This section walks through a minimal scenario: you create an Ubuntu 24.04 image, a disk from that image, and a virtual machine (VM), connect to it over the console, and then delete the created resources.

  • Using the CLI
  • Using the web interface

  1. Create a VirtualImage from an external source:

    d8 k apply -f - <<EOF
apiVersion: virtualization.deckhouse.io/v1alpha2
kind: VirtualImage
metadata:
  name: ubuntu
spec:
  storage: ContainerRegistry
  dataSource:
    type: HTTP
    http:
      url: https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/noble/current/noble-server-cloudimg-amd64.img
EOF

  2. Create a VirtualDisk from that image. Make sure the cluster has a default StorageClass, then apply the manifest:

    d8 k apply -f - <<EOF
apiVersion: virtualization.deckhouse.io/v1alpha2
kind: VirtualDisk
metadata:
  name: linux-disk
spec:
  dataSource:
    type: ObjectRef
    objectRef:
      kind: VirtualImage
      name: ubuntu
EOF

  3. Create a VirtualMachine. The example uses a cloud-init script that creates the cloud user:

    d8 k apply -f - <<EOF
apiVersion: virtualization.deckhouse.io/v1alpha2
kind: VirtualMachine
metadata:
  name: linux-vm
spec:
  virtualMachineClassName: generic
  cpu:
    cores: 1
  memory:
    size: 1Gi
  provisioning:
    type: UserData
    userData: |
      #cloud-config
      ssh_pwauth: True
      users:
        - name: cloud
          passwd: <PASSWORD_HASH>
          shell: /bin/bash
          sudo: ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
          lock_passwd: False
  blockDeviceRefs:
    - kind: VirtualDisk
      name: linux-disk
EOF

    Where <PASSWORD_HASH> is the hash of the user password, in quotes. Generate it with mkpasswd --method=SHA-512 --rounds=4096: the command prompts for the password and prints the ready value. The script format is described in the cloud-init documentation.

  4. Verify that the image and the disk are created and the VM is running. Resources don’t become ready instantly, so wait for the expected values in the PHASE column:

    d8 k get vi,vd,vm

    Example output:

    NAME                                                 PHASE   CDROM   PROGRESS   AGE
virtualimage.virtualization.deckhouse.io/ubuntu      Ready   false   100%       7h50m

NAME                                                 PHASE   CAPACITY   VIRTUALMACHINE   AGE
virtualdisk.virtualization.deckhouse.io/linux-disk   Ready   4Gi        linux-vm         7h40m

NAME                                                 PHASE     UPTIME   NODE           IPADDRESS    AGE
virtualmachine.virtualization.deckhouse.io/linux-vm  Running   7h30m    virtlab-pt-2   10.66.10.2   7h46m

  5. Connect to the VM over the console:

    d8 v console linux-vm

    Example output:

    Successfully connected to linux-vm console. The escape sequence is ^]

linux-vm login: cloud
Password:
...
cloud@linux-vm:~$

    To exit the console, press Ctrl+].

  6. Delete the created resources:

    d8 k delete vm linux-vm
d8 k delete vd linux-disk
d8 k delete vi ubuntu

  1. Create an image from an external source:

    1. Go to the Projects tab and select the project you need.
    2. Go to Virtualization → Images.
    3. Click Create.
    4. In the Source block, select By link.
    5. In the form that opens, enter ubuntu in the Image name field.
    6. In the Storage block, select ContainerRegistry in the Storage type field.
    7. In the URL field, paste https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/noble/current/noble-server-cloudimg-amd64.img.
    8. Click Create.
    9. Check the image status on its page.

  2. Create a disk from that image. You can skip this step and create the disk while creating the VM.

    1. Go to Virtualization → Disks.
    2. Click Create.
    3. In the form that opens, enter linux-disk in the Disk name field.
    4. In the Source field, select the ubuntu image from the drop-down list.
    5. If required, specify a larger size in the Size field, for example 5Gi.
    6. In the Storage class field, select a StorageClass or keep the default one.
    7. Click Create.
    8. Check the disk status on its page.

    If the selected StorageClass uses the WaitForFirstConsumer mode, the disk waits for the VM that uses it. Until then, the disk shows the “CREATING 0%” status, but you can already select it when creating a VM.

  3. Create a virtual machine:

    1. Go to Virtualization → Virtual machines.
    2. Click Create.
    3. In the form that opens, enter linux-vm in the Name field.
    4. In the Platform and Resources sections, keep the default settings.

    5. In the Disks section, click Add.

      If the disk is already created, select Existing in the Disks / Images window that opens and pick linux-disk from the list.

      If the disk isn’t created, select Create from in the same window and set the parameters:

      • In the Name field, enter linux-disk.
      • In the Source field, select the ubuntu image from the drop-down list. The list shows the resource type.
      • If required, specify a larger size in the Size field, for example 5Gi.
      • In the Storage field, select a StorageClass or keep the default one.

      Click Add.

    6. Scroll down to the Cloud-init toggle and enable it.

    7. Paste the script into the field that appears, replacing <PASSWORD_HASH> with the password hash in quotes, generated with mkpasswd --method=SHA-512 --rounds=4096:

      #cloud-config
ssh_pwauth: True
users:
  - name: cloud
    passwd: <PASSWORD_HASH>
    shell: /bin/bash
    sudo: ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
    lock_passwd: False
    8. Click Create.
    9. Check the VM status on its page.

  4. Connect to the VM over the console:

    1. Go to Virtualization → Virtual machines.
    2. Select the VM from the list and click its name.
    3. In the form that opens, go to the TTY tab and log in to the console window.

  5. Delete the created resources:

    1. Go to Virtualization and select the section you need, for example Virtual machines, Disks, or Images.
    2. In the resource row, click the ellipsis button and select Delete. In some lists, for example in the list of VM snapshots, deletion is a separate button.
    3. In the confirmation window, click Delete or cancel the action with Don’t delete.

    Important: Deleting a resource is irreversible. A disk attached to a running virtual machine can’t be deleted, and the Delete item is inactive for it.

Additional resources