How to test Debian Edu CD/DVDs on Virtual Machines

This is a guide for testing Debian Edu on virtual machines running Debian or Ubuntu connected to a dhcp network (also including steps to support networks with static Internet address).

For testing you can choose between virtualbox, kvm or qemu. The guide got the same test network commendation, IP addresses.

Test config 1a: The user can choose to test combiserver (main + thin client sever) on one virtual machine and 1+n thin clients on an 1+n virtual machines.

Test config 1b: The user can run a combiserver with a cirtual machine running diskless client on 1+n virtual machines.

Test config 1a+1b.

Test config 2: The user can run main server on a separate virtual machine, thin client server on an other virtual machine and thin clients and diskless clients (almost as 1a+1b).

What's also needs are:

  1. Short guide on how to report bugs at the TestCDinstall page.
  2. Short guide how to get access to logs and screen dumps as easy as possible. This makes it easier making accurate bug reports.
  3. Test scripts to run for automatic setup and running the different test configs :)

I'll see 1 and 2 as mandatory documentation. Suggestion 3 is just a wish :)

Fetching the test install CD or DVD

Fetch the debian-edu-amd64-i386-BD-1.iso image from the server. You can use your web browser, or the wget command.

wget http://ftp.skolelinux.org/cd-jessie-usbstick/debian-edu-amd64-i386-BD-1.iso

Setting up bridge network for VM's

Setting up bridge network

VirtualBox setup

You need VirtualBox 4.3 or newer. To install VirtualBox on Ubuntu, see this page http://tecadmin.net/install-oracle-virtualbox-on-ubuntu/

Setting up VirtualBox network

DebianEdu needs a 10.0.0.0/8 network as default, see the DebianEdu default network setup page. The main server provides it's own DHCP server, so DHCP needs to be turned off in VirtualBox. To set up a suitable network via the command line:

$ VBoxManage natnetwork add --netname skolelinux --network 10.0.0.0/8 --dhcp off

To verify that you have the network set up correctly, use the GUI: File, Preferences, Network, NAT Networks. You should have a network named "skolelinux" there, with "Network CIDR" set to "10.0.0.0/8". DHCP and IPv6 should both be unchecked.. From the command line you can also do

$ VBoxManage list natnets
NetworkName:    skolelinux
IP:             10.0.0.1
Network:        10.0.0.0/8
IPv6 Enabled:   No
IPv6 Prefix:    
DHCP Enabled:   No
Enabled:        Yes
loopback mappings (ipv4)
        127.0.0.1=2

Set up the main server

In VirtualBox GUI, create a new virtual machine for the main server. Recommended values are 1 GB memory, 30 GB hard drive. Select New, give the machine a name ("server1" for example), Select "Linux" for type, and "Debian (64 bit)" for version. Click next, select or input 1024 MB for memory size, click next, select "create a virtual hard drive now", click next, select VDI for Hard drive file type, click next, select "dynamically allocated", click next, give it a name (the default suggestion is usually ok), and set the size to 30 GB, click create.

After the virtual machine is created, you need to connect it to the correct NAT network. Select the virtual machine you just created. click Settings, click Network, on Adapter 1, change "NAT" to "NAT Network" and select the one named "skolelinux" if it isn't selected already. click ok. From the command line you can do it with

$ VBoxManage modifyvm server --nic1 natnetwork

Set up a diskless workstation

In VirtualBox GUI, create a new machine for a diskless workstation. Recommended values are 512 MB RAM, 320 MB RAM is minimum. Give it a name (for example "ws1"), 512 MB RAM and no hard drive. After creation, change settings. On System, allow the machine to boot from network. Under Network, Adapter 1, select "NAT Network" and the correct network ("skolelinux" in this example).