Virtualization strategy: Arch Linux + OpenWRT running at the same time

graysky · 2023-07-05 20:11:29

Goal: Have two distros running simultaneously on the same hardware (OpenWRT serving as router/firewall + Arch Linux which will depend on the OpenWRT installation for network).

What is the best strategy to achieve this? OpenWRT would need access to the NICs obviously. I am thinking of a non-trivial use of lxc but that would require a 3rd distro (a primary one running lxc) with OW and Arch containerized. Is there another strategy to achieve this?

herOldMan · 2023-07-05 23:02:42

We do it with VBox. The router has 2 NIC's. The WAN side is a bridged or NAT NIC. The LAN side is an "Internal Network" NIC. OSs use a subnet provided by the internal network, which is configured by the router.

We use PfSense as the router/gateway/firewall. We have also used a home-spun Arch-based router as the virtual router.

Last edited by herOldMan (2023-07-05 23:06:07)

graysky · 2023-07-06 18:16:57

So it is a three OS setup...

herOldMan · 2023-07-07 00:09:04

No, the router/firewall/gateway we use is a PfSense VM. (In other cases in the past we used an Arch-based router VM instead.)

One or many other VMs can use the router.

For us, this virtual workplace is a model that mimics our production chemistry laboratory. On the router's LAN are multiple NAS devices, a SQL server, and various workstations. I avoid the walk of shame by testing process changes in this virtual network.

As you can imagine, the native host for this test environment is built to the hilt.

Arch Linux

#1 2023-07-05 20:11:29

Virtualization strategy: Arch Linux + OpenWRT running at the same time

#2 2023-07-05 23:02:42

Re: Virtualization strategy: Arch Linux + OpenWRT running at the same time

#3 2023-07-06 18:16:57

Re: Virtualization strategy: Arch Linux + OpenWRT running at the same time

#4 2023-07-07 00:09:04

Re: Virtualization strategy: Arch Linux + OpenWRT running at the same time

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