Funtoo:User Services/Containers

Funtoo Linux Hosting

If you support Funtoo Linux, we also want to support you in your Funtoo Linux adventure. Supporters of Funtoo Linux of at least $15/mo can request a Funtoo Linux virtual container. Here are the configurations currently being offered:

Price	RAM	CPU Threads	Disk Space
$15/mo	4GB	6 CPU Threads	50GB
$30/mo	12GB	12 CPU Threads	100GB
$45/mo	48GB	24 CPU Threads	200GB

As you can see, this pricing is well below market rates, and includes fast SSD (solid state disk) storage, one IPv4 address, and lots of bandwidth. We believe that by enabling you to do great things with Funtoo Linux, our community and technology will benefit. So we see this as a win for everyone.

Container FAQ

How do I sign up?

Set up a monthly support subscription via PayPal or credit card on our Support Funtoo page. Then see the Getting Started section below.

Do I get root access?

Yes, you get full root access to your container.

Can I reboot my container?

Yes, reboot normally and it will come back up.

What will be the hostname of my container?

It will be something.host.funtoo.org.

Can I also point my DNS to the container's IP address, so I can use another hostname?

Yes, of course.

Can you set up reverse DNS?

Yes -- this is not done by default, but if you need it, I can get it set up for you.

How much bandwidth is really included?

For most typical uses of your container, this is not something you need to worry about. New containers will be on a 1Gbps uplink, which will be shared among all containers. Many existing containers are on servers with a 100Mbps uplink and can be moved to the 1Gbps uplink upon request. Our bandwidth plan is set up so that everyone should have lots of burstable bandwidth, assuming light use at other times. If you have continuous high bandwidth needs, please email me to discuss first.

Why is my Portage tree read-only?

A read-only Portage tree is mapped into /var/src/portage and is used by default by all containers. It is automatically updated hourly, so there is no need to run emerge --sync. This saves disk space. There is generally no need to have your own local Portage tree, but if you want to have one, you can remove the PORTDIR setting in /etc/make.conf and run emerge --sync.

How do I upgrade the kernel in my VPS?

A virtual container shares a kernel with the host, so you do not have the ability to change the kernel from "inside" the container.

Can I run Docker inside my container?

The OpenVZ development team is the largest code contributor to the Linux Containers kernel code (which is part of Docker,) and we use OpenVZ, but right now it is not possible to run LXC inside an OpenVZ container. This may change with the release of newer OpenVZ kernels based on 3.x.

   Important

This next bit of information is important. A number of people have temporarily locked themselves out of their containers by setting up a firewall incorrectly. I plan to develop a firewall management UI that configures a firewall for you to make this step easier. For the time being, please avoid setting up a firewall unless you really need one.

Can I set up my own firewall?

Before you do, please contact me (Daniel) and let me know. I need to flip a few switches in your container to make iptables work properly. Otherwise it will silently fail on stateful firewalls and you may end up locking yourself out of your container.

Can I set up OpenVPN in my container?

Yes, quite a few people do this, but contact me first so I can enable tun/tap devices for you.

Is it okay to host a game server?

Yes, many people do.

Is it okay to run Folding@Home, Hentai@Home, or other services that donate CPU power or bandwidth to other services?

No, this is not okay. The CPU and network resources provided to you are for your own use only and are not to be donated to other projects.

Is it okay to use my container to be a compute-focused server for another Open Source project?

Check with me first. Most of the time, this will be okay, unless CPU and/or IO utilization will be very high and continuous, and thus unsuitable for shared computing resources.

Is it okay to host commercial efforts on my container?

Yes, this is fine, as long as you assume full responsibility for the quality of service. Funtoo containers are provided with no service level agreements or warranty.

Getting Started

Once you have signed up for Funtoo Monthly support, contact me (drobbins@funtoo.org) via email and request a virtual container. You'll need to send me two things:

1. The hostname you'd like for your container. It will be something.host.funtoo.org.
2. Attach your SSH public key. I will use this to grant you root access to your container.

   Note

I will generally have the container set up within 24 hours of sending email, often much sooner. If you do not hear from me after a day, please re-send email as it may have not made it, or been accidentally marked as spam by Gmail.

Generating SSH Keys

To generate an SSH key pair, do this as the user that you'll be using to log in to your container:

user $ ssh-keygen -t rsa 

If you specify a passphrase when prompted, your local private key (~/.ssh/id_rsa) will be encrypted, and ssh will prompt you for this passphrase prior to connecting. If you don't specify a passphrase, then you won't need to enter anything to connect but it you need to be extra careful that you don't allow others to access your private key as it will be immediately useable by them to access any of your accounts.

The file you will need to send me is ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub or ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub (if you used the -t dsa option with ssh-keygen. This is the public key... it's safe to send over email since all I or anyone else can use it for is to grant you access to a system via your private key. Just don't send your private key to me. :)

Policies

Privacy

We will not, under any circumstances whatsoever, give out or sell your information to anyone.

We use only companies which practice secure processing of online funds so that you, as a client or supporter, can be assured that your private information will be safe and secure.

Refunds

For Funtoo Monthly Support, if you wish to change your support level or cancel your support, simply contact us and we will apply the changes to take effect before the next billing cycle. Monthly Support is non-refundable.

Contact

To change your subscription, or if you have any questions regarding your subscription, please contact container support at support@funtoo.org.

VPS Usage Rules

   Important

Please read these policies and make sure you understand them. This is not an exhaustive list.

The VPS is for your personal use. No reselling.

There is currently no Web panel - these servers will be set up using my own automated tool and you will be provided with ssh access. I can periodically reload VPS images as needed.

This service is offered as a thank-you gift to Funtoo Linux supporters as long as sufficient capacity is available, with no warranty for uptime or anything else.

There are no refunds.

While I host several production sites on this infrastructure, you assume all risk for hosting your production services on your VPS.

I will make a best-effort-only attempt to provide support via IRC and email, and do not offer 24/7 support for your VPS.

US-Legal activities only. No spam will be tolerated.

These VPS systems are intended for funtoo enthusiasts only. I am providing (particularly in the higher-level plans) generous default resource limits with the understanding that the VPS will be used for general Funtoo use and server stuff.

Compiling with -j(NUM-CPUS+1) is encouraged (this is Funtoo, after all -- I want you to enjoy fast compiles :), but it's not okay to continually max CPU, IO, or network utilization. So, no folding@home, massive file sharing, etc.

I am currently not supporting IPv6 but will look into adding such support if there is enough interest.

You are responsible for backups.

I reserve the right to change plans and pricing in the future.