In this HowTo I will describe how to prepare a CentOS 4.4 server for OpenVZ virtual machines. With OpenVZ you can create multiple Virtual Private Servers (VPS) on the same hardware, similar to Xen and the Linux Vserver project. OpenVZ is the open-source branch of Virtuozzo, a commercial virtualization solution used by many providers that offer virtual servers.
0. Minimum Requirements - Hardware - Software - Other
1. Installing and Configuring Host Operating System on Hardware Node Step #1 – Install the Base System Step #2 – Disk Partitioning Step #3 – Configuring Grub, Network and Security Step #4 – Other Settings Step #5 – Package Selection and Finalizing the system Step #6 - Post Installation
2. Installing and Configuring OpenVZ Kernel Step #7 - Downloading and Installing OpenVZ Kernel Step #8 - Configuring the bootloader Step #9 - Configuring sysctl Step #10 - Configuring SELinux Step #11 - Conntracks Step #12 - Rebooting into OpenVZ kernel Step #13 - Installing the utilities Step #14 - Starting OpenVZ
3. OS template cache preparation Step #15 - Installing template utilities Step #16 - Installing OS template metadata Step #17 - Installing repository cache (optional)
4. VE Creation and other oprations with VEs Step #19 – Creating VE Step #20 – Adding IP(s) to VE Step #21 – Starting VE Step #22 – Running ps command from Hardware Node Step #23 - Entering VE Step #24 - Exiting from VE Step #25 - Stopping VE Step #26 - Destroying VE
0. Minimum Requirements
- Hardware Pentium based cpu, 256 MB RAM, 6 - Software Any Linux distribution ( Preferred CentOS ) - Other NIC and Internet Connection
1. Installing and Configuring Host Operating System on Hardware Node
This section explains how to install Fedora Core 4 on the Hardware Node and how to configure it for OpenVZ. If you are using another distribution, please consult the corresponding installation guides about the installation specifics.
Info: Download the 4 CentOS 4.4 CD iso images from a mirror near you (the list of mirrors can be found here: http://www.centos.org/modules/tinycontent/index.php?id=13).
Step #1 – Install the Base System
Boot from your CentOS 4.4 CD (CD 1). / DVD

It can take a long time to test the installation media so we skip this test here:

The welcome screen of the CentOS installer appears. Click on Next:

Choose your language next:

Select your keyboard layout:

We want to install a server so we choose Server here:

Step #2 – Disk Partitioning
On the Disk Partitioning Setup screen, select Manual partition with Disk Druid. Do not choose automatic partitioning since this type of partitioning will create a disk layout intended for systems running multiple services. In case of OpenVZ, all your services shall run inside Virtual Private Servers.

I'm installing CentOS 4.3 on a fresh system, so I answer Yes to the question Would you like to initialize this drive, erasing ALL DATA?

Select Remove all partitions on this system.

We want to remove all Linux partitions, so we answer Yes to the following question:

Create the following partitions on the Hardware Node:
For example:
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