Ubuntu 24.04 - LXD Initialization

LXD Initialization Guide for Ubuntu 24.04

This guide will walk you through the process of initializing LXD on Ubuntu 24.04. LXD is a next-generation system container and virtual machine manager that offers a user experience similar to virtual machines but using Linux containers instead.

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 24.04 installed on your system
• Administrative (sudo) access to your system

Step 1: Install LXD

If LXD is not already installed on your system, you can install it using the following command:

sudo snap install lxd

Step 2: Start the LXD Initialization

To begin the LXD initialization process, open a terminal and type:

sudo lxd init

Step 3: Answer the Configuration Questions

The 'lxd init' command will ask you a series of questions to configure your LXD installation. Here's a walkthrough of each question:

1. Would you like to use LXD clustering? (yes/no) [default=no]:

• For most users, the default 'no' is sufficient.
• Press Enter to accept the default.

2. Do you want to configure a new storage pool? (yes/no) [default=yes]:

• It's recommended to create a new storage pool.
• Press Enter to accept the default 'yes'.

3. Name of the new storage pool [default=default]:

• You can choose a name for your storage pool or use the default.
• Press Enter to accept the default name.

4. Name of the storage backend to use (btrfs, dir, lvm, zfs) [default=zfs]:

• ZFS is a good choice for most users due to its advanced features.
• If you're unsure, press Enter to accept the default 'zfs'.

5. Create a new ZFS pool? (yes/no) [default=yes]:

• If you chose ZFS, you'll be asked if you want to create a new pool.
• Press Enter to accept the default 'yes'.

6. Would you like to use an existing empty block device (e.g. a disk or partition)? (yes/no) [default=no]:

• If you don't have a dedicated disk or partition for LXD, choose 'no'.
• Press Enter to accept the default 'no'.

7. Size in GB of the new loop device (1GB minimum) [default=15GB]:

• This sets the size of the ZFS pool. The default is usually sufficient for beginners.
• Press Enter to accept the default, or type a larger number if you need more space.

8. Would you like to connect to a MAAS server? (yes/no) [default=no]:

• MAAS is for large-scale deployments. Most users don't need this.
• Press Enter to accept the default 'no'.

9. Would you like to create a new local network bridge? (yes/no) [default=yes]:

• A network bridge allows your containers to connect to the network.
• Press Enter to accept the default 'yes'.

10. What should the new bridge be called? [default=lxdbr0]:

• This is the name for your network bridge.
• Press Enter to accept the default name 'lxdbr0'.

11. What IPv4 address should be used? (CIDR subnet notation, "auto" or "none") [default=auto]:

• 'auto' will automatically assign IP addresses to your containers.
• Press Enter to accept the default 'auto'.

12. What IPv6 address should be used? (CIDR subnet notation, "auto" or "none") [default=auto]:

• Similar to IPv4, 'auto' is a good choice for most users.
• Press Enter to accept the default 'auto'.

13. Would you like LXD to be available over the network? (yes/no) [default=no]:

• For security reasons, it's best to keep LXD local unless you specifically need remote access.
• Press Enter to accept the default 'no'.

14. Would you like stale cached images to be updated automatically? (yes/no) [default=yes]:

• This helps keep your container images up-to-date.
• Press Enter to accept the default 'yes'.

15. Would you like a YAML "lxd init" preseed to be printed? (yes/no) [default=no]:

• This is useful for automating LXD setup on other machines.
• For now, press Enter to accept the default 'no'.

Step 4: Completion

After answering all the questions, LXD will apply your configuration. You should see a message indicating that LXD has been successfully configured.

Step 5: Verify Installation

To verify that LXD is working correctly, you can run:

lxc list

This should display an empty list of containers, confirming that LXD is operational.

You have now successfully initialized LXD on your Ubuntu 24.04 system. You're ready to start creating and managing containers!

Create First container

For more information on using LXD, you can refer to the official LXD documentation.