Brian Parsons

I've been running Arch Linux on my workstations and on servers for a long time. Every once in a while I see a debate in an Arch Linux forum about it's suitability for use on production servers. Being a rolling release distribution, it is different than other distributions that concentrate on enterprise and long-term support like RedHat Enterprise and CentOS. Without getting too much into the pros and cons - one of the key reasons that I use Arch on servers is earlier access to newer technologies like the 3.0 Linux kernel series (with built-in xen support). Overall, though, it is due to my familiarity with and love for it. The OS that I load on my servers is there to support my applications. I find Arch is simple and light yet thorough and stable in getting the job done. If you are running Arch on servers or are interested in doing so, here are some practices that I recommend.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list and there are different approaches to systems administration. I welcome feedback and discussion of these concepts. I have seen projects centered around creating an off-shoot of Arch to use on servers. Ultimately I think they miss the point. The idea is not to make Arch act like CentOS. With some simple tweaks to your deployment and management process, Arch is a fine distro to use on servers.

Dealing with "Rolling Release"

Many of these things apply not just to Arch, but any rolling release distribution. Recently, Arch Linux has gone through some fundamental changes in the base layers of the operating system like the network configuration and system initialization. Updating needs to be a regular and intelligent process. You can automate much of it but you really should do the base updates manually.

1. Have a server in each datacenter or cloud that acts as a "base" server for testing updates. Always have a server that you can test updates on. I use Linode, Rackspace, and Amazon EC2 clouds and I have dev servers in each of those that are there to test updates on so that I can work out any issues before updating mission-critical instances. Once you update the base server, you can image it out appropriately for your environment.

2. Keep Snapshots so that you can "roll back". This is one of those things you should be doing no matter what you are using.

3. Update often. I run updates weekly on my workstations and weekly or bi-weekly on my servers. With a rolling release distribution, the more out of date you are, the more work you have to do with each update. If you don't have a proper environment for testing updates, make an image of your server and run updates against that in something like Virtualbox.

4. Watch the News/Forums/Mailing Lists for Update Issues. I update my workstations first and run that for a few days before updating my servers - unless it is a critical security issue. Package updates fixing security issues should always be done as soon as is practically possible.

5. Don't Run Updates via Daemon or Cron. I do not recommend running system updates via cron. You just never know when an update will require more than just the basics. If you are pushing your own applications via custom repositories, those can be automated if appropriate. (See Custom Repositories below)

6. Script tricky updates. A quick bash script can make updates against servers very simple and painless. I typically run my updates from one spot. Configuration management tools can help here too. (See Configuration Management below)

7. Remove pacman from SyncFirst and HoldPkg in /etc/pacman.conf. The default pacman.conf will stop and prompt to update pacman if there is a new version of it before updating the system. For workstations this is fine, but for servers or when you are running scripted updates, this will get in the way. If you are updating your workstations first and the server last, you will know if you need to update pacman first.

8. Create scripts to bring machines current from your vendor's image. Ideally you are running your own images made from your own base instances, but if you are using the vendor's images - such as the "Arch Linux" installs from Rackspace or Linode, you should have a script that takes that image and brings it current. This script needs to be tested and updated regularly as part of your update cycle.

Understanding the Philosophy

The key to running any operating system on your servers is understanding it and the philosophy behind it. Arch Linux is a lot like python. The driving philosophy is simplicity. Many times people over-think or assume that a given task is harder than it is.

9. Run Arch as your daily driver. Nothing will bring your knowledge up like interacting with the system on a daily basis. Linux is a great deskop OS, give Arch a try.

Also see The Arch Way entry in the Arch Linux wiki.

Custom Repositories

10. Keep private repositories in their own conf file. Instead of the main pacman.conf file, you can create your own configuration file and call pacman with --config filename. This allows you to update the packages from your repo independently of system updates.

11. SSL and ACL protect private repos. I put my custom repos behind a classic ACL username and password. Yes this is present in the .conf file URL in plaintext, but I can always change the ACL if I find it gets compromised. Using SSL will protect it in transit. Of course this isn't foolproof so if you are concerned about your proprietary packages leaking, watch the logs or load the sensitive packages in a different way.

12. Sign your packages. Arch's package management system now supports package signing and verification.

13. Keep workstation and server repos separated. I build custom packages that I use on workstations and servers. I like to keep them in different repos so that the server repo stays as clean as possible.

Configuration Management

14. Configuration Management is your friend. If you are managing multiple servers, configuration management tools like Puppet, Chef, or CFEngine are your friend. Employing one of these tools properly will keep your servers consistent and greatly ease management and deployment.

Again, these practices are not meant to be all-encompassing. There are probably many other things that could go into this, but I hope sharing my approach can help others. The Arch Linux Wiki, Forums, and IRC Channels are always helpful resources.