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Containerization with LXC
Containerization with LXC

Containerization with LXC: Build, manage, and configure Linux containers

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Profile Icon Konstantin Ivanov
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Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5 (2 Ratings)
Paperback Feb 2017 352 pages 1st Edition
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Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Konstantin Ivanov
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Free Trial
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5 (2 Ratings)
Paperback Feb 2017 352 pages 1st Edition
eBook
Can$49.99 Can$55.99
Paperback
Can$69.99
Subscription
Free Trial
eBook
Can$49.99 Can$55.99
Paperback
Can$69.99
Subscription
Free Trial

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Containerization with LXC

Chapter 2. Installing and Running LXC on Linux Systems

LXC takes advantage of the kernel namespaces and cgroups to create process isolation we call containers, as we saw in the previous chapter. As such, LXC is not a separate software component in the Linux kernel, but rather a set of userspace tools, the liblxc library, and various language bindings.

In this chapter, we'll cover the following topics:

  • Installing LXC on Ubuntu and CentOS using distribution packages
  • Compiling and installing LXC from source code
  • Building and starting containers using the provided templates and configuration files
  • Manually building the root filesystem and configuration files using tools such as debootstrap and yum

Installing LXC

At the time of writing this book, there are two long-term support versions of LXC: 1.0 and 2.0. The userspace tools that they provide have some minor differences in command-line flags and deprecations, which I'll be pointing out as we use them.

Installing LXC on Ubuntu with apt

Let's start by installing LXC 1.0 on Ubuntu 14.04.5 (Trusty Tahr):

  1. Install the main LXC package, tooling, and dependencies:
    root@ubuntu:~# lsb_release -dc
    Description:       Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS
    Codename:          trusty
    
    root@ubuntu:~# apt-get -y install -y lxc bridge-utils 
          debootstrap libcap-dev 
          cgroup-bin libpam-systemdbridge-utils
    root@ubuntu:~#
    
  2. The package version that Trusty Tahr provides at this time is 1.0.8:
    root@ubuntu:~# dpkg --list | grep lxc | awk '{print $2,$3}'
    liblxc1 1.0.8-0ubuntu0.3
    lxc 1.0.8-0ubuntu0.3
    lxc-templates 1.0.8-0ubuntu0.3
    python3-lxc 1.0.8-0ubuntu0.3
    root@ubuntu:~# 
    

To install LXC 2.0, we'll need the Backports repository:

  1. Add the following...

Building and manipulating LXC containers

Managing the container life cycle with the provided userspace tools is quite convenient compared to manually creating namespaces and applying resource limits with cgroups. In essence, this is exactly what the LXC tools do: creation and manipulation of the namespaces and cgroups we saw in Chapter 1, Introduction to Linux Containers. The LXC tooling implements functions defined in the liblxc API, as we'll see in Chapter 4, LXC Code Integration with Python.

LXC comes packaged with various templates for building root filesystems for different Linux distributions. We can use them to create a variety of container flavors. For example, running a Debian container on a CentOS host. We also have the option of building our own root filesystem with tools such as debootstrap and yum, which we will explore shortly.

Building our first container

We can create our first container using a template. The lxc-download file, like the rest of the templates in the templates...

Summary

LXC provides a toolset that makes it quite easy and convenient to build, start, and manipulate containers. Using the included templates and configuration files further simplifies this process. In this chapter, we saw practical examples on how to install, configure, and start LXC on Ubuntu and CentOS distributions. You learned how to create container root filesystems and how to write simple configuration files.

In the next chapter, we'll have a look at how to configure system resources in LXC and explore alternative ways of working with LXC, by utilizing the libvrit toolkit and libraries.

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Key benefits

  • Get the most practical and up-to-date resource on LXC and take full advantage of what Linux containers can offer in the day-to-day operations of large-scale applications
  • Learn how to deploy and administer various workloads such as web applications inside LXC
  • Save your organization time and money by building robust and secure containers and by speeding the deployment process of your software

Description

In recent years, containers have gained wide adoption by businesses running a variety of application loads. This became possible largely due to the advent of kernel namespaces and better resource management with control groups (cgroups). Linux containers (LXC) are a direct implementation of those kernel features that provide operating system level virtualization without the overhead of a hypervisor layer. This book starts by introducing the foundational concepts behind the implementation of LXC, then moves into the practical aspects of installing and configuring LXC containers. Moving on, you will explore container networking, security, and backups. You will also learn how to deploy LXC with technologies like Open Stack and Vagrant. By the end of the book, you will have a solid grasp of how LXC is implemented and how to run production applications in a highly available and scalable way.

Who is this book for?

This book is for Linux engineers and software developers who are looking to deploy applications in a fast, secure, and scalable way for use in testing and production.

What you will learn

  • Deep dive into the foundations of Linux containers with kernel namespaces and cgroups
  • Install, configure, and administer Linux containers with LXC and libvirt
  • Begin writing applications using Python libvirt bindings
  • Take an in-depth look at container networking
  • Set up monitoring and security with LXC
  • Build and deploy a highly available application with LXC in the cloud

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Feb 28, 2017
Length: 352 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781785888946
Vendor :
Linux Foundation
Languages :
Tools :

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Product Details

Publication date : Feb 28, 2017
Length: 352 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781785888946
Vendor :
Linux Foundation
Languages :
Tools :

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Table of Contents

9 Chapters
1. Introduction to Linux Containers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Installing and Running LXC on Linux Systems Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Command-Line Operations Using Native and Libvirt Tools Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. LXC Code Integration with Python Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Networking in LXC with the Linux Bridge and Open vSwitch Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Clustering and Horizontal Scaling with LXC Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Monitoring and Backups in a Containerized World Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Using LXC with OpenStack Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
A. LXC Alternatives to Docker and OpenVZ Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
(2 Ratings)
5 star 100%
4 star 0%
3 star 0%
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1 star 0%
Mirko Longa Soto Sep 27, 2021
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
El autor me sorprende con un libro cargado de ejemplos, pasando desde los fundamentos hasta ejemplos concretos de poner en servicio sistemas completos de nodos redundantes con balanceadores de carga incluido y todo con LXC, un buen libro para tener en cuenta.
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Sean Embry May 15, 2017
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If you need to know containerization, this is the go to source for you. Konstantin knows his stuff and with a clear and incisive writing style, makes sure you know it to.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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