eryph
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Community Powered

VM Templates That Inherit and Evolve

eryph's revolutionary gene system transforms how you build VM infrastructure through breeding and feeding. Start with community templates, inherit their knowledge, and evolve your infrastructure naturally.

Join a community where every improvement benefits everyone. Infrastructure knowledge that compounds, not decays.

Understanding Genes: Infrastructure That Evolves

Imagine if every VM improvement you made could be inherited by future VMs. That's the power of genes - infrastructure knowledge that evolves through breeding and feeding.

Genes

Reusable VM building blocks stored in the genepool. Like DNA, they carry inheritable traits.

dbosoft/ubuntu-22.04

Breeding

VMs inherit from parent genes, accumulating improvements through generations.

parent: ubuntu → child: web-server

Feeding

Configuration (fodder) applied at VM creation via cloud-init. All fodder collected and fed at once.

fodder: nginx + ssl + monitoring

See It In Action

Watch how a simple web server evolves from a community base template through breeding:

dbosoft/ubuntu-22.04/latest
Community base: Ubuntu with cloud-init
company/web-base
Adds: nginx, monitoring, security policies
team/production-api
Specializes: 4 CPU, 8GB RAM, API configs

Your First Catlet

This simple YAML creates a VM that inherits Ubuntu and adds your configuration:

# my-web-server.yaml
name: my-web-server
parent: dbosoft/ubuntu-22.04/latest

# Mutations (your changes)
cpu: 4
memory: 4096

# Configuration (fodder)
fodder:
- name: web-setup
  type: cloud-config
  content: |
    packages: [nginx, nodejs]
    runcmd:
    - systemctl enable nginx

Result: VM deployed in 5 minutes with all inherited traits plus your customizations

The Breed & Feed Process

Breeding: Inheritance at Work

When you create a catlet, it breeds by inheriting ALL attributes from its entire ancestry:

  1. 1.
    Parent catlet gene provides base configuration
    CPU, memory, drives, network
  2. 2.
    Child inherits everything from parent
    Complete configuration passed down
  3. 3.
    Mutations modify inherited traits
    Change CPU, add disks, adjust memory

Feeding: Configuration Applied

All fodder from the breeding process is collected and fed to the VM at creation:

  1. 1.
    Collect all fodder from ancestry
    Parent fodder + child fodder + referenced genes
  2. 2.
    Variable substitution
    Replace {{variables}} with actual values
  3. 3.
    Feed via cloud-init on first boot
    One-time configuration at VM creation

Understanding Gene References

dbosoft/ubuntu-22.04/latest
Publisher
dbosoft
Organization or user
Geneset
ubuntu-22.04
Template name
Tag
latest
Version (latest, v1.0, 20241216)

Pro tip: Always use pinned versions like v1.0 or dated tags for production. Use latest for development where you want automatic updates.

Start Simple, Evolve Naturally

Follow these best practices to get the most from the gene system

1

Start with Community

Use proven base genes from the genepool like dbosoft/ubuntu-22.04

2

Add Your Mutations

Modify inherited traits with your specific needs (CPU, memory, disks)

3

Configure with Fodder

Add configuration directly in your catlet. Create fodder genes only when needed across multiple trees.

4

Share & Evolve

Publish useful patterns back to the community. Let popular genes spread naturally.

Where Genes Excel

The gene system transforms VM management across all scenarios

Development & Testing

Spin up consistent dev environments in minutes

  • Feature branch environments
  • CI/CD test environments
  • QA testing setups

Enterprise Applications

Standardize your application stacks company-wide

  • Database server templates
  • Application server stacks
  • Compliance-ready systems

Training & Education

Create consistent lab environments for learning

  • Student lab environments
  • Training course setups
  • Workshop environments

Branch Infrastructure

Deploy consistent infrastructure to remote locations

  • Branch office servers
  • Local service templates
  • Edge computing nodes

POC & Demos

Quickly spin up proof-of-concept environments

  • Customer demo setups
  • Evaluation environments
  • Prototype systems

Security Testing

Create isolated environments for security validation

  • Penetration test labs
  • Security patch testing
  • Compliance validation

The Genepool Community

Join a thriving ecosystem where infrastructure knowledge is shared, versioned, and continuously improved

Browse & Discover

Explore templates at genepool.eryph.io

OS templates, app stacks, configurations

Use & Inherit

Reference as org/geneset/tag

Start with proven foundations

Share & Evolve

Publish your improvements

Popular patterns spread naturally

Three Types of Genes

Each type serves a specific purpose in the ecosystem

Catlet Genes

VM specifications that CAN inherit from parent catlet genes

cpu:
  count: 2
memory:
  startup: 2048
drives:
- name: sda
capabilities:
- secure_boot
✓ Can inherit from parents

Volume Genes

Disk images built with Packer, stored as content-addressable hashes

# Built from basecatlets
Ubuntu 22.04: 550MB
Windows 2022: 8GB
# Hash-based storage
SHA256 addressing
Base OS images

Fodder Genes

Configuration templates that CANNOT inherit - standalone units

fodder:
- name: linux-starter
  type: cloud-config
  content: |
    users:
    - name: {{username}}
      passwd: {{password}}
✗ No inheritance

Want to dive deeper? Check out our Gene Mastery Tutorial for technical details, building custom genes, and advanced patterns.

Real-World Example: Complete Web Stack

See how genes work together to create a production-ready API server

The YAML Configuration

name: production-api
parent: dbosoft/ubuntu-22.04/latest
project: api-services

# Variables - declare required values
variables:
- name: secret_password
  type: string
  required: true

# Mutations - your changes
cpu: 4
memory: 8192
drives:
- name: sda
  size: 50

# Fodder - configuration
fodder:
# Use community fodder gene
- source: gene:dbosoft/starter-food/linux-starter
  variables:
  - name: username
    value: deploy
  - name: password
    value: "{{secret_password}}"

# Add your own configuration
- name: api-setup
  type: cloud-config
  content: |
    packages:
    - nginx
    - nodejs
    - postgresql-client
    write_files:
    - path: /etc/nginx/sites-available/api
      content: |
        server {
          listen 80;
          server_name api.example.com;
          location / {
            proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
          }
        }
    runcmd:
    - systemctl enable nginx
    - npm install -g pm2

What Happens

1. Breeding Phase

  • • Inherits from dbosoft/ubuntu-22.04
  • • Gets: 2 CPU, 2GB RAM, 20GB disk (from parent)
  • • Mutates to: 4 CPU, 8GB RAM, 50GB disk

2. Feeding Phase

  • • Collects fodder from starter-food gene
  • • Adds your api-setup fodder
  • • Substitutes variables (username, password)
  • • Feeds all config via cloud-init on first boot

3. Result

  • • Production-ready API server
  • • Deployed in ~5 minutes
  • • All configurations applied
  • • Ready for your application

Power of Inheritance: If Ubuntu releases security updates, just update the parent gene tag. All child VMs can be recreated with the latest patches.

Start building with genes

Transform how you manage VM infrastructure with the power of inheritance

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