Altering The Host OS?

[alphadog]

Is altering or installing software in the host installation recommended? Frowned upon? Really bad idea? Will interfere with new PVE versions and therefore updates?

For example, what if I wanted the host to do DNS and/or DHCP?

Is there a guide to what is installed/running in the host installation?

What if a critical security vulnerability is found in whatever service/package may be running in PVE?

As it is, to me, PVE is a "mysterious" Debian installation. I'd like it to be less mysterious.

(Don't get me wrong. I installed it a week ago and really like it so far.)

 

[tom]

Is altering or installing software in the host installation recommended? Frowned upon? Really bad idea? Will interfere with new PVE versions and therefore updates?

For example, what if I wanted the host to do DNS and/or DHCP?

Is there a guide to what is installed/running in the host installation?

What if a critical security vulnerability is found in whatever service/package may be running in PVE?

As it is, to me, PVE is a "mysterious" Debian installation. I'd like it to be less mysterious.

(Don't get me wrong. I installed it a week ago and really like it so far.)

Proxmox VE is based on a standard Debian Etch 64. Therefore your can and you should apply security fixes - just run apt-get update and apt-get upgrade.

(just investigate the /etc/apt/sources-list to see where the packages comes from.)

installing additional packages:
you need to make sure that you do not get conflicts with the existing system - if you want to be sure, do not install anything except you really know what you are doing.

 

[dietmar]

As it is, to me, PVE is a "mysterious" Debian installation. I'd like it to be less mysterious.

Why 'mysterious'? It is a standard debian installation - we only use our own installer. So what do you miss exactly?

 

[alphadog]

Is there documentation on (exactly) how Proxmox differs and/or adds to a standard Debian Etch install? How else would I know if something I am about to change/install will be stomped on the next time there is a Proxmox upgrade?

If not, then that is a "mystery" and something I "miss".

 

[tog]

Proxmox VE has a fancy dummy-proof installer which sets up LVM for you and installs Debian. It installs some of their own Debian packages (including their kernel, an important component) which you can list by doing a "pveversion -v".

That's about it, you can treat it like a normal Debian box that you just installed yourself. The packages listed by "pveversion -v" are the core packages that are important for Proxmox VE to continue working as well as a few obvious ones like apache-2.2* and libapache2-mod-perl2 used for the web interface. Any time you go to do an apt-get update and upgrade you'll see quite clearly what is about to be updated.

Don't remove apache or their PVE packages or glibc or other important base system components and don't install a plain vanilla kernel.

 

[dietmar]

Is there documentation on (exactly) how Proxmox differs and/or adds to a standard Debian Etch install? How else would I know if something I am about to change/install will be stomped on the next time there is a Proxmox upgrade?

Debian has a package management. Please use 'dpkg' to see what is installed.

- Dietmar

 

[thefool808]

Also, (I just can not stop myself from saying it), just install the dhcp, dns, blah blah blah, in a container. I mean, that is the whole point of this.

 

[charon]

it would be cool to set it up automatically via debootstrap.

this would save a lot of time at machines without physical access.

e.g. no ISO mount, no KVM display.