VM Micro Core that double-click boots on Win/Mac/Linux no install

[MikeLevin]

Hello everyone. I'm making a minimal OS virtual appliance that runs from a double-click on Windows, OS X or a Linux desktop. Actually, it's done, and it's only about a 12MB download. dl.dropbox.com/u/23100852/LittleSystemV2.zip (LittleSystemV2.zip, 11.3MB).

I'll get a kick out of hearing what anyone thinks. Admin rights not needed. Install not needed. It's actually the same VM booting on any of those OSes--just all the respective QEMU binaries with smart launchers. Boots to Micro Core. Just unzip it, and double-click on the respective script (nothing bad in there, just the frugal HD install).

But now I have reached the limits of what I'm reasonably able to do myself, and am looking for the right Linux distribution and community to help me take it to the next level and turn this into the ideal yank-and-go keychain virtual appliance. I'm relatively new to Linux and completely new to Micro Core (chosen over Tiny Core because it's just got to become a headless appliance).

Now, I'm hitting all the nuances where I'd like to start tapping the community. Such an appliance's purpose in life is to boot to a locked console or graphic screen directing the user to localhost:8080 on the host machine.

Get it? Here are my next challenges. Not looking for specific answers yet... just giving a heads-up that I will be.

1. Use a boot graphic like Splashy and hide Linux startup messages (a real virtual appliance feeling)
2. Reasonably lock the machine against logging in and inspection (black boxing)
3. Make it's app auto-update from a central repository.

I'm a Debian-head and don't even compile stuff yet, so I'll probably start hitting up the community for Micro Core-related advice soon. Meanwhile, enjoy the VM that boots on Mac/Win/Linux with a double-click, no install.

[MikeLevin]

I just wrote an article on this for the curious http:// shankserver.org/2011/08/virtual-machine-runs-anywhere/

[danielibarnes]

You might find my Micro Core on Javascript project interesting. I need to update for Fabrice's Aug 20 release and MC 3.8.2.

[MikeLevin]

Oh, I booted that was was sufficiently awed!

Unfortunately, he has the security locked down tight to prevent abuse. Stunning accomplishment, though. Also heartening to see that Fabrice is still doing qemu-related work.

The way regular qemu creates a local VLAN accessible to only the host machine and VM is perfect, just perfect, for local secure services.