Is there a minimal/lightweight Linux distro that directly boots into Xen / VBox so I can create/boot into one or more Virtual Machines?

Question

Is there a minimal/lightweight Linux distro that directly boots into Xen / VBox so I can create/boot into one or more Virtual Machines?

If not, How do I make one?

• I have four partitions
• I do not want to use a LiveCD. I want this to be installed in the first partition.
• I do not want have a Bootloader menu (can directly boot into this custom OS)

So if I switch on the notebook: -> I'd see BIOS -> I'd see the Custom OS booting directly -> I'd see Xen / Vbox or the Virtualization appearing as the only app running. -> I'd Create a New VM or Start an Existing VM -> I'd maintain hard-disks of these VMs on the free space available on other partitions

Thank you for your advice/help/direction in advance.

Answer 1

Well, I don't know if you can skip the bootloader, as it's necessary for even 1 OS/Kernel. Regardless, the bootloader is tiny and you can set the timeout to 0 or 1.

As for minimal/lightweight Linux, you can install a base CentOS distro without any custom packages and load it with Xen. I've done this very thing and I can get a bare-bones CentOS distro down to around 300MB (and probably smaller if I spent more time). It boots into Xen and starts up all the VMs I have created.

Once you have a base CentOS installed, run the following to install Xen:

# yum groupinstall Xen

Once it's all done, make sure you edit your /etc/grub/grub.conf config to boot the Xen kernel (set default to 0).

This guide may also be helpful for installing additional VMs:

http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/Xen/InstallingCentOSDomU

I hope this helps!

Answer 2

It was clearly posted question from scriptmaster ! Sure it can be done like everything else with Linux, but nobody wants to do it or want it or post it ! I to want to have a easy IA32 install solution from iso image that works right aut the box ! I have seen it, just look at XEN Live CD v1.6 and 2.0 ! On v1.6 you have a prebuilt 3 live system with XEN and can boot 3 guest os provided on the same cd ! Works astonishing well even from CD, but for serious work inanpropriete, unusable and make non sense ! With live CDs they luring and making people hungry for it, but guess what it cant be installed ! So we loking, searching and googling for it but no prebult iso images can be found, the only thing you can find is tons of recepie how to do it your self ! This is not easy task and even experienced linux geek can make fast run into problems especialy with istalling xen ! So whats the heck ! Its have been done, works, its open source, and nowhere to find forcing user to pfhilosofing do prebuild it your self and making a master degree on it ! Reinvent the hot water again again and again ! Its all abaut the open sorce, philosofing a lot and making a good damn master degree on it and everthing in command prompt ! Grow up people ! Its 21 century ! My advice is if you are not capable to do it your self and need it for serious work like me then go spend some money on hardware that suport HV use NxTop or similar solution that can be painles installed or pay for some lincense fee for enterprise solution and forget abaut open source ! Its useles for common user at least for virtualization solution ! Another thing tha would be interesting is to run VirtualBox on KolibriOS ! Google it you will find that is an interesting idea, but will someone post the prebuild solution, if its done and works ??? That is another question in room !

Answer 3

As far as easy goes, I've done something similar using a debian distro. Installed a base system, installed the xen kernel and tools and such and then went through and started removing the rest of the stuff - not that there was much to remove; on debian 'minimal' is pretty minimal!

Answer 4

Check out Citrix XenClient.

It is a bare metal hypervisor designed for laptops.