VM Templates Used in Vesta Lab¶

Using base VM templates ensures consistent deployment, fast provisioning, and automated scaling. Below are the most common templates used in the lab.

1. Debian 12 (Bookworm) – Netinst Template¶

Creation Steps¶

Download the ISO:
https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/iso-cd/
Create VM in Proxmox:
1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB Disk (SCSI)
Network: vmbr0, tag as needed
BIOS: SeaBIOS, Machine: i440fx
Boot ISO, install with minimal options
Configure static IP if needed

After first boot:

apt update && apt upgrade -y
apt install sudo curl vim net-tools qemu-guest-agent -y
systemctl enable qemu-guest-agent

Clean up:
```
apt clean
```
Shutdown and convert to template from Proxmox UI.

2. Ubuntu 22.04 Cloud-Init Image¶

Download and Import¶

wget https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/jammy/current/jammy-server-cloudimg-amd64.img
qm create 9000 --name ubuntu-2204-cloud --memory 1024 --net0 virtio,bridge=vmbr0
qm importdisk 9000 jammy-server-cloudimg-amd64.img local-lvm
qm set 9000 --scsihw virtio-scsi-pci --scsi0 local-lvm:vm-9000-disk-0
qm set 9000 --ide2 local-lvm:cloudinit
qm set 9000 --boot c --bootdisk scsi0
qm set 9000 --serial0 socket --vga serial0

Then use Cloud-Init in Proxmox to inject SSH key, hostname, IP, and packages.

3. Maintenance Recommendations¶

Regularly update and re-template to apply kernel and package fixes.
Keep base template minimal: no extra services.
Use Cloud-Init wherever possible for faster automation.

Result¶

Using lightweight templates saves time, ensures consistency, and helps automate service deployment across the lab.