README.dev

   1 = Setup PVE Development Environment =
   2
   3 1. Install Debian 'jessie'
   4 2. Configure pvetest repository in apt sources.list
   5
   6  deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian jessie pvetest
   7
   8 3. Add our repository key with apt-key:
   9
  10  wget -O- "http://download.proxmox.com/debian/key.asc" | apt-key add -
  11
  12 4. make sure you have a read IP address for your hostname in /etc/hosts
  13    (using 127.0.1.1 will not work)
  14
  15 5. run: apt-get update
  16 6. run: apt-get dist-upgrade
  17 7. run: apt-get install proxmox-ve
  18
  19 You should now have a working Proxmox VE installation.
  20
  21 = Install build prerequisites for development environment =
  22
  23 apt-get -y install build-essential git-core git-email debhelper \
  24 autotools-dev autogen dh-autoreconf dkms doxygen check pkg-config \
  25 groff quilt dpatch automake autoconf libtool lintian libdevel-cycle-perl \
  26 libjson-perl libcommon-sense-perl liblinux-inotify2-perl libio-stringy-perl \
  27 libstring-shellquote-perl dh-systemd rpm2cpio libsqlite3-dev sqlite3 \
  28 libglib2.0-dev librrd-dev librrds-perl rrdcached libdigest-hmac-perl \
  29 libxml-parser-perl gdb libcrypt-openssl-random-perl \
  30 libcrypt-openssl-rsa-perl libnet-ldap-perl libauthen-pam-perl \
  31 libjson-xs-perl libterm-readline-gnu-perl oathtool libmime-base32-perl \
  32 liboath0 libpci-dev texi2html libsdl1.2-dev libgnutls28-dev \
  33 libspice-protocol-dev xfslibs-dev libnuma-dev libaio-dev \
  34 pve-libspice-server-dev libusbredirparser-dev glusterfs-common \
  35 libusb-1.0-0-dev librbd-dev libpopt-dev iproute bridge-utils numactl \
  36 glusterfs-common ceph-common python-ceph libgoogle-perftools4 \
  37 libfile-chdir-perl lvm2 glusterfs-client liblockfile-simple-perl \
  38 libsystemd-dev libreadline-gplv2-dev libio-multiplex-perl \
  39 libnetfilter-log-dev libipset3 ipset socat libsasl2-dev libogg-dev \
  40 python-pyparsing libfilesys-df-perl libcrypt-ssleay-perl \
  41 libfile-readbackwards-perl libanyevent-perl libanyevent-http-perl \
  42 unzip liblocale-po-perl vlan ifenslave-2.6 libfile-sync-perl cstream \
  43 lzop dtach apt-transport-https hdparm gdisk parted ttf-dejavu-core \
  44 liblzma-dev dosfstools mtools libxen-dev libfuse-dev corosync-dev \
  45 libcpg-dev libquorum-dev libcmap-dev libuuid-perl \
  46 libqb-dev libapparmor-dev docbook2x libcap-dev dh-apparmor \
  47 graphviz libseccomp-dev libglib-perl libgtk3-perl libnss3-dev libdlm-dev \
  48 libudev-dev asciidoc-dblatex source-highlight inkscape
  49
  50 = Compile PVE packages from Source =
  51
  52 Download and install the following git modules in order from top to bottom:
  53
  54 # git clone git://git.proxmox.com/git/<PACKAGE.git>
  55
  56 You currently need the following packages:
  57
  58 pve-common.git
  59 libpve-http-server-perl.git
  60 libpve-apiclient-perl.git
  61 pve-docs.git
  62 pve-cluster.git
  63 pve-access-control.git
  64 pve-storage.git
  65 pve-guest-common.git
  66 pve-qemu-kvm.git
  67 qemu-server.git
  68 vncterm.git
  69 spiceterm.git
  70 #vzquota.git
  71 #vzctl.git
  72 #fence-agents-pve.git
  73 #resource-agents-pve.git
  74 extjs.git
  75 pve-manager.git
  76 #pve-kernel-3.10.0.git
  77 #libiscsi.git
  78 #gfs2-utils.git
  79 ksm-control-daemon.git
  80 pve-container.git
  81 pve-firewall.git
  82 pve-kernel.git
  83
  84 Most packages can be installed with 'make dinstall' command.
  85
  86 4.  Reboot the system.
  87 5.  Learn to use the quilt patch scripts.
  88 6.  Happy coding.
  89
  90 There is an experimental package containing the API documentation
  91 as ExtJS application:
  92
  93 pve2-api-doc.git
  94
  95 You can view the source code at:
  96
  97 https://git.proxmox.com
  98
  99
 100 = REST vs. SOAP =
 101
 102 We decided to change our SOAP API (1.X) and use a REST like API. The
 103 concept is described in [1] (Resource Oriented Architecture
 104 (ROA)). The main advantage is that we are able to remove a lot of code
 105 (the whole SOAP stack) to reduce software complexity.
 106
 107 We also moved away from server side content generation. Instead we use
 108 the ExtJS Rich Internet Application Framework
 109 (http://www.sencha.com).
 110
 111 That framework, like any other AJAX toolkit, can talk directly to the
 112 REST API using JSON. So we were able to remove the server side
 113 template toolkit completely.
 114
 115 = JSON and JSON Schema =
 116
 117 We use JSON as data format, because it is simple and parse-able by any
 118 web browser.
 119
 120 Additionally, we use JSON Schema [2] to formally describe our API. So
 121 we can automatically generate the whole API Documentation, and we can
 122 verify all parameters and return values.
 123
 124 A great side effect was that we are able to use JSON Schema to
 125 produce command line argument parsers automatically. In fact, the REST
 126 API and the command line tools use the same code.
 127
 128 Object linkage is done using the JSON Hyper Schema (links property).
 129
 130 A small utility called 'pvesh' exposes the whole REST API on the command
 131 line.
 132
 133 So here is a summary of the advantage:
 134
 135    - easy, human readable data format (native web browser format)
 136    - automatic parameter verification (we can also verify return values)
 137    - automatic generation of API documentation
 138    - easy way to create command line tools (using same API).
 139
 140 = API Implementation (PVE::RESTHandler) =
 141
 142 All classes exposing methods on the API use PVE::RESTHandler as base class.
 143
 144   use base qw(PVE::RESTHandler);
 145
 146 To expose methods, one needs to call register_method():
 147
 148   __PACKAGE__->register_method ($schema);
 149
 150 Where $schema is a PVE method schema as described in
 151 PVE::JSONSchema. It includes a description of parameters and return
 152 values, and a reference to the actual code
 153
 154 __PACKAGE__->register_method ({
 155     name => 'echo',
 156     path => 'echo',
 157     method => 'GET',
 158     description => "simple return value of parameter 'text'",
 159     parameters => {
 160         additionalProperties => 0,
 161         properties => {
 162             text => {
 163                  type => 'string',
 164             }
 165         },
 166     },
 167     returns => {
 168         type => 'string',
 169     },
 170     code => sub {
 171         my ($param) = @_;
 172
 173         return $param->{text};
 174     }
 175 });
 176
 177 The 'name' property is only used if you want to call the method
 178 directly from Perl. You can do that using:
 179
 180   print __PACKAGE__->echo({ text => "a test" });
 181
 182 We use Perl's AUTOLOAD feature to implement this. Note: You need to
 183 pass parameters a HASH reference.
 184
 185 There is a special helper method called cli_handler(). This is used by
 186 the CLIHandler Class for command line tools, where you want to pass
 187 arguments as array of strings. This uses Getopt::Long to parse parameters.
 188
 189 There is a second way to map names to methods - using the 'path'
 190 property.  And you can register subclasses. That way you can set up a
 191 filesystem like hierarchy to access methods.
 192
 193 Here is an example:
 194 ----------------------------
 195 package C1;
 196
 197 __PACKAGE__->register_method ({
 198     subclass => "C2",
 199     path => 'sub2',
 200 });
 201
 202
 203 __PACKAGE__->register_method ({
 204     name => 'list1',
 205     path => 'index',
 206     method => 'GET',
 207     ...
 208 });
 209
 210 package C2;
 211
 212 __PACKAGE__->register_method ({
 213     name => 'list2',
 214     path => 'index',
 215     method => 'GET',
 216     ...
 217 });
 218 -------------------------------
 219
 220 The utily method find_handler (in PVE::RESTHandler) can be use to do
 221 'path' related method lookups.
 222
 223 C1->find_handler('GET', "/index")      => C1::list1
 224 C1->find_handler('GET', "/sub2/index") => C2::list2
 225
 226 The HTTP server use the URL (a path) to find the corresponding method.
 227
 228
 229 = References =
 230
 231 [1] RESTful Web Services
 232 Web services for the real world
 233
 234 By
 235     Leonard Richardson, Sam Ruby
 236 Publisher:
 237     O'Reilly Media
 238 Released:
 239     May 2007
 240
 241 [2] JSON Schema links: http://json-schema.org/