Install Olares on LXC

LXC (Linux Containers) is a lightweight virtualization method that runs applications in isolated containers. When used on PVE, it enables an efficient way to deploy Olares without the overhead of a full virtual machine.

Not for production use

Currently, Olares on LXC has certain limitations. We recommend using it only for development or testing purposes.

Having trouble?

If you run into any issues, submit a GitHub Issue and include your platform, installation method, and error details.

System requirements

Required specifications

• CPU: At least 4 cores.
• RAM: At least 8 GB of available memory.
• Storage: At least 200 GB of available SSD storage.

  SSD required

  The installation will fail if an HDD (mechanical hard drive) is used instead of an SSD.

• Supported systems:
  • PVE 8.2.2
  • Linux container: Debian 12 (for existing LXC containers on PVE)

Version compatibility

While these specific versions are confirmed to work, the process may still work on other versions. Adjustments may be necessary depending on your environment. If you meet any issues with these platforms, feel free to raise an issue on GitHub.

Optional hardware

A GPU is not required to install Olares, but is necessary for most AI applications. Only NVIDIA GPUs are supported.

• Architecture: Turing or newer (GTX 16xx, RTX 20xx, 30xx, 40xx, 50xx series, and later).

INFO

GPUs with older architectures are not recognized by Olares. AI applications that require GPU access will not run.

• VRAM: At least 8 GB recommended. Even on a supported GPU, limited VRAM will prevent many AI applications from running.

Not sure if your GPU is supported?

Run the following command and check the code name prefix in the output:

lspci | grep -i nvidia

Example output:

3b:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation AD102 [GeForce RTX 4090] (rev a1)

The code name prefix maps to GPU architecture as follows:

Code name prefix	Architecture	Supported
GB	Blackwell	✓
AD	Ada Lovelace	✓
GA	Ampere	✓
TU	Turing	✓
GP	Pascal	✗
GM	Maxwell	✗

You can also verify against the full compatible GPU list from the NVIDIA open driver repository.

LXC device passthrough required

To use the GPU within Olares on LXC, you must configure device passthrough first. Refer to Configure GPU passthrough in PVE for instructions.

Prerequisites

• Working directories for storing images and packages on the PVE host. You can set it using the following command:

  mkdir -p /root/.olares/images /root/.olares/pkg

• The container template (CT) for debian-12-standard_12.7-1_amd64.tar.zst. Download it from the PVE image repository.

Configure the LXC environment

Install on existing LXC

To install Olares on an existing LXC container, skip to step 2 directly. Make sure you use the corresponding container ID.

1. Create the LXC container using the following script:

   Unique container ID

   To create a container, you need to assign it a unique container ID. In this guide, we use 16553, but you can replace it with any available numeric ID. Make sure to update all commands and configurations accordingly.

   export ROOTPASS=123456 
   pct create 16553 /var/lib/vz/template/cache/debian-12-standard_12.7-1_amd64.tar.zst \
   --hostname olares \
   --ostype ubuntu \
   --cores 4 \
   --memory 10240 \
   --swap 0 \
   --net0 name=eth0,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1,ip=dhcp,ip6=dhcp,type=veth \
   --rootfs local-lvm:80 \
   --unprivileged 0 \
   --ignore-unpack-errors \
   --mp0 "/root/.olares/images,mp=/root/.olares/images" \
   --mp1 "/root/.olares/pkg,mp=/root/.olares/pkg" \
   --password="$ROOTPASS"

2. Modify the LXC configuration.

   a. Open the configuration file using the following command:

   nano /etc/pve/lxc/16553.conf

   b. Copy and paste the following configurations into the file:

   arch: amd64
   cores: 4
   hostname: olares
   memory: 10240
   net0: name=eth0,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1,hwaddr=BC:24:11:13:05:7C,ip=dhcp,ip6=dhcp,type=veth
   ostype: debian
   rootfs: local-lvm:vm-16553-disk-0,size=80G
   
   # Storage config
   mp0: /root/.olares/images,mp=/root/.olares/images
   mp1: /root/.olares/pkg,mp=/root/.olares/pkg
   
   # Permision config 
   lxc.apparmor.profile: unconfined
   lxc.cgroup.devices.allow: a
   lxc.cap.drop:
   lxc.mount.auto: "proc sys cgroup:mixed"

   c. Save and close the file.

3. Enable IP Virtual Server (IPVS) modules on the PVE host:

   sudo modprobe ip_vs
   sudo modprobe ip_vs_rr
   sudo modprobe ip_vs_wrr
   sudo modprobe ip_vs_sh
   sudo modprobe overlay

4. Start the LXC container, make initial configurations, and exit:

   # Start the container
   pct start 16553
   
   # Enter the container
   pct enter 16553
   
   # Create missing directories
   mkdir -p /lib/modules
   
   # Update PATH environment variable
   echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"' >> /root/.bashrc
   source ~/.bashrc
   
   # exit LXC
   exit

5. Copy PVE dependencies to the LXC container:

   # Copy kernel config from PVE host to LXC container
   pct push 16553 /boot/config-$(uname -r) /boot/config-$(uname -r)
   
   # Package and copy kernel modules directory
   tar cvf /lib/modules/6.8.4-2-pve.tar.gz /lib/modules/6.8.4-2-pve
   pct push 16553 /lib/modules/6.8.4-2-pve.tar.gz /lib/modules/6.8.4-2-pve.tar.gz
   
   # Extract the archive inside the container
   pct enter 16553
   cd /lib/modules
   tar xvf /lib/modules/6.8.4-2-pve.tar.gz -C /

Install on LXC

Run the following installation command inside the LXC container:

curl -fsSL https://olares.sh |  bash -

Root user password

During the installation, you may be prompted to enter your root password.

Errors during installation?

If an error occurs during installation, use the following command to uninstall first:

olares-cli uninstall --all

After uninstalling, retry the installation by running the original installation command.

Prepare Wizard URL

At the end of the installation process, you will be prompted to enter your domain name and Olares ID.

For example, if your full Olares ID is [email protected]:

• Domain name: Press Enter to use the default domain name or type olares.com.
• Olares ID: Enter the prefix of your Olares ID. In this example, enter alice123.

Upon completion of the installation, the initial system information, including the Wizard URL and the initial login password, will appear on the screen. You will need them later in the activation stage.

Activate Olares

Use the Wizard URL and initial one-time password to activate. This process connects the Olares device with your Olares ID using LarePass.

1. Enter the Wizard URL in your browser. You will be directed to the welcome page. Press any key to continue.

   

2. Enter the one-time password and click Continue.

   

3. Select the system language.

   

4. Select a reverse proxy node that is geographically closest to your location. You can adjust this later on the Change reverse proxy page.

   

   Note

   If your Olares device is connected to a public IP network, this step will be skipped automatically.

5. Activate Olares using LarePass app.

   a. Open LarePass app, and tap Scan QR code to scan the QR code on the Wizard page and complete the activation.

   Same network required for admin users

   To avoid activation failures, ensure that both your phone and the Olares device are connected to the same network.

   

   b. Reset the login password for Olares by following the on-screen instructions on LarePass.

   TIP

   If you reinstall Olares, the original instance becomes unavailable. To continue using the same Olares ID, you need to reactivate Olares.

After setup is complete, the LarePass app returns to the home screen, and the Wizard redirects you to the Olares login page.

Log in to Olares

1. Open the Olares desktop address in your browser, and press any key to continue.

2. On the login page, enter your Olares login password.

   

3. You will be prompted to complete two-factor verification. You can confirm the login on LarePass, or manually enter the 6-digit verification code.

   

   INFO

   The verification code is time-sensitive. Ensure you enter it before it expires.

Once you've logged in, you'll be directed to the Olares desktop.🎉

Next step: Protect your Olares ID

You're almost ready to start using Olares! Before diving in, it's crucial to ensure your Olares ID is securely backed up. Without this step, you won't be able to recover Olares ID if needed.

• Back up your mnemonic phrase