https://github.com/jnsgruk/firecracker-ubuntu
🚀 Use Firecracker and helpings of bash to boot Ubuntu virtual machines very fast 🔥
https://github.com/jnsgruk/firecracker-ubuntu
automation bash cloud-images cloud-init dnsmasq docker-image firecracker firecracker-microvms kernel microvm rootfs ubuntu
Last synced: about 1 month ago
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🚀 Use Firecracker and helpings of bash to boot Ubuntu virtual machines very fast 🔥
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/jnsgruk/firecracker-ubuntu
- Owner: jnsgruk
- License: apache-2.0
- Created: 2022-12-05T21:29:13.000Z (over 2 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2023-07-15T18:57:04.000Z (almost 2 years ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-03-29T04:42:27.749Z (about 2 months ago)
- Topics: automation, bash, cloud-images, cloud-init, dnsmasq, docker-image, firecracker, firecracker-microvms, kernel, microvm, rootfs, ubuntu
- Language: Shell
- Homepage:
- Size: 1.02 MB
- Stars: 15
- Watchers: 2
- Forks: 1
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# embr
The purpose of this project was to explore running Ubuntu with [Firecracker] as a general purpose
development machine. This is obviously not what Firecracker was developed for, but it was an
opportunity to learn a little about it!
At present, `embr` can download and start Ubuntu cloud images using firecracker, with support
for supplying a cloud-init file to customise the virtual machine. It relies upon [dnsmasq] to
dynamically address the VM it creates.
I took a lot of influence from [ubuntu-firecracker] by [@bkleiner], and this [blog] from
[@ahachete] in the making of this project.
Using this approach, I was able to deploy the [Canonical Observability Stack] with [Juju] on
[MicroK8s] inside a Firecracker VM:
## Prerequisites
Before you can use or test this project, you'll need the following installed on your machine:
- [dnsmasq]
- [firecracker]
- [jq]
- [yq]
## Quick start
You can start the project on a clean machine with `./embr launch`.
This will do the following:
- Download and process the relevant Ubuntu cloud image (latest LTS by default)
- Create a network bridge device
- Start `dnsmasq` on that bridge
- Create two tap network interfaces for the VM (one for the metadata service, one for normal use)
- Create a folder structure for a VM, containing kernel, disk, initrd and a definition file
- Start firecracker and configure the VM over it's HTTP API
- Start the VM
With no arguments, `embr` will create a VM with 8 CPUs, 16GB RAM and a 20GB disk.
Once you've run `./embr launch`, you'll get instructions on how to connect to your VM.
To cleanup your machine, run `./embr clean`. Note that this will, kill started processes, remove
any network interfaces and delete the VM.
## Customising your machine
The `embr launch` command takes a number of arguments such that you can customise the CPUS, memory,
disk and series that is used:
```
$ ./embr launch --help
embr is a tool for creating and launching Ubuntu virtual machines with Firecracker.
USAGE:
embr launch [OPTIONS]
OPTIONS:
-n, --name
Hostname of the virtual machine to create.
Default: dev
-c, --cpus
Number of virtual CPUs to assign to the VM
Default: 8
-m, --memory
Amount of memory in GB to assign to the VM.
Default: 16
-d, --disk
Size of disk for the VM in GB.
Default: 20
-f, --cloud-init
Filename of the cloud-init user data file to use for provisioning.
Default: userdata.yaml
-s, --series
The Ubuntu series codename to use. E.g. xenial, bionic, focal, jammy
Default: jammy
-h, --help
Display this help message.
```
## TODO
- [ ] Resume VM and make sure existing interfaces are present
- [ ] Multiple VM support
- [x] Store VMs in separate directories
- [ ] Start / stop VMs independently
- [ ] Status command to show running, IP, etc.
- [ ] Stop being a maniac and write this in Go
### Done
- [x] Better command line arg experience
- [x] Output an accurate message with connection instructions on boot
- [x] Figure out how to run DHCP on a tap interface
- [x] Enable the use of standard Ubuntu cloud images
- [x] Enable cloud-init support
- [x] Add support for customising kernel and rootfs build
[@ahachete]: https://twitter.com/ahachete/
[@bkleiner]: https://github.com/bkleiner
[blog]: https://ongres.com/blog/automation-to-run-vms-based-on-vanilla-cloud-images-on-firecracker/
[canonical observability stack]: https://charmhub.io/topics/canonical-observability-stack
[config]: ./default.conf
[dnsmasq]: https://thekelleys.org.uk/dnsmasq/doc.html
[docker]: https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/linux-install/
[firecracker]: https://github.com/firecracker-microvm/firecracker
[jq]: https://stedolan.github.io/jq/
[juju]: https://juju.is
[microk8s]: https://microk8s.io
[ubuntu-firecracker]: https://github.com/bkleiner/ubuntu-firecracker
[yq]: https://mikefarah.gitbook.io/yq/