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Create a custom image

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In case the list of official images does not meet your specific needs, you have the option to create your own custom images.

danger

Numspot cannot guarantee the correct operation of virtual machines (VM) created from unofficial sources.

Manual creation​

This method consists of building an image locally, transferring it to a Numspot VM, and then converting it into an image via the API.

1. Installing a local VM management tool​

Install a virtual machine management tool on your computer, such as VirtualBox or VMWare.

2. Creating and configuring the VM​

Proceed to create and configure a local virtual machine with the operating system of your choice.

3. Exporting the VM​

Once configured, export this local virtual machine in OVA (Open Virtual Appliance) format.

4. Creating a VM on Numspot​

On the Numspot platform, create a new virtual machine by choosing a Linux of your choice and configuring two volumes: Create VM.

5. Connecting to the VM​

Use SSH (Secure Shell) to connect to the virtual machine. (See Connect to a VM.)

6. Transferring the OVA file​

From your local machine, copy the OVA file to your Numspot virtual machine. To do so, use the Linux command line scp.

Example:

scp path/to/your/file.ova numspot@ip_address:/path/to/destination

7. Extracting the OVA file​

From the Numspot VM, use the Linux command line tar to extract the OVA file.

Example:

tar xvf path/to/your/file.ova

8. Converting the VMDK file​

Using the Linux command line qemu-img, convert the VMDK file to RAW format.

Example:

qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O raw path/to/your/file-disk001.vmdk path/to/your/file.raw

9. Writing the converted image​

Transfer the image converted to RAW to the attached volume.

Example:

sudo dd if=path/to/your/file.raw of=/dev/xvdY bs=16k status=progress

10. Creating an image via the API​

Take a snapshot of the volume and turn it into an image using the Create Image API. (See Create an image.)

11. Using the image to create VM​

Use this image to create Numspot virtual machines with your OS (Operating System).

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This procedure applies to all operating systems for which no pre-existing image exists.

Automated creation with Packer​

You can create custom images in an automated and reproducible way using Packer ↗, a machine image building tool. The Packer plugin for Numspot lets you define your image configuration in an HCL (HashiCorp Configuration Language) file and build it without manual intervention.

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