VirtualBox

This page details how to run Rancher server and 2 agents on VMs created via Oracle VirtualBox.

Prerequisites

• Install VirtualBox, if you haven't done so already.
  In case your host is running Windows 10 Pro + Hyper-V, please remove this hypervisor before running any VirtualBox VMs!
• Have the ability of accessing a machine using SSH
  • On Windows, you can use Git Bash, which is included in Git for Windows

VirtualBox Virtual Machines

#	VM Name	Role	OS	CPU Cores	RAM (MB)	Disk (GB)	Comments
1	rs	Rancher server	CoreOS	2	1024	10	VirtualBox → VM Settings → Network → Adapter 1: NAT VirtualBox → VM Settings → Network → Adapter 2: Bridged Adapter
2	ra1	Rancher agent			2048	20
3	ra2	Rancher agent			2048	20

Hard disk file type: VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)
Storage on physical hard disk: Dynamically allocated

VirtualBox VM Installation Steps

In case your host is running Windows 10 Pro + Hyper-V, please remove this hypervisor before running any VirtualBox VMs!

1. Specify name and operating system
2. Specify file location
3. Specify amount of RAM
4. Specify number of CPU cores
5. Enable network adapter: NAT
6. Enable network adapter: Bridged Adapter
7. Mount CoreOS ISO
8. Start VM

CoreOS Installation Steps

CoreOS is a OS which was built specifically for hosting Docker containers; it not officially supported by Rancher server.

• CoreOS Home: https://coreos.com/
• CoreOS Official Documentation: https://coreos.com/os/docs/latest
• CoreOS Quick Guide (Unoffical): www.liberidu.com/blog/2015/04/11/basic-newbie-install-coreos-on-virtualbox-getting-started-with-docker/

Follow the steps below when creating one VM for hosting Rancher server and another one for hosting one Rancher agent, then, for each additional agent, just clone the VM hosting the first agent!

1. Start VM from VirtualBox GUI
2. Generate password inside cloud-config.yml file

   sudo openssl passwd -1 > cloud-config-file

3. Edit cloud-config.yml file

   vi cloud-config.yml

4. Cloud-config.yml contents

   #cloud-config
     
   users:
   - name: rancher
     passwd: <PASSWORD_HASH>
     groups:
     - sudo
     - docker

5. Install CoreOS

   sudo coreos-install -d /dev/sda -C stable -c cloud-config.yml

6. Shutdown machine

   sudo shutdown -h now

7. Unmount CoreOS ISO from VirtualBox GUI
8. Start VM from VirtualBox GUI
9. Login using rancher/rancher (or the credentials you have previously set)
10. Display VM IP v4 Address (something like 192.168....)

    ip addr | less

11. Optionally, change the hostname accordingly

    sudo vi /etc/hostname
      
    # add the new hostname, e.g. rs for Rancher server host or ra1 for Rancher agent #1 host
      
    sudo reboot