This is a continuation from What OS for Docker host? (Part 3).
TinyCore
Next I tried TinyCore Linux. I downloaded the 100MB “CorePlus” ISO instead of the minimal 10MB “Core” ISO because CorePlus contains the installer and the extra stuff for wireless. In “Live” mode I had no problems using the no-frills utility to get the wireless working. TinyCore has its own package manager with both a GUI and a command line tool called “tce-ab”. I actually found tce-ab to be easier for new users than yum or apt-get since it is more interactive and prompts you with questions and choices of answers. I used it to install curl without issue.
I didn’t have any luck installing Docker. The package manager didn’t seem to know anything about it and the normal Docker script (which I pulled down using curl) crashed and burned without even useful errors like I’ve seen with other distributions. Since Docker is a key use case, I want it to work and be easy to install and update. And so I decided that I wouldn’t use TinyCore.
Conclusion
I failed. I wanted to find a new (for me) operating system for running Docker containers. Although I wanted something lightweight, while doing through the investigation my key requirements seemed to be:
- Docker (easy to install/upgrade to the current version)
- Remote access (since the screen is cracked, I just want to interact via SSH)
- Wireless support (so I can get the laptop off my disheveled desk)
Of the requirements, it seemed like getting both 1 and 3 together was the tricky part. Most of the bare bone systems designed to run Docker assume that the machine is “on the cloud” or at least has a wired connection. If wireless weren’t a requirement, I’d probably go with Rancher OS–I had the best experience with it apart from the wireless problems and I want to continue playing with it some time in the future.
And so I went with Ubuntu 15.10 Desktop since that was the first disc I found for something I knew I could get working. The install of the fresh OS, wireless configuration, install of an ssh server, and installation of Docker 1.10.2 occurred while I was writing up my TinyCore experience and the above part of the conclusion. The only “gotcha” was I forgot to change the power settings so that the laptop wouldn’t suspend was the lid was closed, but that was an easy fix. It now sits on an unused chair in the dining room until my wife kindly suggests I find a “better” place for it. I can connect to it via SSH and already have a microservice running on it in a Docker container.
So I failed and ended up with what I could have had a week and a half ago, but along the way I did learn about various other Linux distros and as an added bonus now have a bunch of burned discs (mostly unlabeled) to clutter up my disheveled desk.
A great read, on all articles on this thread.
I am currently in the process of researching. I have been using RancherOS for 2 weeks. One of my goals; to create an OwnCloud server and a server to back up my photo library from my main machine and have the ability to spin up containers for dev projects/work.
I would be interested with your experience with setting up multiple hosts if you have any? My other goal is to expand my knowledge from being a software engineer to allow be to get to grips with DevOps with continuous integration and continuous delivery/deployment. Any pointers/tips would be very much appreciated.
I am able to get the server running with on host and using different ports, but I would like to use app-a.my-domain.co.uk, app-b.my-domain.co.uk and so on.
I am using an HP ProLiant MicroServer Gen 8, so has 3 eth (1x iLO port and 2 eth ports). My quick looking around for the past two weeks indicate I need some sort of DNS setup or look at virtual IPs?
Try Fedora. It’s simply working for me.