Book Image

Mastering Ubuntu Server - Second Edition

By : Jay LaCroix
Book Image

Mastering Ubuntu Server - Second Edition

By: Jay LaCroix

Overview of this book

Ubuntu Server has taken the data centers by storm. Whether you're deploying Ubuntu for a large-scale project or for a small office, it is a stable, customizable, and powerful Linux distribution that leads the way with innovative and cutting-edge features. For both simple and complex server deployments, Ubuntu's flexible nature can be easily adapted to meet to the needs of your organization. With this book as your guide, you will learn all about Ubuntu Server, from initial deployment to creating production-ready resources for your network. The book begins with the concept of user management, group management, and filesystem permissions. Continuing into managing storage volumes, you will learn how to format storage devices, utilize logical volume management, and monitor disk usage. Later, you will learn how to virtualize hosts and applications, which will cover setting up KVM/QEMU, as well as containerization with both Docker and LXD. As the book continues, you will learn how to automate configuration with Ansible, as well as take a look at writing scripts. Lastly, you will explore best practices and troubleshooting techniques when working with Ubuntu Server that are applicable to real-world scenarios. By the end of the book, you will be an expert Ubuntu Server administrator who is well-versed in its advanced concepts.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)

Automating Docker image creation with Dockerfiles

I've mentioned previously in this book that anything worth having a server do more than once should be automated, and building a Docker container is no exception. A Dockerfile is a neat way of automating the building of Docker images by creating a text file with a set of instructions for their creation. Docker is able to take this file, execute the commands it contains, and build a container. It's magic.

The easiest way to set up a Dockerfile is to create a directory, preferably with a descriptive name for the image you'd like to create (you can name it whatever you wish, though), and inside it create a text file named Dockerfile. For a quick example, copy this text into your Dockerfile and I'll explain how it works:

FROM ubuntu
MAINTAINER Jay <[email protected]>
   
# Update the container's packages...