XenUbuntu

Summary

A remastered xubuntu liveDVD that ships with images of all the *ubuntu liveCDs that have been made into live virtual machines. Ships with statefiles that are fully booted, so the user can check out all the Ubuntu live environments available, without having to reboot.

Rationale

This will demonstrate both Xen technology and the choice of ubuntu versions. This could also include a server install, e.g. with everything configured for a small/medium business. The Xen images could then simulate the people in an office, demonstrating shared folders, calendars, etc..

Use cases

  • Mary has seen xubuntu, fubuntu, ubuntu, kubuntu and is confused. A friend gives her the dvd which gives her a simple GUI to allow choice between several of each of these installations. She chooses the one she prefers, and uses espresso to install immediately.
  • Anna manages an IT department of a business with fifty seats. She boots the XenUbuntu DVD, and using a simple xen console switcher GUI (with freenx?) she can try out a few preconfigured tasks which her company would use. In particular, she can see groupware tasks working, by having a VNC/freenx session on two or more of the demonstration xen images at once.

Scope

Design

Modified Espresso allows installation of any Ubuntu version

From the xen0 desktop the user can launch a modified version of Espresso that allows her to choose any of the shipped ubuntu distributions to install. The modified espresso (cappucino? Smile :) mounts the appropriate livecd image and copies its filesystem to the hard disk partition nominated by the user, in the same way that espresso copies the liveCD filesystem to the nominated partition.

Desktop Experience

The XenUbuntu live DVD could boot up and present the user with a desktop that has large icons of screenshots of the various *ubuntus, named descriptively, as well as readme/help files easily accessible. Clicking on one signals xm to restore the appropriate domain, and starts an X session/Xnest/VNC/freeNX session that connects to the domain as the "ubuntu" user.

Implementation

Code

Data preservation and migration

Outstanding issues

See also

XenEnabledKernel

BoF agenda and discussion


CategorySpec

XenUbuntu (last edited 2008-08-06 16:16:06 by localhost)