I'm trying to install OpenVZ on my Linode. Here is what I did:

Step 1: Custom kernel

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade --show-upgraded

VERSION="2.6.32-28"

apt-get install linux-image-$VERSION-virtual

mkdir /boot/grub
(   echo -e "timeout 5\n" && \
   echo -e "title           Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, kernel $VERSION-server" && \
   echo -e "root            (hd0)" && \
   echo -e "kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-$VERSION-server root=/dev/xvda console=hvc0 ro quiet" && \
   echo -e "initrd          /boot/initrd.img-$VERSION-server" \
) > /boot/grub/menu.lst

# amend linode configuration

reboot

Step 2: Installation

function replace_in_file {

   TMP_FILE=/tmp/replace_in_file.$$
   sed "s/$1/$2/g" $3 > $TMP_FILE && mv $TMP_FILE $3
}

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

dpkg-reconfigure dash

apt-get install kernel-package libncurses5-dev fakeroot wget bzip2 module-assistant debhelper build-essential

VERSION="2.6.32.28"

apt-get build-dep --no-install-recommends linux-image-$VERSION-server
m-a prepare
kernel-packageconfig

Cores=$(Nr () { echo $#; }; Nr $(grep "processor" /proc/cpuinfo | cut -f2 -d":"))
echo "CONCURRENCY_LEVEL := $(($Cores + 1))" | tee -a /etc/kernel-pkg.conf

cd /usr/src
wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/l/linux/linux_2.6.32.orig.tar.gz
wget http://download.openvz.org/kernel/branches/2.6.32/current/patches/patch-feoktistov.1-combined.gz
wget http://download.openvz.org/kernel/branches/2.6.32/current/configs/kernel-2.6.32-x86_64.config.ovz

rm -rf linux-2.6.32
tar -xpf linux_2.6.32.orig.tar.gz
rm -rf "linux-2.6.32-openvz"
mv linux-2.6.32 "linux-2.6.32-openvz"
rm linux
ln -s "linux-2.6.32-openvz" linux

cd /usr/src/linux
gunzip -dc /usr/src/patch-feoktistov.1-combined.gz | patch -p1 --batch
cp -rf "/usr/src/kernel-2.6.32-x86_64.config.ovz" .config
make oldconfig

replace_in_file "all: lguest" "all:" /usr/src/linux/Documentation/lguest/Makefile

make-kpkg --initrd --append-to-version="-openvz" --revision=1 kernel_image kernel_headers

cd /usr/src
ls -l *.deb
dpkg -i linux-image-2.6.32.28-openvz_1_amd64.deb
dpkg -i linux-headers-2.6.32.28-openvz_1_amd64.deb
mkinitramfs -k 2.6.32.28-openvz -o /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32.28-openvz
apt-get install --reinstall grub-pc
update-grub

(   echo -e "timeout 5\n" && \
   echo -e "title           Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, kernel $VERSION-openvz" && \
   echo -e "root            (hd0)" && \
   echo -e "kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-$VERSION-openvz root=/dev/xvda console=hvc0 ro quiet" && \
   echo -e "initrd          /boot/initrd.img-$VERSION-openvz" \
) > /boot/grub/menu.lst

cat > /etc/sysctl.conf << "EOF"
net.ipv4.conf.default.forwarding=1
net.ipv4.conf.default.proxy_arp = 1
net.ipv4.ip_forward=1
net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter = 1
kernel.sysrq = 1
net.ipv4.conf.default.send_redirects = 1
net.ipv4.conf.all.send_redirects = 0
EOF
sysctl -p

apt-get install --no-install-recommends vzctl vzquota vzdump

ln -s /var/lib/vz /vz

reboot

Finally, when I try to reboot my Linode I get this:

Booting 'Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, kernel 2.6.32.28-openvz'                                               
                                                                                                    
root            (hd0)                                                                               
 Filesystem type is ext2fs, using whole disk                                                        
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32.28-openvz root=/dev/xvda console=hvc0 ro q                     
uiet                                                                                                
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32.28-openvz                                                   
                                                                                                    
ERROR Invalid kernel: elf_xen_note_check: ERROR: Will only load images built for the generic loader 
or Linux images                                                                                     
xc_dom_parse_image returned -1                                                                      
                                                                                                    
Error 9: Unknown boot failure                                                                       
                                                                                                    
Press any key to continue...

Any clue, what I could do wrong?

You need a Xen paravirt-enabled kernel to run on a Linode. OpenVZ expects to run on bare metal and will only run under Xen with hardware-assisted virtualisation, and may well not run properly even then.

_________________
/ Peter

Firstly, are you sure you want to run OpenVZ inside of Xen? A virtual machine inside a virtual machine isn't recommended, although combining hardware-level and OS-level virtualization like OpenVZ and Xen is indeed possible. It makes a lot more sense to just get multiple linodes, since their cost is pretty linear (instead of running 8x OpenVZ instances on a 4096 for $160/mth, you'd be better to run 8x 512 linodes for $160/mth). In fact, I bet you'd get much better performance out of the 8x linodes.

Second, while I'm no expert at loading kernels, there seems to be specific instructions for installing OpenVZ kernels in Xen:

http://wiki.openvz.org/How_to_use_OpenV ... 6_platform)

They seem to set a xen-related build parameter, and use a xen-related config file for the build, rather than using a generic kernel. So you might want to try that.

No, OpenVZ has a xen paravirt-enabled kernel to do exactly this. It's just that there's very little reason to do so rather than just getting multiple smaller linodes.

I want to use OpenVZ to isolate user accounts as described here.

The guide is for the RHEL5 Linux and looking at it I'm still not sure what I missed in my script.

Did anyone manage to install OpenVZ on the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Linode)?

Dedicated server will be much more effective for this using. And cost will be almost same.

Thanks for the advice. However, it is 5 times more to get the cheapest dedicated server in the location I need than the Linode 512. My server is not very heavily loaded and VPS is good solution for now.

What about other Linux distributions? Did anyone manage to install OpenVZ on Fedora or CentOS?

Except cost....

The OP has asked for help and he's being told to either buy lots of seperate Linodes or a dedicated box - sheesh.

Perhaps he doesn't have the money for those things and wants to run his "virtual dedicated" server as he wants to.

You could consider LXC instead which ubuntu is using to replace openvz since karmic, it doesn't require any fancyness and is pretty much an apt-get away, also I suggest using the ec2 kernel not the virtual one, it tends to play better with linode.

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Thanks obs. I've just installed LXC without any problem. One disadvantage I can see is lack of a good documentation. But that's the route I will go.