[plug] Can anyone recommend resources (local and online) for developing a Linux SOE ?

[Alastair Irvine]

On Thu, 31 March, 2022 at 12:57:44PM +0800, Sen ectus wrote:
> Not a big or overly experienced user of Linux (haven't touched it in 20
> years) but looking into the crystal ball than may change.
> can anyone recommend some good online resources and maybe even suggest
> commercial local resources for this?

If you don't need much in the way of orchestration or complex software
setup, I recommend not using golden images.

Instead, Debian supports pre-seeding the DebConf system during
installation, which uses a declarative format and can tweak system
settings as well as install and setup up software.  Ubuntu has a similar
system based on cloud-init called Automated Server Install (autoinstall
for short), which also supports partitioning through a tool called
curtin.

The advantage of this is that you can use up-to-date stock ISOs.  By
contrast (from personal experience), keeping golden images (e.g. AMIs,
custom ISOs) up to date is a pain and there is a risk of it falling by
the wayside.  The testing cycle also takes longer if you have to re-bake
your golden image during each iteration.

Also, something that might be useful in testing (or even production):
given that DebConf is a live part of a Debian/Ubuntu system, it can be
used to automatically alter settings on the fly.  Therefore you might
get some alignment between your system builder and alteration of running
systems.

If you'd like assistance implementing the above, please contact me on
1300 881744.  My business is Warpspace IT <https://www.warpspace.net/>.