You can implement the Linux container (LXD/LXC) to partition a your cloud server. Both cloud server, its files, and resources are only given the access to the right services such as Apache, Nginx, MySQL, Proxy, Memcached and so on. Canonical’s LXD is a pure-container hypervisor that runs unmodified Linux operating systems and applications with VM-style operations at incredible speed and density. In this quick tutorial you will learn how to install the latest stable version of LXD container under KVM cloud server hosted at Linode for security mechanism on Ubuntu Linux 16.04.xx LTS server.
Step 1 – LTS vs Backported release
There are two releases
- LTS releases are recommended for production environments.
- To get all the latest features and monthly updates to LXD, use the feature release branch.
Step 2 – Install lxd
Type the following apt command or apt-get command to install LXD LTS release:
$ sudo apt-get install lxd
OR
$ sudo apt install lxd
To install latest stable release using backported on Xenial, run:
$ sudo apt install -t xenial-backports lxd lxd-client
Sample outputs:
Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following additional packages will be installed: acl dns-root-data dnsmasq-base ebtables liblxc1 liblzo2-2 libnetfilter-conntrack3 lxc-common lxcfs squashfs-tools uidmap xdelta3 Suggested packages: criu lxd-tools The following NEW packages will be installed: acl dns-root-data dnsmasq-base ebtables liblxc1 liblzo2-2 libnetfilter-conntrack3 lxc-common lxcfs lxd lxd-client squashfs-tools uidmap xdelta3 0 upgraded, 14 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded. Need to get 6,275 kB/7,162 kB of archives. After this operation, 26.6 MB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y Get:1 http://mirrors.linode.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 ebtables amd64 2.0.10.4-3.4ubuntu2 [79.4 kB] Get:2 http://mirrors.linode.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/main amd64 lxd-client amd64 2.21-0ubuntu2~16.04.1 [2,426 kB] Get:3 http://mirrors.linode.com/ubuntu xenial/universe amd64 xdelta3 amd64 3.0.8-dfsg-1ubuntu2 [67.1 kB] Get:4 http://mirrors.linode.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/main amd64 lxd amd64 2.21-0ubuntu2~16.04.1 [3,703 kB] Fetched 6,275 kB in 0s (58.5 MB/s) Selecting previously unselected package liblzo2-2:amd64. (Reading database ... 41804 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../liblzo2-2_2.08-1.2_amd64.deb ... Unpacking liblzo2-2:amd64 (2.08-1.2) ... Selecting previously unselected package acl. Preparing to unpack .../acl_2.2.52-3_amd64.deb ... Unpacking acl (2.2.52-3) ... Selecting previously unselected package dns-root-data. Preparing to unpack .../dns-root-data_2015052300+h+1_all.deb ... Unpacking dns-root-data (2015052300+h+1) ... Selecting previously unselected package libnetfilter-conntrack3:amd64. Preparing to unpack .../libnetfilter-conntrack3_1.0.5-1_amd64.deb ... Unpacking libnetfilter-conntrack3:amd64 (1.0.5-1) ... Selecting previously unselected package dnsmasq-base. Preparing to unpack .../dnsmasq-base_2.75-1ubuntu0.16.04.4_amd64.deb ... Unpacking dnsmasq-base (2.75-1ubuntu0.16.04.4) ... Selecting previously unselected package ebtables. Preparing to unpack .../ebtables_2.0.10.4-3.4ubuntu2_amd64.deb ... Unpacking ebtables (2.0.10.4-3.4ubuntu2) ... Selecting previously unselected package lxc-common. Preparing to unpack .../lxc-common_2.0.8-0ubuntu1~16.04.2_amd64.deb ... Unpacking lxc-common (2.0.8-0ubuntu1~16.04.2) ... Selecting previously unselected package liblxc1. Preparing to unpack .../liblxc1_2.0.8-0ubuntu1~16.04.2_amd64.deb ... Unpacking liblxc1 (2.0.8-0ubuntu1~16.04.2) ... Selecting previously unselected package lxcfs. Preparing to unpack .../lxcfs_2.0.8-0ubuntu1~16.04.2_amd64.deb ... Unpacking lxcfs (2.0.8-0ubuntu1~16.04.2) ... Selecting previously unselected package lxd-client. Preparing to unpack .../lxd-client_2.21-0ubuntu2~16.04.1_amd64.deb ... Unpacking lxd-client (2.21-0ubuntu2~16.04.1) ... Selecting previously unselected package squashfs-tools. Preparing to unpack .../squashfs-tools_1%3a4.3-3ubuntu2.16.04.1_amd64.deb ... Unpacking squashfs-tools (1:4.3-3ubuntu2.16.04.1) ... Selecting previously unselected package uidmap. Preparing to unpack .../uidmap_1%3a4.2-3.1ubuntu5.3_amd64.deb ... Unpacking uidmap (1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.3) ... Selecting previously unselected package xdelta3. Preparing to unpack .../xdelta3_3.0.8-dfsg-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ... Unpacking xdelta3 (3.0.8-dfsg-1ubuntu2) ... Selecting previously unselected package lxd. Preparing to unpack .../lxd_2.21-0ubuntu2~16.04.1_amd64.deb ... Unpacking lxd (2.21-0ubuntu2~16.04.1) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ... Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.23-0ubuntu10) ... Processing triggers for dbus (1.10.6-1ubuntu3.3) ... Processing triggers for systemd (229-4ubuntu21) ... Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-19) ... Setting up liblzo2-2:amd64 (2.08-1.2) ... Setting up acl (2.2.52-3) ... Setting up dns-root-data (2015052300+h+1) ... Setting up libnetfilter-conntrack3:amd64 (1.0.5-1) ... Setting up dnsmasq-base (2.75-1ubuntu0.16.04.4) ... Setting up ebtables (2.0.10.4-3.4ubuntu2) ... update-rc.d: warning: start and stop actions are no longer supported; falling back to defaults Setting up lxcfs (2.0.8-0ubuntu1~16.04.2) ... Setting up lxd-client (2.21-0ubuntu2~16.04.1) ... Setting up squashfs-tools (1:4.3-3ubuntu2.16.04.1) ... Setting up uidmap (1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.3) ... Setting up xdelta3 (3.0.8-dfsg-1ubuntu2) ... Setting up liblxc1 (2.0.8-0ubuntu1~16.04.2) ... Setting up lxd (2.21-0ubuntu2~16.04.1) ... Setting up lxd dnsmasq configuration. To go through the initial LXD configuration, run: lxd init Old bridge configuration detected in /etc/default/lxd-bridge, upgrading Unsetting deprecated profile options Attempting to kill current lxd-bridge Bringing down and renaming existing bridge lxdbr0 to lxd-upgrade Creating a new LXD bridge Network lxdbr0 created Moving the old bridge into place Configuring the new LXD bridge Setting IPv4 network to 10.119.191.1/24 Setting IPv4 DHCP range to 10.119.191.2-10.119.191.254 Enabling IPv4 NAT Done converting your bridge, renaming old configuration Cleaning up lxd-bridge state files Setting up lxc-common (2.0.8-0ubuntu1~16.04.2) ... Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.23-0ubuntu10) ... Processing triggers for dbus (1.10.6-1ubuntu3.3) ... Processing triggers for systemd (229-4ubuntu21) ... Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-19) ...
Step 3 – Add user account for lxd
Type the following command to add a user named vivek, run:
$ sudo adduser vivek
Make sure vivek is part of a secondary group named lxd group, enter:
$ sudo usermod -a -G lxd vivek
Verify it, run the id command as follows:
$ id vivek
Sample outputs:
uid=1002(vivek) gid=1002(vivek) groups=1002(vivek),118(lxd)
Step 4 – Configure lxd
To go through the initial LXD configuration, run:
$ sudo lxd init
Sample outputs:
Step 5 -Creating and using your first container
First login as vivek user:
$ ssh vivek@server1.cyberciti.biz
OR
$ su - vivek
Verify that the lxc client is talking to the LXD daemon:
$ lxc list
Sample outputs:
+------+-------+------+------+------+-----------+ | NAME | STATE | IPV4 | IPV6 | TYPE | SNAPSHOTS | +------+-------+------+------+------+-----------+
The syntax is as follows to create your first container:
lxc launch images:{distro}/{version}/{arch} {container-name-here}
To list all available images for various Linux distro, run:
$ lxc image list images:
To create a CentOS Linux v7.x container:
$ lxc launch images:centos/7/amd64 my-cenots
Sample outputs:
Creating my-cenots Retrieving image: 100% (16.80MB/s) Starting my-cenots
To create a Ubuntu Linux 16.4 LTS container:
$ lxc launch images:ubuntu/xenial/amd64 my-ubuntu
Sample outputs:
Animated gif.01: Lxc creating your VM
Step 6 – Login to your first container
Type the following command:
$ lxc exec my-centos bash
$ lxc exec my-ubuntu bash
You can now update your container or install needed software.
Step 6 – Lock down root user
You do not need root user or default user such as ubuntu/centos created in your container:
$ lxc exec my-ubuntu bash
Lock down root account access, run:
# passwd -l root
Delete unwanted user account using the userdel command, run:
# userdel -r ubuntu
Step 7 – Basic Linux containers management commands
Let us see important commands to manage your containers.
Start a container
$ lxc start containerName
Stop a container
$ lxc stop containerName
Restart a container
$ lxc restart containerName
Delete a container
$ lxc delete containerName
Get info about running container
$ lxc info containerName
Run the specified command in a container
$ lxc exec containerName command1
$ lxc exec containerName command1 opt1
$ lxc exec containerName date
$ lxc exec containerName -- command1 -arg1 -arg2
$ lxc exec my-cenots -- yum update -y
Auto start LXD VM at boot time
$ lxc config set containerName boot.autostart true
$ lxc config set my-centos boot.autostart true
Create a read-only snapshot of a container
$ lxc snapshot containerName snapShotName
$ lxc snapshot my-cenots snap0
$ lxc info my-cenots
Restore a container’s state to a previous snapshot
$ lxc restore containerName snapShotName
$ lxc restore my-cenots snap0
$ lxc info my-cenots
$ lxc exec my-cenots bash
I recommend that you let built-in DHCP assign a static IP to LXD container/VM based on name or MAC address for ease of management including talking with each other. I suggest that you setup LAMP stack as follows:
$ lxc launch images:ubuntu/xenial/amd64 db1
$ lxc launch images:ubuntu/xenial/amd64 nginx1
$ lxc launch images:ubuntu/xenial/amd64 apache-php1
$ lxc launch images:ubuntu/xenial/amd64 memcached
Once LXC VM up and running. Log into each container and setup services i.e. install Apache and PHP on apache-php1 VM. Use Nginx (or any other proxy server) or iptables on your cloud server to redirect traffic to port 80/443 from your public IP address to container service.
And there you have it. LXD container/VM is running for each service such as a web server, MySQL, Memcached, Proxy and so on. All of your services are running on separate LXD vm instance. Naturally, this limits the number of other services that can be cracked if an attacker can successfully exploit a software flaw in one network service.
See also
- Install LXD container hypervisor on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
- How to install and setup LXC (Linux Container) on Fedora Linux 26
- Set up LXD container under KVM or Xen virtual machine
- List VM images in LXD (Linux Containers)
- Upgrade LXD containers powered by Ubuntu/Debian or CentOS Linux
- Auto start LXD containers at boot time in Linux
- Command to rename LXD / LXC container
- Run commands on Linux Container (LXD) instance at provision launch time
- Use LXD (Linux containers) in a shell script to create VM when the cloud instance launches
- Move/migrate LXD VM to another host on Linux
- Fedora install and set up LXD
- CentOS 7.x install and set up LXD server
- Install LXD pure-container hypervisor on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
- Create snapshots with lxc command for LXD
- Set up and install LXD on CentOS/RHEL 8
- Ubuntu 20.04 LTS install and set up LXD
- Full backup and restore LXD containers
- Disable firewall and NAT rules on the LXD bridge
- Delete or remove LXD container using the lxc
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