Where is Docker?

[Robert76]

I use Docker and when looking for NAS system I was happy to see FreeNAS on youtube having Docker in Menu...

After weeks of completing HW, I succeed with installation of 11.1 and..... cannot find Docker in the menu...

Do I miss something???

 

[joeschmuck]

Yes you unfortunately missed something, old YouTube videos really hurt new users like yourself. FreeNAS Corral was a major failure and died a very fast death, it is not supported.

The good thing is Dockers are expected to come back however I'm not sure when. For me it's a seeing is believing thing.

 

[Robert76]

Yes you unfortunately missed something, old YouTube videos really hurt new users like yourself. FreeNAS Corral was a major failure and died a very fast death, it is not supported.

The good thing is Dockers are expected to come back however I'm not sure when. For me it's a seeing is believing thing.

I understand that the only option I have now is to run Linux VM on which I will install Docker myself... right?

 

[Robert76]

And what's the best option now for Plex i in this case? plex plugin? jail? normally I would put it on Docker...

 

[garm]

Well even when docker will appear it will most likely run in a Linux VM as the FreeBSD docker support isn’t mature enough I believe.

For plex just fire up a jail and run

Code:

pkg update
pkg upgrade 
pkg install plexmediaserver 

and your set.

 

[nightshade00013]

Yep, Plex in a jail has better performance than docker anyway. You lose one or two features using a jail and for the life of me I can't even remember what they are so they must not be that big of a deal anyway.

If you ABSOLUTELY have to have Docker for whatever reason you can create a VM and then install RancherOS. However it will have slower performance than a jail and can potentially be a PITA when troubleshooting compared to a jail.

Plex is so easy to setup in a jail that to me it's there is no question as to using it any other way and I actually held off from Corral for that reason and when the fiasco hit I was glad I did. You can also use the "Plexpass" version without a Plexpass but you can not get the extra features without actually having a Plexpass you are however on a newer version than the regular PlexMediaServer version.

The only difference is when installing you use

Code:

pkg install plexmediaserver-plexpass

https://www.freshports.org/multimedia/plexmediaserver/
https://www.freshports.org/multimedia/plexmediaserver-plexpass/

I do have to add this, FreeNAS 11.1 is still in beta and as such using it in a production system can cause massive problems not limited to but including dog/cat running away, kids hating you, wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriend/significant other cheating on you, and the system eating your data. So if you have built something out and want to use it long term FreeNAS 11.0 U4 is the version you should be using until 11.1 is released and possibly wait till 11.1 U1

 

[Robert76]

And what about Storage for plex jail? is it needed, I'm not sure what source and destination means and how actually use it.....

 

[m0nkey_]

Adding storage to a jail is explained in the documentation.

 

[Robert76]

Yes, so I created ZVOL, VM, configured all devices including CD-ROM pointing to ISO image (rancheros.iso) and when starting VM and connecting to WEB VNC I see just UEFI Shell with information that CD-ROM is mounted but installation is not going (so no booting from CD-ROM was done) only I can put commands.....

Any clue why it is not booting from CD-ROM?

 

[joeschmuck]

@Robert76 I would recommend that you read the FreeNAS User Guide from cover to cover a few times. We do recommend this to new users, even read the stuff you have no plans to use because something written in one of those sections can actually help you understand a different topic elsewhere. And I am being sincere. Also you shoudl start doign some internet searching about the topics you are askign about because all of these things have been covered many many times. I like to use Google and then I would do a search like "freenas plex installation" and you will find a few web pages on how to do this and complete steps from beginning to end. I think most people here would agree that with respect to Plex, installing it into a jail is better than using the Plugin. I've used both and the jail installation just allows Plex to be upgraded much easier and is not dependant on when iXsystems creates another Plugin update.

Yes, so I created ZVOL, VM, configured all devices including CD-ROM pointing to ISO image (rancheros.iso) and when starting VM and connecting to WEB VNC I see just UEFI Shell with information that CD-ROM is mounted but installation is not going (so no booting from CD-ROM was done) only I can put commands.....

Any clue why it is not booting from CD-ROM?

Please use your internet search. My first hit was this nice long thread on the topic: https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/howto-freenas-11-rancheros-docker-and-portainer.54595/

 

[Robert76]

I did research on google and set all the way it is explained in the documentation and it should boot but it is not the case.... The topic you pointed me I've found of course... but it is not using UI at all only commands, but I wanted to use UI as according to FreeNAS documentation all steps should be clickable from UI without need to go to shell... and actually it is the case and the only issue is problem with booting that is not explained anywhere (I also did research). Maybe 11.1 is full of bugs still and I should go back to 11.0 or maybe that's something different. Anyhow a bit disappointed that in such recommended OS for NAS simple things are complicated... or just do not work as they should... No problem with shell for me but as I'm new in FreeNAS I'm trying to learn the UI and what and how to do and it is not high expectation from my end that things should just simply work, nothing more, nothing less

 

[KrisBee]

Yes, so I created ZVOL, VM, configured all devices including CD-ROM pointing to ISO image (rancheros.iso) and when starting VM and connecting to WEB VNC I see just UEFI Shell with information that CD-ROM is mounted but installation is not going (so no booting from CD-ROM was done) only I can put commands.....

Any clue why it is not booting from CD-ROM?

But did you check that rancher.iso will boot using bhyve's UEFI firmware? Did you exit UEFI to boot manager screens and to see if efi boot file exits in rancheros? FYI, the interaction between byhve UEFI firmware and many linux distros will need you to take action that's not described in current FreeNAS docmentation, see here: https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/how-to-how-to-boot-linux-vms-using-uefi.54039/

Don't know if it is in 11.1 yet, but the "Nightlies" train now includes the use of a pre-built "rancheros" image via the UI and IIRC is uses grub-byve as the boot method, not UEFI.

If you want docker right now, and want to use the UI only to set things up and if rancheros fails to boot under UEFI, then I suggest using a debian9 net install for your linux VM and install docker & docker-compose in that with perhaps portainer. Choose the expert install option for debian and at the "install grub boot loader" step answer "yes" to "Force grub-efi installation to the removable media path" , this will ensure your linux VM boots correctly under bhyve's UEFI firmware.

But your Linux VM has no direct access to the data in your zpool and will have to use network shares to access pool data. Hence, as already stated above, the performance of something like plex will be inferior to using a "jail".

 

[Robert76]

Did you exit UEFI to boot manager screens and to see if efi boot file exits in rancheros?

This pointed me in the right direction, many thanks!!!

Still on the way to resolve but by putting simple exit command in UEFI Shell of the VM I could see the boot manager screen :) and select CD-ROM to boot from...

but it did not boot.... so I've switched to my CD-ROM mounted as BLK0: executed ls command and get "File not found", like CD-ROM would be empty, so no surprise that cannot boot from empty CD-ROM without ISO file...

So the current issue is that iso file is selected properly (and visible) when defining CD-ROM device, but for some reason not a part of CD-ROM when booting....
I'm not lazy so I read documentation once again and I see in it magic sentence "Adding a CD-ROM device makes it possible to boot the VM from a CD-ROM image, typically an installation CD. The image must be present on an accessible portion of the FreeNAS® storage"
So maybe my image (however I was able to select it when defining device) is not present on an accessible portion of the storage - whatever it means...

I document my painful way as I hope to resolve it finally (only using UI) and somebody will benefit later... - why UI?, just because it should work - so for I neglect all shell scripting solutions I saw for similar issues... and will use it only if not able to force UI to cooperate :)

 

[Robert76]

BTW, I want to setup Docker as I use for Development (php, nginx, mariadb, phpmyadmin containers), now I have them on my iMac on which I'm programming but I want to push my containers to FreeNAS.... and be able to access them from iMac and MBP laptop easily (I'm programming on both devices) and do not have them dependent on any of them (or whether there are switched on or not.) as FreeNAS will operate 24/7....

Plex is another story and can operate in jail....

 

[danb35]

Well even when docker will appear it will most likely run in a Linux VM

There's no "most likely" about this; it's definitely the case.

 

[KrisBee]

Robert,

I would have expected you to navigate to the "Boot Maintenance manager" option and from there to use "boot from file" . If it fails to find the appropriate efi boot file on your iso, then it's not going to boot under UEFI. On a quick test with latest v.1.1.0 iso, I can't get it to boot using UEFI. I'm not able to test this in virtualbox or KVM/qemu at the moment to confirm this. They both use similar UEFI firmware to bhyve.

I understand your motivation to use docker in FreeNAS, but I think I'd want to know if performance is OK for my use before committing to it. It doesn't take long to create a minimal debian VM with docker, why get hung up on rancheros?

P.S. Trying to boot rancheros.iso in virtualbox confirms it does not boot under UEFI, it seems to be using isolinux and not grub.

 

[wblock]

So maybe my image (however I was able to select it when defining device) is not present on an accessible portion of the storage - whatever it means...

The ISO image must be somewhere where FreeNAS can read it and provide it to the VM. In other words, on the FreeNAS system, not on a CD or the client computer talking to the FreeNAS GUI.

 

[Robert76]

The ISO image must be somewhere where FreeNAS can read it and provide it to the VM. In other words, on the FreeNAS system, not on a CD or the client computer talking to the FreeNAS GUI.

So it is the case....,

 

[Robert76]

Thanks for checking anyhow, I do not understand what can be the difference between rancheros.iso file and debian.iso file that one will boot but the other no.... it is just a file with image, if I put both ISO files on DVDs both will boot right? image is image... either HW can boot from particular device or not, if can if there is bootable CD/USB/HDD with image it should start... how it is possible that it depends on something else .... I do not get it...

 

[KrisBee]

I'm surprised you asked this question. In the context of creating a VM via the FreeNAS UI the only thing that matters is if the OS on the iso will boot under byhve's UEFI firmware. Mount the iso images themselves if you really want to explore the internal rootfilesystem and boot mechanism they contain.