update vs install

[Douglas Davenport]

Do I ever have to reinstall Container Linux or will updates suffice?

One reason I use Arch Linux is because it is a rolling release distro.

Container Linux reminds me of a rolling release approach.

1) If I create a template based on some current version then can I continue to clone that template and rely on updates to keep the clone current?

2) Is there ever any reason to recreate the template from a then current version?

3) Is there ever any reason to recreate / reinstall an existing VM to acquire new features?

[Rob Szumski]

Do I ever have to reinstall Container Linux or will updates suffice?

Since the disk is read only, a new machine and an updated machine should appear identical. The only thing that is not updated is the OEM partition  which holds provider specific config, such as info about the AWS or GCE metadata service, etc.

One reason I use Arch Linux is because it is a rolling release distro.

Container Linux reminds me of a rolling release approach.

1) If I create a template based on some current version then can I continue to clone that template and rely on updates to keep the clone current?

Yes, however you need to be aware of two things.

1. Reset /etc/machine-id so that all of the machines have a unique identity

2. When you boot an old machine, it will soon update. To prevent this, you can update the template that you are using with the latest version of Container Linux.

2) Is there ever any reason to recreate the template from a then current version?

See above

3) Is there ever any reason to recreate / reinstall an existing VM to acquire new features?

If you subscribe to the idea of truly immutable infrastructure, any time you change the config or role of a machine, you could tear it down and recreate, just to make sure its in the state that you desire. Container Linux + Ignition give you the tools to do this easily.

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