netlab release 26.02 is out, including the usual potpourri of goodies:

• Support for Kubernetes (KinD) clusters based on work by @wnagele
• Layer-2 EVPN/VXLAN support on Cat8000v, IOL, and IOLL2
• netlab graph command can create graphs from a subset of nodes or links
• You can specify the parameters of core links in the fabric plugin
• OSPFv3 reports

The fun part, however, are the new container configuration methods:

• Some containers were always configured with Linux scripts (FRRouting, Linux, Bird, dnsmasq). These scripts are now executed directly instead of wasting time with an Ansible playbook.
• netlab also converts FRRouting vtysh configuration into Linux scripts, making FRRouting/Linux deployments completely Ansible-independent.
• I found a way to deploy Arista EOS configurations with Linux scripts
• Many devices can be configured with containerlab startup configurations (more about that later)

Most of these configuration methods have the inevitable caveats attached to them, so you have to explicitly enable them with topology defaults.

While implementing that change, I found I had to wait for the SSH server on the Arista cEOS containers before I could start the script-based configuration. Running an Ansible playbook to check that and then continue running docker exec commands seemed too much like a Rube Goldberg solution to me, so I implemented the wait for SSH servers to be ready check¹ directly in netlab initial (also part of netlab up).

That enabled me to add another detail I’ve always wanted: a we’ve been waiting this long for the devices to boot timer, which tells you exactly how long it takes the vendor bloatware to become configurable.

For even more details, check the release notes.

Upgrading or Starting from Scratch?

• To upgrade your netlab installation, execute pip3 install --upgrade networklab.
• New to netlab? Start with the Getting Started document and the installation guide.
• Need help? Open a discussion or an issue in netlab GitHub repository.