How to setup DPKG zone

Created by Igor Kozhukhov(dilos)
Last updated Feb 09, 2021 by v.feoktistov
Create a dataset for your zones if you have not done it (do it ones)


Use zonecfg(1M) command to configure a new DPKG zone:


In this example we configured a shared IP-address, this means that the zone will share the IP stack with the host system. From time to time you may want to assign an exclusive IP-address.

In this case the net block could look like:

Like above we need to specify a link that will be used by the zone (vnic0). We mean that the nic is virtual (aka vnic) which has a parent interface, in this example it is a virtual switch (vsw0) or etherstub that is marked as global-nic. We can generate some MAC-address for the new NIC or leave this field empty, it will be filled automatically. Also we need to specify network properties (gateway, usualy it is IP-address in the host; netmask; ip is the address that will be assigned to the NIC inside the zone)

Also you can add a name server to the zone:

Install the zone:

And boot it:

Login to the zone for configuration:

The root's password by default is "123". You can do "zlogin <zonename>" to log in into the new zone and then you can change the root password by the command passwd.

Login by 'root' for next modifications:

You can add local 'admin' user with the same UID/GID from global zone.

You be able to login to your new zone by SSH from global zone or another comp by command:

Creating dpkg zone from zfs stream


use the zfs list command to find a dataset with your zone:

now using zfs get all you need to find the active be for this zone:

after finding the active dataset, you can create a snapshot:

now you need to prepare the dataset for copying the zone:

now you need to export the zone configuration to a file:

now let's change this configuration so that we can create a zone via zonecfg.

You must remove the following settings from the template:

  1. delete uuid because it is generated and registered in the zone configuration file when it starts (/etc/zones/name_zone.xml).
  2. delete mac address because it is generated and registered in the zone configuration file when it starts (/etc/zones/name_zone.xml).
  3. change name global vnic
  4. change ip address
  5. change zonepath

now use the zonecfg and zoneadm commands to create and start a zone: