Automatically build VirtualBox image

[vbraun]

We should automatically build a VirtualBox/VMware image for each Sage release. This requires some script support to create a image and perform an unattended sage install.

sage-devel discussion

Component: build

Author: Volker Braun

Issue created by migration from https://trac.sagemath.org/ticket/11330

[sagetrac-ltw]

comment:1

Maybe the script can use debootstrap to create a base system, chroot into it to install whatever necessary tools (e.g. graphical environment, kernel, package manager, web browser), exit the chroot, build Sage (or copy a pre-built linux binary), wrap it up in a VirtualBox/VMware disk image, and finally configure the VM.

[vbraun]

comment:2

I'm working on an Fedora kickstart unattended install in an automatically generated VM. Its basically working, just needs some bugs ironed out. You can swap out the embedded Linux distribution with any install DVD as long as

1. It installs without any user interaction
2. It powers off the VM when it is done installing.
3. It automatically installs Sage
   The script that creates the VM then boots of the DVD medium and waits until the VM powers itself off...

[vbraun]

Author: Volker Braun

[vbraun]

comment:3

Here is an example of the built virtual machine that is built by the attached scripts without user intervention:

http://www.stp.dias.ie/~vbraun/Sage/Sage-4.7.rc2.ova

The virtual machine starts up in text mode and automatically runs the Sage notebook server. At first startup you are prompted to enter a password, as usual. Once you set up your admin password you have to use your host OS web browser to open http://localhost:8000.

At this point it would be nice if somebody could try it out on a windows machine (or any other machine).

[vbraun]

scripts to auto-build virtual machine

[sagetrac-ltw]

comment:4

Attachment: build-sage-virtualbox.tar.bz2.gz

Replying to @vbraun:

Here is an example of the built virtual machine that is built by the attached scripts without user intervention:

http://www.stp.dias.ie/~vbraun/Sage/Sage-4.7.rc2.ova

I get a "403 Forbidden" error for that file. Interestingly, I can access all of your other files in that same directory.

[vbraun]

comment:5

Sorry, wrong permissions. Fixed!

[dimpase]

comment:6

I'll try this on a Windows 7 box, as soon as I figure out what is needed.

I got the latest VirtualBox (4.0.6) with no guest OS installed.
Do I need anything else, apart from the .ova - file, to have it running?

[dimpase]

comment:8

Replying to @dimpase:

I'll try this on a Windows 7 box, as soon as I figure out what is needed.

I got the latest VirtualBox (4.0.6) with no guest OS installed.
Do I need anything else, apart from the .ova - file, to have it running?

for the record, it does not work, perhaps because this Windows 7 installation is itself a VMWare virtual host.

[vbraun]

comment:13

Code at https://bitbucket.org/vbraun/sage-virtual-appliance-buildscript

[embray]

comment:14

Seems, then, that this is done.