Operating systems

Template Guide

Build reliable Linux and Windows templates for automated provisioning, OS reinstalls, password handling, and customer use.

VMNexor documentation is actively evolving. Some features, wording, and screenshots may change during beta.

Template purpose

Templates are the base images VMNexor clones when creating or reinstalling virtual machines. A good template should boot cleanly, accept network configuration, support guest actions where required, and avoid machine-specific state being copied into every new VM.

General Proxmox checklist

  • Use VirtIO where possible for disk and network devices
  • Enable QEMU Guest Agent on the VM options
  • Install the QEMU Guest Agent inside the guest OS
  • Keep storage and network bridge names consistent across nodes
  • Boot and test the VM before converting it to a template

Linux template checklist

  • Install cloud-init where supported
  • Install and enable qemu-guest-agent
  • Enable SSH access
  • Clean old machine IDs where appropriate
  • Confirm networking applies correctly after clone
  • Test DNS resolution after provisioning

Ubuntu baseline notes

Ubuntu is the recommended Linux baseline for early VMNexor template testing because its cloud-init and netplan behaviour is predictable when the template is prepared cleanly.

Debian baseline notes

Debian templates may need extra attention around interfaces.d, resolv.conf, dhcpcd, and systemd-resolved depending on how the base image was built. Always test routed /32 networking and DNS after deployment.

Example Linux prep commands

apt update\napt install -y qemu-guest-agent cloud-init\nsystemctl enable --now qemu-guest-agent\nsystemctl status qemu-guest-agent --no-pager

Windows template checklist

  • Install VirtIO drivers
  • Install QEMU Guest Agent
  • Install and configure Cloudbase-Init
  • Use Sysprep where required
  • Confirm the guest agent reports running in Proxmox
  • Test password handling before making the template available to customers

Windows account guidance

  • Windows 10 and Windows 11 should use a dedicated local admin user such as Admin
  • Disable the built-in Administrator account on Windows desktop templates where appropriate
  • Windows Server templates may standardise on the built-in Administrator account if that matches your support model

Windows guest agent check

Get-Service *qemu* -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Convert to template

qm shutdown <vmid>\nqm template <vmid>

VMNexor validation checklist

  • Template appears in the correct VMNexor template list
  • Template is assigned to the correct plans
  • Reinstall policy allows only safe templates
  • Provisioning works on a disposable test service
  • Reinstall works on a disposable test service
  • Customer password or first-login flow behaves as expected

Do not publish a template until

  • A fresh VM provisions successfully
  • Networking works after reboot
  • DNS works inside the guest
  • Console access works
  • Guest agent actions work where required
  • Reinstall has been tested from VMNexor
© 2026 VMNexor. All rights reserved.