Getting Started With Linode¶

Provider Configuration¶

Linode requires a single API key, but the default root password for new instances also needs to be set. The password needs to be eight characters and contain lowercase, uppercase, and numbers.

Set up the provider cloud configuration file at /etc/salt/cloud.providers or /etc/salt/cloud.providers.d/*.conf.

my-linode-config:
  apikey: 'asldkgfakl;sdfjsjaslfjaklsdjf;askldjfaaklsjdfhasldsadfghdkf'
  password: 'F00barbaz'
  driver: linode

Profile Configuration¶

Linode profiles require a provider, size, image, and location. Set up an initial profile at /etc/salt/cloud.profiles or in the /etc/salt/cloud.profiles.d/ directory:

linode_1024:
  provider: my-linode-config
  size: Linode 2048
  image: CentOS 7
  location: London, England, UK

The profile can be realized now with a salt command:

salt-cloud -p linode_1024 linode-instance

This will create an salt minion instance named linode-instance in Linode. If the command was executed on the salt-master, its Salt key will automatically be signed on the master.

Once the instance has been created with a salt-minion installed, connectivity to it can be verified with Salt:

salt linode-instance test.ping

# salt-cloud --list-sizes my-linode-config
my-linode-config:
    ----------
    linode:
        ----------
        Linode 1024:
            ----------
            AVAIL:
                ----------
                10:
                    500
                2:
                    500
                3:
                    500
                4:
                    500
                6:
                    500
                7:
                    500
                8:
                    500
                9:
                    500
            CORES:
                1
            DISK:
                24
            HOURLY:
                0.015
            LABEL:
                Linode 1024
...SNIP...

# salt-cloud --list-images my-linode-config
my-linode-config:
    ----------
    linode:
        ----------
        Arch Linux 2015.02:
            ----------
            CREATE_DT:
                2015-02-20 14:17:16.0
            DISTRIBUTIONID:
                138
            IS64BIT:
                1
            LABEL:
                Arch Linux 2015.02
            MINIMAGESIZE:
                800
            REQUIRESPVOPSKERNEL:
                1
...SNIP...

# salt-cloud --list-locations my-linode-config
my-linode-config:
    ----------
    linode:
        ----------
        Atlanta, GA, USA:
            ----------
            ABBR:
                atlanta
            DATACENTERID:
                4
            LOCATION:
                Atlanta, GA, USA
...SNIP...

Linode Specific Settings¶

There are several options outlined below that can be added to either the Linode provider of profile configuration files. Some options are mandatory and are properly labeled below but typically also include a hard-coded default.

Cloning¶

To clone a Linode, add a profile with a clonefrom key, and a script_args: -C. clonefrom should be the name of the Linode that is the source for the clone. script_args: -C passes a -C to the salt-bootstrap script, which only configures the minion and doesn't try to install a new copy of salt-minion. This way the minion gets new keys and the keys get pre-seeded on the master, and the /etc/salt/minion file has the right minion 'id:' declaration.

Cloning requires a post 2015-02-01 salt-bootstrap.

It is safest to clone a stopped machine. To stop a machine run

salt-cloud -a stop machine_to_clone

To create a new machine based on another machine, add an entry to your linode cloud profile that looks like this:

li-clone:
  provider: my-linode-config
  clonefrom: machine_to_clone
  script_args: -C -F

Then run salt-cloud as normal, specifying -p li-clone. The profile name can be anything; It doesn't have to be li-clone.

clonefrom: is the name of an existing machine in Linode from which to clone. Script_args: -C -F is necessary to avoid re-deploying Salt via salt-bootstrap. -C will just re-deploy keys so the new minion will not have a duplicate key or minion_id on the Master, and -F will force a rewrite of the Minion config file on the new Minion. If -F isn't provided, the new Minion will have the machine_to_clone's Minion ID, instead of its own Minion ID, which can cause problems.

If the machine_to_clone does not have Salt installed on it, refrain from using the script_args: -C -F altogether, because the new machine will need to have Salt installed.