Package: picostack
# picostackA super lightweight KVM virtualization manager suitable for single linux-based host system. A motivation to write yet another VM manager is simple - picostack is* open source (MIT license)* is written to be minimalistic* has little overhead, only control over instances* can be installed as a python package, i.e. `pip install picostack`* has a *KVM (qemu)* back-end* has web-interface to manipulate execution of VMs (in a fashion motivatedby OpenStack)* powered by *django* framework* allows mapping of network ports from guest system into the host systemNote that picostack is conceived as a virtualization manager - not a cloudservice provider' software, but a single server split of available resources.![alt text](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ewiger/picostack/master/doc/screen1.png "Screenshot of the web-interface with the overview of running VM instances")---Copyright (c) 2014 Yauhen YakimovichLicensed under the MIT License (MIT). Read a copy of LICENSE distributed withthis code.---### Creating VM instances by cloningTo produce a new VM instance one should always clone a previously registeredimage disk. Machine starts with "In cloning" and transits to "Stopped" oncedone. Such a machine can be "launched" using web-interface with **//host/instances** overview. As soon as the VM is started it obtains state "Running"and continues to boot. After some period of time one can connect to mappedports over the network to check if the guest has complete booting.### Adding new images```bashpicostack init jeos```Will attempt to use *vmbuilder* to create an example ubuntu JeOS image, which can be copied and registered in the DB.In practice, anything supported by KVM can be used as long as you can convert the disk image into [qcow2](http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/Qcow2) format (e.g. virtual box machines can be converted to be run by KVM).Currently, in order to register a new *image* one should use an admin part of the web interface (which is a usual django-based ORM editing interface).## Installation### Create a dedicated pstk userStart by creating a new separate user for dedicated to run picostak daemon.```bashadduser pstksudo usermod -a -G www-data pstksudo usermod -a -G kvm pstk```where `www-data` is your apache user.### Debian prerequisites```bashsudo apt-get install python-dev```### Get a copy of picostackInstallation starts with obtaining a copy of picostack code either from githuband perform a developer's installation like this:```bashgit clone https://github.com/ewiger/picostack.gitcd picostackpip install -e .```or just give it a try your luck and directly pick a PyPI package:```bashpip install picostack```## Configuration### Two consolesPicostack has two controlling scripts that can be used in a command line tooperate the program.```bashwhereis picostkpicostk: /usr/local/bin/picostk```and```bashwhereis picostk-djangopicostk-django: /usr/local/bin/picostk-django```First one provides controlling interface over the picostack daemon as well asinstances and images of the application.Second one is a django-admin interface to access functionality pf the djangosystem.### Default configurationYou should use a (sudoer) user to run the application.Currently the configuration folder is located in ~/.picostackCalling```bashpicostk init configsudo picostk init db```will populate the configuration folder with some default settings.Please navigate there and adjust it if you need to.You would also need to init the database. Make sure to add you picostack user () or in any other way make access to the DB file shared with apache user.Default location is:**/var/picostack/db/picostk.sqlite3**### Running at boot timeFirst, make sure you have the service script placed at */etc/init.d/pstk*.Second, to install picostack service as a boot time script to be run by debian-like system one has to register it with:```bashupdate-rc.d pstk defaults```Removing is achieved by:```bashupdate-rc.d -f pstk remove```### Configuring apache as the webinterfaceIt is not recommended to use `picostk-django runserver` for productionenvironment. Instead one should use something more reliable and productionready, e.g. [apache web server](http://httpd.apache.org/).This should install and enable WSGI module in your apache: `aptitude install libapache2-mod-wsgi`.Once module is installed, you can adopt the following example configuration ofthe virtual host:```xml# picostack virtual host:<VirtualHost *:80>ServerAdmin  i@am.adminDocumentRoot /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/picostackServerName picostack.mysite.orgErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/picostack.error.logCustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/picostack.access.log combinedWSGIScriptAlias / /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/picostack/wsgi.pyWSGIDaemonProcess picostack.mysite.org python-path=/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/picostack:/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/:/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packagesWSGIProcessGroup picostack.mysite.org<Directory "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/picostack/"><Files wsgi.py>Require all granted# For apache <= 2.4 uncomment and use lines below instead# Order allow,deny# Allow from all</Files></Directory>Alias /static/admin/ /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/django/contrib/admin/static/admin/<Directory "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/django/contrib/admin/static/admin/">Require all granted# For apache <= 2.4 uncomment and use lines below instead# Order allow,deny# Allow from all</Directory>Alias /static/ /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/picostack/static/<Directory "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/picostack/static/">Require all granted# For apache <= 2.4 uncomment and use lines below instead# Order allow,deny# Allow from all</Directory></VirtualHost>```where */usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/picostack/* is the path touser's home folder and picostack.mysite.org is the website URL to be installedto.For further details follow [modwsgi documantaion on django page](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.6/howto/deployment/wsgi/modwsgi/).## Running testsThere are a bunch of nose tests inside *tests* folder. A quick start to runthem:```bashpip install nosecd tests/nosetests```---wbr, yy