1. Vagrant: virtualise your
development environment
Michael Peacock
August 2012, SuperMondays

2. About Me
@michaelpeacock
Head Developer @ Ground Six
Leading the development team and managing the
development process
We are a tech investment company: you bring ideas, we
partner and build the product
Author
Occasional Speaker

3. Virtualisation

4. Virtualisation
Abstraction layer for your hardware

5. Virtualisation
Abstraction layer for your hardware
Lets multiple Operating Systems run concurrently, each
running on their own virtual hardware

6. Virtualisation
Abstraction layer for your hardware
Lets multiple Operating Systems run concurrently, each
running on their own virtual hardware
Limited by your own physical hardware and your host
machine

7. VirtualBox

8. VirtualBox
www.virtualbox.org

9. VirtualBox
www.virtualbox.org
Virtualisation software tool

10. VirtualBox
www.virtualbox.org
Virtualisation software tool
Provides the hardware abstraction layer and an
interface for running VMs

11. Vagrant

12. Vagrant
www.vagrantup.com
“Create and configure lightweight, reproducable, and
portable development environments”

13. Vagrant
www.vagrantup.com
“Create and configure lightweight, reproducable, and
portable development environments”
Set of command line tools which interacts with and
automates VirtualBox

14. Vagrant
www.vagrantup.com
“Create and configure lightweight, reproducable, and
portable development environments”
Set of command line tools which interacts with and
automates VirtualBox
Designed around portability

15. Puppet
Provisioning Service

16. Why?

17. Why?
Quick start time for new team members
Vagrant up: you have a development environment

18. Why?
Quick start time for new team members
Vagrant up: you have a development environment
Server configuration can be version controlled

19. Why?
Quick start time for new team members
Vagrant up: you have a development environment
Server configuration can be version controlled
Cross-platform: work from any machine

20. Why?
Quick start time for new team members
Vagrant up: you have a development environment
Server configuration can be version controlled
Cross-platform: work from any machine
Work on multiple projects? Easy to pickup an old, legacy
project with its funky server configs

21. Why?
Quick start time for new team members
Vagrant up: you have a development environment
Server configuration can be version controlled
Cross-platform: work from any machine
Work on multiple projects? Easy to pickup an old, legacy
project with its funky server configs
Can run multiple VMs independently

22. Why?
Quick start time for new team members
Vagrant up: you have a development environment
Server configuration can be version controlled
Cross-platform: work from any machine
Work on multiple projects? Easy to pickup an old, legacy
project with its funky server configs
Can run multiple VMs independently
Doesn’t mess with your local, host machine

23. Some terms

24. Some terms
Host: Your physical machine

25. Some terms
Host: Your physical machine
Guest: The VM

26. Overview

27. Overview
1.Project specific configuration file

28. Overview
1.Project specific configuration file
2.Import base box

29. Overview
1.Project specific configuration file
2.Import base box
3.Boot up Virtual Machine
1.Forward Ports
2.Share folders

30. Overview
1.Project specific configuration file
2.Import base box
3.Boot up Virtual Machine
1.Forward Ports
2.Share folders
4.Configure / provision software

31. 3 lines: up and running

32. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

33. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

34. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

35. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

36. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

37. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

38. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

39. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

40. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

41. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

42. 3 lines: up and running
# download a “base” VM image and give it the name
# base for future use
vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/
precise64.box
# Initialise a new vagrant project
# i.e. create a new vagrant file
vagrant init
# Boot the VM based off the config file we created
vagrant up

43. Let’s try it...

48. SSH into the box
vagrant ssh

49. Whats happened?

50. Whats happened?
Downloaded a base box of Ubuntu, configured for
vagrant

51. Whats happened?
Downloaded a base box of Ubuntu, configured for
vagrant
Created a new project
Configured to use this base box by default

52. Whats happened?
Downloaded a base box of Ubuntu, configured for
vagrant
Created a new project
Configured to use this base box by default
Booted the VM: vagrant up

53. Whats happened?
Downloaded a base box of Ubuntu, configured for
vagrant
Created a new project
Configured to use this base box by default
Booted the VM: vagrant up
Connected into the VM: vagrant ssh

54. Managing the VM

55. Managing the VM
Suspend
vagrant suspend

56. Managing the VM
Suspend
vagrant suspend
Resume
vagrant resume

57. Managing the VM
Suspend
vagrant suspend
Resume
vagrant resume
Shutdown
vagrant halt

58. Managing the VM
Suspend
vagrant suspend
Resume
vagrant resume
Shutdown
vagrant halt
Turn on
vagrant up (re-runs any provisioning tasks)

59. Lets try it

60. Suspend

61. Resume

63. Shutdown

64. When shit hits the fan
vagrant destroy

66. vagrant destroy: a warning

67. vagrant destroy: a warning
The VM is completely wiped

68. vagrant destroy: a warning
The VM is completely wiped
Anything that can’t be replicated from:
Your project folder (shared folder)
Vagrant base box
Vagrant File
Puppet Manifests

69. vagrant destroy: a warning
The VM is completely wiped
Anything that can’t be replicated from:
Your project folder (shared folder)
Vagrant base box
Vagrant File
Puppet Manifests
WILL BE LOST FOREVER
E.g. Databases (hint: use a DB patching or versioning tool in your
project folder)

70. vagrant init
Creates a new Vagrantfile, which instructs
vagrant what too boot and how to do it. Let’s
take a peak.

71. # -*- mode: ruby -*-
# vi: set ft=ruby :
Vagrant::Config.run do |config|
config.vm.box = "base"
end

72. Box to use
# use the box called base
config.vm.box = "base"
# Fallback URL, if we don't have a box called base, download from here
config.vm.box_url = "http://files.vagrantup.com/precise64.box"

73. Networking

74. Networking
Host only
VM is only visible to the host machine
config.vm.network :hostonly, "192.168.33.10"

75. Networking
Host only
VM is only visible to the host machine
config.vm.network :hostonly, "192.168.33.10"
Bridged
Network connection to the VM is bridged, letting it
appear as a device on the network
config.vm.network :bridged

76. Ports

77. Ports
Easiest way to use the VM is to forward ports
Forwards port X on the host
To port Y on the guest

78. Ports
Easiest way to use the VM is to forward ports
Forwards port X on the host
To port Y on the guest
config.vm.forward_port 80, 4567

79. Shared Folders

80. Shared Folders
Default:
Current project (folder containing Vagrantfile) is
mapped to /vagrant

81. Shared Folders
Default:
Current project (folder containing Vagrantfile) is
mapped to /vagrant
New shared folders:
config.vm.share_folder "name", "/guestmount", "../
hostfolder"

82. Provisioning
So far: we can build and d

83. Provisioning with Puppet
config.vm.provision :puppet do |puppet|
puppet.manifests_path = "provision/manifests"
puppet.manifest_file = "default.pp"
puppet.module_path = "provision/modules"
end

84. What can Puppet do

85. What can Puppet do
Checks conditions:

86. What can Puppet do
Checks conditions:
Package installed

87. What can Puppet do
Checks conditions:
Package installed
File exists / contains / etc

88. What can Puppet do
Checks conditions:
Package installed
File exists / contains / etc
Exec: Run an ad-hock command*
* doesn’t sit well with Puppets “checking” nature.
Execs get re-run (unless you use special conditions) on
vagrant up

89. Package
package { "apache2":
ensure => present,
require => Exec['apt-get update']
}

90. Service
service { "apache2":
ensure => running,
require => Package["apache2"]
}

91. File
file { '/etc/apache2/sites-available/default':
source => '/vagrant/provision/modules/apache/files/default',
owner => 'root',
group => 'root'
}

92. Exec
exec { 'apt-get update':
command => '/usr/bin/apt-get update',
require => Exec['preparenetworking']
}

93. Users & Groups
group { "wheel":
! ensure => "present",
! }
!
! exec { "/bin/echo "%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL"
>> /etc/sudoers":
! require => Group["wheel"]
! }

94. Users & Groups
user { "developer":
! ! ensure => "present",
! ! gid => "wheel",
! ! shell => "/bin/bash",
! ! home => "/home/developer",
! ! managehome => true,
! ! password => "passwordtest",
! ! require => Group["wheel"]
! }

95. Stringing it together
class apache {
package { "apache2":
ensure => present,
require => Exec['apt-get update']
}
file { '/var/www/src':
! ensure => 'link',
! target => '/vagrant/src',
! require => Package['apache2']
! }
!
! file { '/etc/apache2/sites-available/default':
! ! source => '/vagrant/provision/modules/apache/files/default',
! ! owner => 'root',
! ! group => 'root'
! }
service { "apache2":
ensure => running,
require => Package["apache2"]
}
}

97. Using Puppet Modules
import "apache"
include apache

98. Explicit ordering
stage { 'first': before => Stage[main] }
class {'apache': stage => first}

99. Vagrant up

102. Multiple VMs
Within the vagrantfile, we can define multiple VMs
E.g. need a separate VM for web and db server to
mimic production environment?
Vagrant::Config.run do |config|
config.vm.define :web do |web_config|
web_config.vm.box = "web"
web_config.vm.forward_port 80, 8080
end
config.vm.define :db do |db_config|
db_config.vm.box = "db"
db_config.vm.forward_port 3306, 3306
end
end

103. Chef
www.opscode.com/chef
Provisioning service with Ruby based configurations

104. Plugins
Backing up and snapshotting a VM
Automated base box creators

105. Exporting Box
Always using the same stack / versions on your box?
Slow un-reliable Internet connection means puppet
takes an age to run? Export the base box with these
pre-installed
vagrant package

106. Creating your own box
Virtualbox configured:
Guest additions
SSH & key based authentication for the vagrant user
Ruby, RubyGems, Puppet and Chef
Export the box
vagrantup.com/v1/docs/base_boxes.html

107. The Future
More than just VirtualBox

108. Caveats

109. Caveats
Funky permissions
Files created on the host shared folder show without permissions on the
guest and are inaccessible
Solution: upgrade virtualbox guest additions on guest

110. Caveats
Funky permissions
Files created on the host shared folder show without permissions on the
guest and are inaccessible
Solution: upgrade virtualbox guest additions on guest
Can’t chmod files within shared folder
config.vm.share_folder("v-root", "/vagrant", ".", :extra => 'dmode=777,fmode=777')
Thanks @AnthonySterling & @ChrisDKemper

111. Caveats
Funky permissions
Files created on the host shared folder show without permissions on the
guest and are inaccessible
Solution: upgrade virtualbox guest additions on guest
Can’t chmod files within shared folder
config.vm.share_folder("v-root", "/vagrant", ".", :extra => 'dmode=777,fmode=777')
Thanks @AnthonySterling & @ChrisDKemper
Waiting for VM to boot
Open VirtualBox
Cancel, halt the VM and try again

112. Caveats
Funky permissions
Files created on the host shared folder show without permissions on the
guest and are inaccessible
Solution: upgrade virtualbox guest additions on guest
Can’t chmod files within shared folder
config.vm.share_folder("v-root", "/vagrant", ".", :extra => 'dmode=777,fmode=777')
Thanks @AnthonySterling & @ChrisDKemper
Waiting for VM to boot
Open VirtualBox
Cancel, halt the VM and try again

113. Conclusion
Virtualise your development environment
Easy to add new team members
Easy to work from other machines
So long “works on my Machine”

114. Cheers!
Any questions?
@michaelpeacock
www.michaelpeacock.co.uk