vmbuilder-iso-and-usb-support

Summary

In order to make VMbuilder a fully versatile tool, it would be important that it could be used to create iso and usb device. This would allow appliance makers to produce, in addition to vms:

  • live cd/dvd
  • live usb sticks

An important addition would be to create a usb stick which can be updated to new versions via apt-get.

Release Note

In addition to hypervisors, vmbuilder now supports building target "usb" and "iso" which allows to produce live cd/dvd or usb sticks. For more info on available option type "sudo vmbuilder [usb|iso] ubuntu --help" at a command prompt.

Rationale

People building virtual appliances generally need to produce non virtual one. It would make sense to provide them with a way to produce all their targets with a single tool.

Use Cases

  • Edward makes a firewall appliance that could be shipped either as a virtual machine or as a physical appliance booting from USB memory.
  • Janice wand to deliver a demo of her appliance that boots from a CD as well as virtual appliances
  • Marcus runs the shipped virtual machine, or physical appliance booting from USB and it updates itself to a new version, including the linux kernel.

Assumptions

Design

You can have subsections that better describe specific parts of the issue.

Implementation

This section should describe a plan of action (the "how") to implement the changes discussed. Could include subsections like:

UI Changes

Should cover changes required to the UI, or specific UI that is required to implement this

Code Changes

Code changes should include an overview of what needs to change, and in some cases even the specific details.

Migration

Include:

  • data migration, if any
  • redirects from old URLs to new ones, if any
  • how users will be pointed to the new way of doing things, if necessary.

Test/Demo Plan

It's important that we are able to test new features, and demonstrate them to users. Use this section to describe a short plan that anybody can follow that demonstrates the feature is working. This can then be used during testing, and to show off after release.

This need not be added or completed until the specification is nearing beta.

Unresolved issues

This should highlight any issues that should be addressed in further specifications, and not problems with the specification itself; since any specification with problems cannot be approved.

BoF agenda and discussion

Use this section to take notes during the BoF; if you keep it in the approved spec, use it for summarising what was discussed and note any options that were rejected.


CategorySpec

vmbuilder-iso-and-usb-support (last edited 2008-11-19 16:26:53 by yttrium)