[SOLVED] sideload isos from USB

[reswob]

I have a newly installed cluster (6.3-6) and I have a 5 or 6 isos I would like to use to install multiple virtual machines. I was looking for a way to not upload them one by one. I do not have a way to use shared storage. Is there a way to put all the isos on one USB drive, plug it in and have is accessible to ONE of the machines in the cluster?

I've been googling and tried a hodge podge of techniques, but nothing has worked.

https://nubcakes.net/index.php/2019/03/05/how-to-add-storage-to-proxmox/
https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/adding-usb-hdd.69908/
https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/414857/mount-external-hdd-with-writing-permissions

and similar. Not sure if I need to format the USB drive as ext4 and THEN copy the ISOs if that would help.

Suggestions? Or just copy one by one?

Thanks

 

[oguz]

hi,

1. format usb as ext4
2. move ISO files
3. plug to node
4. mount usb to node (e.g., mkdir /mnt/myusb; mount /dev/sdb /mnt/myusb
5. on GUI: Datacenter -> Storage -> Add (Directory)
and fill as follows:
+ ID: myusb
+ Directory: /mnt/myusb/
+ Nodes: select the node where usb is plugged in
+ Content: check all the options

and press Add.

6. make sure you move the ISO files to the corresponding directory in the storage (/mnt/myusb/template/iso/)

then you should be able to see the contents of the USB on the GUI, and use the ISO files.

hope this helps!

 

[reswob]

That worked!

Great!

This makes things easier in the initial build.

 

[c.o.h.]

This can help some people who don't wan't to move their ISOs on the flash drive:
I have an easy2boot usb drive with multiple ISOs on an ntfs formatted partition. When creating a VM, I don't select any ISO first. After creating the VM, I add a USB Device to the VM and simply start the VM. Then depending on the OS, I boot from the usb drive. This loads the easy2boot menu (works both UEFI and MBR) to select which ISO to boot/install and utilize the usb drive in on different computers as well.