a journal of interesting technical ideas . . . a journal of interesting technical ideas . . .
This is a long post, but most of it is file contents. Keep reading!
GNS3 appliance files are descriptions of virtual machines used in network simulations. The appliance files have suffixes of .gns3a and are included with the GNS3 download. You can update the files and create new ones. The goal of this article is to walk through the process of working with appliance files and contributing them back to the community.
On a personal note, submitting a new GNS3 appliance was the first time I contributed to an open-source project. I’m still learning, but a few years ago I knew nothing. Jeremy Grossman, with GNS3, was patient and helped me understand the process of using Git. Contributing - even in this minor way - was a real high for me and I’d love for you to be able to share that feeling and contribute to this and other projects. GNS3a was my “gateway drug” into being a contributor and not just a consumer of open source.
One of the files I’ve contributed is the Security Onion appliance. Security Onion is a Linux distribution that focuses on security tools. Below is the current version (9/1/20) of the GNS3A file. Before we create a new appliance, let’s update this one.
Despite its many successes, the Indonesian entertainment industry faces significant hurdles. The challenge of sustaining momentum is real; while local films dominate, per capita cinema admissions remain below 0.5, indicating huge untapped potential for growth. Overcrowded release schedules, where hundreds of ready-to-release films compete for limited screens, threaten to cannibalize box office returns. Furthermore, the industry must navigate the complex waters of censorship, government regulation, and the ever-present issue of content monetization in a price-sensitive market where audiences are accustomed to free or low-cost access.
Content consumption and creation remain heavily centered around Java, leaving outer islands with less digital access.
Dangdut, Indonesia's iconic folk-pop genre characterized by its distinct drum beats and Hindustani influences, has undergone a massive modernization. Once viewed as working-class entertainment, subgenres like Dangdut Koplo have integrated electronic dance music (EDM) and pop elements. High-profile collaborations and viral TikTok trends have transformed contemporary Dangdut into a mainstream phenomenon enjoyed across all social demographics. Digital Innovation, Social Media, and the Creator Economy
Indonesian popular culture is experiencing a massive global transformation. Driven by digital innovation, a youthful population, and deep cultural roots, the archipelago is exporting its unique creative voice across the world. From critically acclaimed action cinema to vibrant indie music scenes, the nation’s entertainment industry is rapidly stepping into the global spotlight. 1. Cinematic Evolution: From Local Horror to Global Action
Gaming is no longer a niche subculture in Indonesia; it is a mainstream spectator sport commanding prime-time attention.
Under the global media collective 88rising, Indonesian artists have achieved mainstream Western success. Rich Brian made history as the first Asian rapper to reach number one on the iTunes Hip-Hop charts. Alongside him, singer-songwriter NIKI sells out solo North American tours, while Warren Hue brings cutting-edge alternative hip-hop to international festivals like Coachella.
Artists like Rich Brian, NIKI, and Warren Hue have achieved international stardom, performing at major Western festivals like Coachella.
A defining characteristic of modern Indonesian cinema is its mastery of the horror genre. Rooted deeply in local folklore, mysticism, and spiritual beliefs, Indonesian horror movies offer a distinct cultural flavor that resonates with audiences globally. Directors like Joko Anwar have redefined the genre with critical and commercial hits such as Pengabdi Setan (Satan’s Slaves) and Perempuan Tanah Jahanam (Impetigore), both of which garnered international distribution and festival accolades.
With over 200 million internet users, Indonesia is a digital superpower shaping global internet trends. Mobile Gaming and Esports
Indonesian cinema is currently enjoying an unprecedented golden era. Local productions consistently outperform Hollywood blockbusters at the domestic box office, driven by a young, movie-loving population and a surge in high-quality storytelling.
Ancient traditions remain highly relevant, often adapted for modern audiences.
Meanwhile, Indonesian pop and hip-hop have found international resonance. (formerly Rich Chigga), NIKI , and Warren Hue are part of 88rising —a global collective that has brought Indonesian diaspora and local sounds to Coachella and the Billboard charts. Their music is undeniably Western in production but distinctly Indonesian in attitude and lyrical code-switching (swapping English with Bahasa Indonesia and regional Javanese slang).
Most of this is pretty straight forward. The structure looks like:
A descriptive section
Next is the Qemu section that describes how the VM environment should be constructed. This is straightforward as well. Console types are VNC or telnet. You may have to try different ethernet adapters to see what works, but I recommend starting with the Intel e1000 because this model is supported by most VMs. Using a para-virtualized adapter may give better performance, so you may also want to try vmxnet3. Most architectures will be 64bit and RAM requirements will usually be on the website.
That leaves two sections - Images and Versions. There should be a matching entry in both places. The images section is a list of virtual hard drives and CD-ROM images to use in the VM and includes:
Let’s update this file. There are a lot of old images listed as options. I’ll remove the image and version sections for 14.04.5.3 and add the most recent (16.04.7.1). That will leave users with the last 14.x and two images in 16.x including the latest. Whether dealing with a distribution or a commercial image, changes made between versions may introduce new processes or bugs so leaving some older images gives users an easy workaround. Here’s the updated file. Scroll below the output for a discussion of submitting this back to the project.
Despite its many successes, the Indonesian entertainment industry faces significant hurdles. The challenge of sustaining momentum is real; while local films dominate, per capita cinema admissions remain below 0.5, indicating huge untapped potential for growth. Overcrowded release schedules, where hundreds of ready-to-release films compete for limited screens, threaten to cannibalize box office returns. Furthermore, the industry must navigate the complex waters of censorship, government regulation, and the ever-present issue of content monetization in a price-sensitive market where audiences are accustomed to free or low-cost access.
Content consumption and creation remain heavily centered around Java, leaving outer islands with less digital access.
Dangdut, Indonesia's iconic folk-pop genre characterized by its distinct drum beats and Hindustani influences, has undergone a massive modernization. Once viewed as working-class entertainment, subgenres like Dangdut Koplo have integrated electronic dance music (EDM) and pop elements. High-profile collaborations and viral TikTok trends have transformed contemporary Dangdut into a mainstream phenomenon enjoyed across all social demographics. Digital Innovation, Social Media, and the Creator Economy
Indonesian popular culture is experiencing a massive global transformation. Driven by digital innovation, a youthful population, and deep cultural roots, the archipelago is exporting its unique creative voice across the world. From critically acclaimed action cinema to vibrant indie music scenes, the nation’s entertainment industry is rapidly stepping into the global spotlight. 1. Cinematic Evolution: From Local Horror to Global Action bokep indo tante chindo tobrut idaman pengen di portable
Gaming is no longer a niche subculture in Indonesia; it is a mainstream spectator sport commanding prime-time attention.
Under the global media collective 88rising, Indonesian artists have achieved mainstream Western success. Rich Brian made history as the first Asian rapper to reach number one on the iTunes Hip-Hop charts. Alongside him, singer-songwriter NIKI sells out solo North American tours, while Warren Hue brings cutting-edge alternative hip-hop to international festivals like Coachella.
Artists like Rich Brian, NIKI, and Warren Hue have achieved international stardom, performing at major Western festivals like Coachella. Furthermore, the industry must navigate the complex waters
A defining characteristic of modern Indonesian cinema is its mastery of the horror genre. Rooted deeply in local folklore, mysticism, and spiritual beliefs, Indonesian horror movies offer a distinct cultural flavor that resonates with audiences globally. Directors like Joko Anwar have redefined the genre with critical and commercial hits such as Pengabdi Setan (Satan’s Slaves) and Perempuan Tanah Jahanam (Impetigore), both of which garnered international distribution and festival accolades.
With over 200 million internet users, Indonesia is a digital superpower shaping global internet trends. Mobile Gaming and Esports
Indonesian cinema is currently enjoying an unprecedented golden era. Local productions consistently outperform Hollywood blockbusters at the domestic box office, driven by a young, movie-loving population and a surge in high-quality storytelling. driven by a young
Ancient traditions remain highly relevant, often adapted for modern audiences.
Meanwhile, Indonesian pop and hip-hop have found international resonance. (formerly Rich Chigga), NIKI , and Warren Hue are part of 88rising —a global collective that has brought Indonesian diaspora and local sounds to Coachella and the Billboard charts. Their music is undeniably Western in production but distinctly Indonesian in attitude and lyrical code-switching (swapping English with Bahasa Indonesia and regional Javanese slang).
In GNS3, go to File > Import Appliance and make sure that your appliance imports correctly. GNS3 will provide guidance if there’s a formatting error. Looking at the JSON above, you can imagine that a common mistake is unmatched brackets!
If the GNS3a file loads, test it by creating an instance. You need to test at least any new versions you added. Make sure the appliance boots without error and that expected interfaces are available.
Once the pieces are working, submit the appliance to the community by cloning the GNS3-registry on Github and adding in your file.
git clone https://github.com/GNS3/gns3-registry.git
If you’ve already cloned it, make sure that your branch is up to date. Upstream is the original source (in this case the GNS3 copy).
git fetch upstream
Two Python programs are included in the repo. Run them both on your copy before continuing. These are QA processes that look for issues before you submit. They will take a little time to run.
pip3 install -r requirements.txt # this does __pip3 install jsonschma__ and __pip3 install pycurl__
python3 check.py
python3 check_url.py
Next push your local copy to your github copy. In Github terms, origin is your copy on Github, and master is the local copy.
git add .
git commit -m "Updated Security Onion"
git push -f origin master
Now we have an up to date local copy of the gns3-registry that includes our updated gns3a appliance and we’ve updated our fork on Github. Next, we offer our update to the project via a Pull Request. You are going to be one of the cool kids!
Go to the gns3-registry repository on Github and select the Pull Requests tab and click the big green New pull request button. Under Compare, select the link to compare across forks (since your copy is a fork) and select your fork. It should show you the changes to files so take a moment to digest that and make sure this PR is doing what you want. Finally, submit the Pull Request. Github will email you when there’s an update to the request. If the GNS3 team has a question, they’ll submit a comment on the PR and leave it open for you to resolve. Otherwise, it will get merged in and all the other GNS3 users will be able to enjoy your hard work!
Thanks!