https://pboy.fedorapeople.org/FedoraServerDocpageProposal_v1-0.odt
Please, comment here on the mailing list (if possible use the item numbers as reference) or modify the text directly and send it to me (for the time being, improvement is in progress).
Best
Peter
1 day, 10 hours
Fedora Server Product Requirement Document (PRD) Update Proposal V1.0
by Peter Boy
In the last IRC chat we had agreed to create a first draft proposal for a PRD update. Due to the "events of the season", the start of work was severely limited. I had made a start, but we were not yet able to work on it in the editorial group. So at the moment we only have just this version.
This first version is available at:
https://pboy.fedorapeople.org/FedoraServerPRD-UpdateProposal-V1-0.odt
It’s a LibreOffice file that should be able to be opened on any Fedora system.
Maybe we can have a quick chat about this at tomorrow's IRC meeting. Otherwise we can discuss it here on the list. Alternatively, you can make changes or comments in the file and send the changed version to my email address. At the moment, these are the two easiest ways to move forward quickly.
m3xboy is working on bringing the text into hackmd.io. Then we would have another way of sharing.
In the next step, I would merge all the proposals into another version. Then perhaps already with alternative text passages that could be decided upon.
Peter
2 days, 5 hours
Info about IRC meeting and work to be done
by Peter Boy
Yesterday a bi-weekly IRC meetings was held. Just for information and as an encouragement to participate in the discussion, I would like to summarise the most important topics. A short IRC summary is available at
https://meetbot.fedoraproject.org/fedora-meeting/2021-01-20/fedora_server...,
the complete log at
https://meetbot.fedoraproject.org/fedora-meeting/2021-01-20/fedora_server...
* TOPIC: Fedora Server Product Requirement Document (PRD) Update*
A proposal is available for download at https://pboy.fedorapeople.org/FedoraServerPRD-UpdateProposal-V1-0.odt (LibreOffice format). There is ongoing work to make it available at hackmd.io as well.
Everyone is (strongly :-) ) invited to contribute ideas or assessments on the individual topics, here on the mailing list or directly in the document (and send it to the author at the moment).
Further discussion at the next meeting ( scheduled 3 Feb. 2021)
* TOPIC: Improving Fedora Server documentation and visibility *
The starting reference is the suggestion (Matthew) to add a "Fedora Server" box to the docs home page, complementing the existing IoT, Silverblue and CoreOS boxes.
The general assessment is that a shift from the wiki to the docs system would be positive.
What needs to be clarified is what is to be included there. Some ideas: Server documentation, howtos, ongoing projects and some items that are currently on the wiki page.
Some arguments to be weighed up:
- It is problematic that documentation becomes outdated more or less quickly.
- No documentation might be better than outdated documentation.
- Documentation should "grey itself out" over the years (or may be revoked automatically after x years if not updated)
- There is also documentation in various places that includes Fedora Server.
- Howtos would perhaps be better placed elsewhere, e.g. Fedora Magazine perhaps.
- Current and accurate How-To's do attract new users.
- If we add "roles" in addition to base server, then docs and possible Git repositories become more important.
- We should / must increase visibility.
Agreed: pboy will prepare a proposal on possible contents for the next meeting.
* TOPIC: systemd-oomd *
change proposal: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/EnableSystemdOomd#How_to_test
- currently only Fedora Workstation and the KDE Spin comes with a userspace oom killer, and it's earlyoom
- the change will enable systemd-oomd on every Fedora solution that seems suitable
Broad assessment: should be fine on server
Possible issue:
- if you have say a httpd and are running several applications on it, they will all be in the same cgroup
- maybe jBoss / wildfly are affected the same way
Agreed: The aspect would have to be well documented. Further testing.
* TOPIC: open floor *
The Wiki pages urgently need to be updated, at least the completely deprecated information simply needs to be deleted.
Agreed: Further discussion next meeting.
### Just in case anyone missed it: Everyone is strongly invited to contribute! ###
(Or as it was called in ancient Rome: ceterum censeo … )
6 days, 9 hours
fedora-server: permanent meeting time?
by Michel Alexandre Salim
Hello all,
Looking at the reboot meeting logs, looks like we initially meant to
reconvene on January 6, then pivoted to finding a next meeting time and
avoid selection bias... then with the holidays that never happened.
I've started a WhenIsGood, picking a timezone that should work for
people from the US West Coast all the way to Central Europe -- if this
doesn't work for you, please chime in and I'll get this edited:
https://whenisgood.net/dqn59sz
These are one-hour slots, over a period of two weeks starting next
Monday (UTC); please find a time that will work for you regularly so we
can then just schedule a permanent meeting.
I've also slotted in a recurring meeting in the calendar that we can
use by default if we can't find consensus on a new meeting slot -- it's
two weeks after the initial Jan 6 proposal, at the same time (18:00
UTC): https://apps.fedoraproject.org/calendar/server/2021/1/20/
Best regards,
--
Michel Alexandre Salim
profile: https://keyoxide.org/michel@michel-slm.name
chat via email: https://delta.chat/
GPG key: 5DCE 2E7E 9C3B 1CFF D335 C1D7 8B22 9D2F 7CCC 04F2
1 week, 6 days
The well known BIOSboot partition issue - Fedora does not install
flawlessly on HDs larger 2 TB in Raid 1
by Peter Boy
I am doing some test installations to contribute some of our internal documentation for Fedora Server documentation. Thereby a problem with the BiOSboot partition occurred again.
To set up the system with RAID 1, manual partitioning must be performed during installation. I have created in the Anaconda GUI:
- BIOSboot Partition
- /boot as default partition and changed to raid 1
- /ROOT as LVM changed to raid 1 as well (and some additional LVs in that VG)
The installation aborted with the error message:
"The following error occurred while installing the boot loader. The system will not be bootable. Do you want to ignore this and continue with the installation?
Boot loader install failed"
Anaconda creates BIOSboot only on the first hard disk, but then tries to install grub also on the 2nd hard disk and fails because of the missing BIOSboot partition there.
This was already discussed a long time ago and considered to create a BIOSboot partition automatically when creating a GPT even without user action. However, concerns were raised about this and the proposal was obviously not implemented.
I have not found a way in the current Anaconda manual partition GUI to install BIOSboot on the 2nd disk as well. My simple workaround was to boot a live system, set up GPT and BIOSboot, shutdown, and then boot the Fedora Server installation image.
The installation then went without a fuss. But is this the intended way? I suspect it isn’t. I probably missed something.
Any hint appreciated.
Peter
2 weeks, 3 days
Topics for the next IRC meeting
by Peter Boy
Many thanks to Michel for initiating a concrete date for the next IRC meeting (although I am a bit puzzled, wasn't something else agreed?).
Regarding the agenda, I would like to propose to add the following topics:
(a) Status of the PRD Update
============================
Towards the end of next week we should have a concrete initial text proposal ready to be discussed and refined.
(b) Improving Fedora Server documentation and visibility
========================================================
Matthew has raised the prospect in an email:
> We'd set up a space specifically for Server. Click on IoT, Silverblue, or
> CoreOS on the front page https://docs.fedoraproject.org/.
>
> In fact, it might make most sense to have _two_ areas, one for the server
> _project_ (linked in the bottom half of the front page) and one for
> user-focused documents (linked in the top half).
We should discuss whether we aim at this and if so, how we start a procedure to implement this idea.
And we should increase the visibility of the documentation, e.g. on the download page for Fedora Server below the download links a bold banner something like "now you got Fedora Server, get to know Fedora Server“ linking to the documentation page.
(c) Update of the Server SIG and Working Group wiki pages
=========================================================
Server Working group wiki (https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Server): last edited April 2018, last ’substantial’ change Sept. 2016
Server Sig Group wiki (https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/Server): last edited May 2016, last ’substantial’ change 2012
At least we should update the Member lists, meeting dates, and meeting minutes, and some other completely outdated content that can be easily changed (or simply deleted).
2 weeks, 4 days
