Create Images from ISO

If a particular operating system image is not available from a linked marketplace; for example, Red Hat or SUSE Enterprise Linux, a gold image can be created using an ISO downloaded from the supplier’s web site.

Upload the ISO#

• In the VM Squared GUI dashboard, navigate to Storage -> Images

• Click the and select Create Image.

• Add a name for the image.

• Set the Type as Operating system image.

• Select the Upload option

• Browse to the downloaded ISO on the local machine and select it for uploading:

  

Create an image for the boot disk#

• In Images, click the and select Create Image again
• Set the Type to Operating system image.

• Select Empty disk image
• Enter the size in MB.

Create initial template#

Navigate to Templates -> VMs

• Click the to start the Template creation wizard.
• Fill in the name - [OS name] Installation (e.g. SUSE Installation).
• Add Memory in MB.
• Add Physical and Virtual CPU.

• Switch to the Storage tab

  • Click the
  • Select the ISO first as DISK 0, then next and Finish to add to template.
  • Select the empty disk image second as DISK 1.

• Add a network interface on the Network tab if required - this is useful for pulling the latest software versions if your OS connects to external repositories
  

  If there is a desire to interact with the console via the dashboard VNC, be sure on the Input/Output tab to click on VNC under graphics and have the listen IP set to 0.0.0.0. No password is required for this function; however, the maximum accepted length is eight (8) characters.

  Also, under Inputs, select tablet and usb from their respective dropdown menus and click the Add button.

  • Click

Install operating system#

1. Once the template has been created, it can be selected for instantiation.

   • Enter a name for the VM.
   • Click

   At this point, the new instance should appear under Virtual Machines -> VMs.

2. Click on the VM and open a VNC session.

3. Use the VNC session to install the new operating system as per usual dialog method.

4. After the installation process is complete, power off the VM - either via the command line or from Virtual Machines -> VMs in the Dashboard.

5. The installed VM will now be deleted by checking the box next to the VM in the VM list and pressing the on the header ribbon, but make sure the images are not removed as well. The datablock, flagged as persistent, will retain the installed OS.

Update disk and template#

1. Modify the image to be used for VMs:

   • Navigate to Storage -> Images.
   • Select the empty disk image created to install the OS.
   • Click on the 3-dot dropdown menu at the top of the window and select Non Persistent.
   

2. The VM template created during the initial instantiation and installation can be modified to reference only the newly created OS image by removing the other disks (Installer ISO, etc.).

   Permissions may need to be altered to allow users to instantiate VMs from the template.