using cloud images

CarlFK · Dec 21, 2023

What are the minimum steps to use an image like:
https://cloud.debian.org/images/cloud/bookworm/latest/debian-12-genericcloud-amd64.qcow2

I found:
https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/new-vm-from-cloud-init-image-via-api.111091/
"There is no dedicated place in Proxmox for qcow/raw/etc type pre-built images (really templates), like the ones provided by every Linux distro for cloud deployments."
and ER:
https://bugzilla.proxmox.com/show_bug.cgi?id=4141 allow disk/VM import from uploaded/downloaded images/ovf via API

It seems there isn't support for it right now (v 8.1.3) even in the web ui, like there isn't a place to put a qcow url like there is for iso files.

I want to start simple and add features later.
Like this post seemed like what I was looking for (well, its from 2021, so not pve v8):
https://codingpackets.com/blog/proxmox-import-and-use-cloud-images/
"libguestfs-tools package allows you to install packages into an image without booting it up. The libguestfs-tools package conflicts with Proxmox."

Yeah, none of that for now please.

so on the host, I'm guessing I start with

Bash:

wget https://cloud.debian.org/images/cloud/bookworm/latest/debian-12-genericcloud-amd64.qcow2

Then what?

I expect something about a cloud-init file. From what I have found: I create a config file, create an .iso containing that file, I think I can find those steps. If we can skip this for now and boot the image, good. If I can't log in or anything because I have not configured a user, at least I know I have completed the first few steps successfully.

UdoB · Dec 21, 2023

Try this: create a "normal" VM - without assigning a new disk. Then import your downloaded file via

Code:

~# qm  disk import 102 debian-12-genericcloud-amd64.qcow2 local-zfs
importing disk 'debian-12-genericcloud-amd64.qcow2' to VM 102 ...
transferred 0.0 B of 2.0 GiB (0.00%)           
transferred 20.5 MiB of 2.0 GiB (1.00%)                            
transferred 41.2 MiB of 2.0 GiB (2.01%)
...
Successfully imported disk as 'unused0:local-zfs:vm-102-disk-0'

Now go to your VM --> Hardware and add that now visible "Unused Disk 0".

The next (and last) step is to enable "scsci0" in vm --> Options --> Boot Order.

Good luck

CarlFK · Dec 22, 2023

root@pm2:/home/videoteam/clouds# qm disk import 103 debian-12-genericcloud-amd64.qcow2 local
importing disk 'debian-12-genericcloud-amd64.qcow2' to VM 103 ...
Formatting '/var/lib/vz/images/103/vm-103-disk-0.raw', fmt=raw size=2147483648 preallocation=off
transferred 0.0 B of 2.0 GiB (0.00%)
transferred 20.5 MiB of 2.0 GiB (1.00%)
...
Successfully imported disk as 'unused0:local:103/vm-103-disk-0.raw'

Added it, made it bootable, (turned off the ide and pxe devies)

Start the VM, see: "No bootable device. retrying in 5 seconds..."
and it loops.s

UdoB · Dec 22, 2023

Zum Vergleich mein Dummy per ~# cat /etc/pve/local/qemu-server/102.conf:

Code:

boot: 
cores: 1
cpu: x86-64-v2-AES
ide2: none,media=cdrom
memory: 2048
meta: creation-qemu=8.1.2,ctime=1703186721
name: asdf
net0: virtio=BC:24:11:CC:75:5A,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1
numa: 0
ostype: l26
scsi0: local-zfs:vm-102-disk-0,iothread=1,size=2G
scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
smbios1: uuid=60ff2b5b-e37a-486d-b02e-d98a25ac3922
sockets: 1
vmgenid: 0ccb9db3-e77a-4634-89d4-7a75008a3531

CarlFK · Dec 28, 2023

Code:

root@pm2:~# cat /etc/pve/local/qemu-server/103.conf
boot: order=scsi0
cores: 1
cpu: x86-64-v2-AES
ide2: none,media=cdrom
memory: 8096
meta: creation-qemu=8.1.2,ctime=1703203746
name: cloud1
net0: virtio=BC:24:11:1F:8F:FC,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1
numa: 0
ostype: l26
scsi0: local:103/vm-103-disk-1.qcow2,iothread=1,size=32G
scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
smbios1: uuid=47af74cc-0fae-4791-9a34-c3f28cb98632
sockets: 1
unused0: local:103/vm-103-disk-0.raw
vmgenid: 98edc819-9040-435e-b5dc-aad7e260a480

CarlFK · Dec 28, 2023

update: it boots.

I replaced

Code:

scsi0: local:103/vm-103-disk-1.qcow2,iothread=1,size=32G
unused0: local:103/vm-103-disk-0.raw

with

Code:

scsi0: local:103/vm-103-disk-0.raw,iothread=1,size=32G

full file:

Code:

root@pm2:~# cat /etc/pve/local/qemu-server/103.conf
boot: order=scsi0;ide2;net0
cores: 1
cpu: x86-64-v2-AES
ide2: none,media=cdrom
memory: 8096
meta: creation-qemu=8.1.2,ctime=1703203746
name: cloud1
net0: virtio=BC:24:11:1F:8F:FC,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1
numa: 0
ostype: l26
scsi0: local:103/vm-103-disk-0.raw,iothread=1,size=32G
scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
smbios1: uuid=47af74cc-0fae-4791-9a34-c3f28cb98632
sockets: 1
vmgenid: 98edc819-9040-435e-b5dc-aad7e260a480

So, I have a login prompt. Not exactly sure what the right way to get this far is, but I'll sort that later.

Now what?
cloud-init time, right?

fdcastel · Sep 1, 2024

Coming late to the party, but for whoever is interested, I've been keeping some useful scripts here:

https://github.com/fdcastel/Proxmox-Automation

CarlFK · Sep 2, 2024

Nice.

Code:

./download-cloud-image.sh https://cloud.debian.org/images/cloud/bookworm/latest/debian-12-generic-amd64.qcow2

good.

Code:

./new-vm.sh 104 --image /var/lib/vz/template/iso/debian-12-generic-amd64.qcow2 --name c1 --sshkey ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

It gets to here:

Code:

pvesm alloc local-zfs 104 vm-104-efi 1M
storage 'local-zfs' does not exist

I guessed at a fix:

Code:

pvesm alloc local 104 vm-104-efi 1M
unable to parse volume filename 'vm-104-efi'

Should I log an issue on github?

CarlFK · Sep 2, 2024

Code:

videoteam@pm2:~/Proxmox-Automation$ sudo pvesm alloc local 104 vm-104-disk-0.raw 1M
Formatting '/var/lib/vz/images/104/vm-104-disk-0.raw', fmt=raw size=1048576 preallocation=off
successfully created 'local:104/vm-104-disk-0.raw'

Code:

root@pm2:~# pvesm alloc local 104 foo --format raw 1M
unable to parse volume filename 'foo'

I guess it wants .raw?

fdcastel · Sep 2, 2024

CarlFK said:
Code:

pvesm alloc local-zfs 104 vm-104-efi 1M storage 'local-zfs' does not exist

Sorry, Carl. Up until now, I've only used Proxmox VE with ZFS filesystems.

From the error message, I presume you're using something different? LVM, maybe?

CarlFK · Sep 2, 2024

I made it work, maybe.

Code:

# Disk 0: EFI
-pvesm alloc local-zfs $VM_ID vm-$VM_ID-efi 1M
-qm set $VM_ID --efidisk0 local-zfs:vm-$VM_ID-efi
+pvesm alloc local $VM_ID vm-$VM_ID-efi.raw 1M
+qm set $VM_ID --efidisk0 /var/lib/vz/images/${VM_ID}/vm-$VM_ID-efi.raw
 
 # Disk 1: Main disk
-qm importdisk $VM_ID $VM_IMAGE local-zfs
-qm set $VM_ID --scsi1 local-zfs:vm-$VM_ID-disk-0,discard=on,iothread=1,ssd=1 \
+qm importdisk $VM_ID $VM_IMAGE local
+qm set $VM_ID --scsi1 /var/lib/vz/images/${VM_ID}/vm-$VM_ID-disk-0.raw,discard=on,iothread=1,ssd=1 \
     --boot c \
     --bootdisk scsi1
+
 qm resize $VM_ID scsi1 $VM_DISKSIZE
 
 # Disk 2: cloud-init
-qm set $VM_ID --ide2 local-zfs:cloudinit
+qm set $VM_ID --ide2 local:cloudinit

https://github.com/CarlFK/Proxmox-Automation/blob/master/new-vm.sh

however:

Code:

+ qm cloudinit dump 104 user
+ INTERFACE_NAME=eth0
+ cat
+ '[' 0 -eq 1 ']'
+ qm start 104
generating cloud-init ISO
+ echo 'Waiting for VM 104...'
Waiting for VM 104...
+ qm agent 104 ping
QEMU guest agent is not running
+ sleep 2
+ qm agent 104 ping
QEMU guest agent is not running

The VM did boot, then reboot and get to a login:

but I never gave it a clout-init.yml file so I'm ... lost.

fdcastel · Sep 2, 2024

Your changes replaced the 'local-zfs' storage with 'local.' I don't have an equivalent system here to test it, but it seems okay to me.

CarlFK said:
The VM did boot, then reboot and get to a login:

This is the expected behavior.

The script uses cloud-init to initialize the VM. And then it uses cloud-init Power State Change module to reboot after all configuration modules have been executed.

CarlFK · Sep 2, 2024

oh look, it worked

I'd say this answers my question, elegantly even.
thank you.

I'll look into making this work with at least zfs and whatever I'm using - ext4 I think. I built a crash test box about a year ago and forget the details.

fdcastel · Sep 2, 2024

CarlFK said:
I'll look into making this work with at least zfs and whatever I'm using - ext4 I think.

Cool! But if you are using Proxmox, you may want to look into ZFS.

I've been using it for years and have never looked back.

CarlFK said:
I built a crash test box about a year ago and forget the details.

Tip: When building a new system, always keep a record of every command you use (at least, the ones that worked

).

It may seem like a daunting task at first, but it isn’t. Believe me.

A system that isn’t reproducible is only useful until the first crash. After that, you’re back to square one.

And... If you have to rely on your memory to bring a system up again, you’re going to have a bad time.

This is valid even for "test" systems. It's always useful to have a collection of commands that you know work for future use.

These scripts you see now are largely an evolution of the notes I started taking when I built my first Proxmox system.

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