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Build system images with Kiwi

Conjurer

System images are installed and preconfigured operating systems, including application software, for immediate use. They come in various forms. The best known is probably the virtual system, which is used in the platform as a service (PaaS) cloud. Other uses include preloading desktop systems and laptops or SD card images for single-board computers.

You can create system images step by step by installing and configuring a system according to your wishes or existing standards and then creating a copy of the installation. However, don't forget to remove some of the configuration files when you're done (e.g., those containing the characteristics of the source system, such as MAC addresses or the hard drive IDs). Of course, this procedure is relatively time consuming and prone to error. If you are looking for an easier way to build an image, try a tool like Kiwi.

Kiwi NG [1] builds different types of ready-to-use system images (appliances), such as those for starting a virtual machine or for installing on a bare metal system. In the latter case, the tool copies the configured system image directly to the local storage medium so that it is immediately ready for use the next time the hardware is booted.

This type of installation can be extended to include configuration services, such as yast-firstboot on SUSE. This YaST module then queries user information such as name and password and even the time zone at first boot (Figure 1). Kiwi can do more than create images for SUSE: It works with all other RPM-based distributions, as well as for Debian/Ubuntu and Arch Linux. The installation of Kiwi itself is explained in the box "Setting Up Kiwi NG."

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