How to Install Endian as a Virtual Machine on CentOS ?
 

Hi everybody!

Im currently running ClearOS for my home network, but as it is a "one in all" OS, it tends to be very buggy in some things.
So, i thought in installing a Centos base system, and then Virtualize Endian with Virtualbox or VMware and virtualize another OS like resara or something for purpouses of file sharing that clearos provided.

So, is this possible? And more important: is this recommended or i should avoid doing this?
Take in mind that its an AMD x2 250 Athlon CPU with 2Gib RAM Box where it will be runnin, but its for a home environment with less than 10 hosts. Endian is going to run Proxy server, DNS and DHCP server and SNORT (IDS).

Any help would be highly appreciated on: How to properly install the Centos Base system (if there is any thing to take in account, such as proper partitioning), how to properly install the endian VM on VMware or Virtualbox (i have access to both, wich one should i pick?).

Thanks in advance!!! :)

Many distro's are available in pre-made virtual appliances. I'd start with one of them maybe.

Running some base OS if you have some need might be OK but to install it and then run a VM would slow it slightly. It might provide some backup or replication that you may wish.

I think I'd be more inclined to either decide if my hardware is causing the issues or try other distro's as real installs.

But for the most part, a VM is a real machine. The issue of red and green lan wan lines are used to route to the VM and out of the VM. Best if you have two nics but one actually would do.

A base install of Centos is pretty simple. Just follow the installer. Don't mess with picking expert stuff. It should bring you up to a point of selecting how you want to use the OS. I might suggest that you add in some window manager. Really any modern distro would suite your needs. See the VM's for their support of OS's. Some are a bit easier to install. Some need to have extra stuff added like dkms to follow kernel changes. Some need some tweaking. I don't think any VM install is trivial yet.

Thanks for your answer, Jefro!!

So, would you recommend for example, installing Citrix XenServer on my server box, and then install Endian on the virtualized server? (and also another distribution for file sharing primarily like Resara)

So it would be:
-Xenserver
---Endian
---Resara


Also, i have a big confusion in terms of the network settings that i should select:
The server has 2 NICs, one for WAN access and the other one for LAN access, so endian would work as DHCP and NAT.
How should I setup the NICs on the XenServer?


Thanks in advance!!

I don't think the answer of why the original OS fails has been answered.

I think Citrix XenServer would be one of the worst choices unless you have been trained on it. It is a commercial product. I don't might commercial products but that is way beyond what you need.

Maybe proxmox or esxi instead if supported.

Do you have a need for the base OS? Do you wish to serve files or other tasks on this system?

hi again Jefro, and tahnks again for your answer!
As you say, i havent found the answer of why the original OS (ClearOS 6.2) Fails. I created some threads in their community forums (and also lot of people has the same issues that i do, and no answers or fixex yet. I have just created a thread there summarizing all the problems that im facing with the OS. Here is the link if you are interested.

Regarding to the possibility of virtualizing some Firewall Ditribution like Endian and another distro for file sharing, using VMware or virtualbox on a CentOS BOX, i have done some research and they say that its NOT recommended, as the firewall will be running on a Virtual machine in the physical machine, which is less secure than the distro running on the VM. And the security of the whole BOX and therefore the network is as solid as the weakest part of the system, which in this case is the CentOS system that would be hosting the VM with the Firewall distribution.

So, other 2 possibilities came to my mind:

1) Sticking to ClearOS 5.2 which I was using prior to 6.2 version and worked great. But the problem with this is that that version has several years on the market, is a bit outdated and is based on RHEL 5, while the new version is way more updated, modern, faster and based on RHEL 6

2) Moving to Zentyal, which seems to be a nice distro too, but it doesnt finish to convince me... Maybe because its based on Ubuntu.

What do you think? Do I have another possibilities?
Thanks a lot in advance!