Chapter 3. Testing Appliances

Chapter 3. Testing Appliances¶

Contents

3.1. Using a Browser
3.2. Using a VNC Session
3.3. Using a SSH Session
3.4. Working with Overlay Files

Abstract

SUSE Studio's testdrive allows testing your appliance without downloading it. After building the appliance, you can start a testdrive session in a browser to study your appliance. Furthermore, debug your appliance with a VNC session or log in with SSH.

3.1. Using a Browser¶

	Unencrypted Keystrokes
Keystrokes sent to the testdrive and text shown in the console are not encrypted.

Whenever an appliance is built, it is ready to be started and debugged with the testdrive. The list of supported browsers can be found in Section 1.4, “What You Need for SUSE Studio”. To use the testdrive, proceed as follows:

Build your appliance as described in Section 2.7, “Building Appliances”. Every format supported by SUSE Studio can be used to start the testdrive.
Click Testdrive to start the session.
Use the usual procedure to start the system.

The testdrive is restricted to one hour to save resources. After this time, it will be automatically shut down.

During your testdrive session, access some often used key combinations on the left side. You cannot press the key combinations directly, as you would influence your base system and not the appliance. Therefore, if you press a button, the keystrokes will be forwarded to the appliance.

For example, switch to another text console by clicking one of the these key combinations: Ctrl+Alt+F1, Ctrl+Alt+F2 or Ctrl+Alt+F3. To reboot, click Ctrl+Alt+Del. If you have a graphical system in your appliance, force-quit the window manager with Ctrl+Alt+Back.

	Used Appliance Format
If you do not know which format is used for testdrive, look at the upper right corner of your Web browser to see the current format.

3.2. Using a VNC Session¶

If you want to use VNC instead of the browser, proceed as follows:

If you use a firewall, make sure the following outgoing ports are open:
- 5900:5910/TCP - VNC
- 843/TCP
More about firewalls can be found in the link http://www.novell.com/documentation/sles11/book_security/data/cha_security_firewall.html of the Security Guide.
Build your appliance as described in Chapter 2, Creating Appliances.
Click Testdrive to start the session.
Click Networking: off link at the top of the Web page.
Enter the following command in a shell to start the VNC session and replace NODE with the name of your SUSE Studio server:
```
vncviewer -encodings 'zlib hextile copyrect' NODE
```
Enter the password. Find it on the Web page, described in Step 4. After you have entered the correct password, an window opens.
Work with your appliance.

3.3. Using a SSH Session¶

The SUSE Studio testdrive can also be accessed through an SSH connection. Proceed as follows:

If you use a firewall, make sure to open the SSH port in YaST.
Build your appliance as described in Chapter 2, Creating Appliances.
Click Testdrive to start the session.
Click the Networking: off link at the top of the Web page.
Enter the following command in a shell to start the SSH session and replace NODE with the name of your SUSE Studio server:
```
ssh -o "UserKnownHostsFile /dev/null" -p 17022 NODE
```

3.4. Working with Overlay Files¶

SUSE Studio has the concept of overlay files. Overlay files are all files which are modified or created after the installation during your testdrive. These files can be incorporated back into your configuration and automatically added during the next build of your appliance. Usually the procedure with overlay files looks like this:

Build your appliance as described in Chapter 2, Creating Appliances.
Start the testdrive.
Create, remove, or modify files in the testdrive.
Click the Modified Files link. Usually you can leave the exclude paths as they are. If you want to restrict files to your home directory, enter /home in the Include paths containing: text field.
Select the files that you want to include to your archive.
Press Add selected files to appliance. If your file list is very large, it is better to create an archive. In this case, check Bundle selected files as archive with name and enter the name of your archive.
Switch back to your SUSE Studio's appliance page and go to Files. You should see your selected files from the previous step.
Build your appliance. The added files are incorporated into your appliance.