Overview
The Images panel under Project → Compute → Images provides access to all images and snapshots available in your project. This includes public images shared by your administrator, private images you upload, and snapshots you capture from running instances.Prerequisites
memberrole for viewing and launching from images- Images must be in
Activestatus to be launchable - For uploading images: file size limit is enforced by your administrator (typically 100 GB per image)
Image List
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Image display name (click to open detail view) |
| Type | Image (uploaded) or Snapshot (from instance) |
| Status | Active, Queued, Saving, Deactivated, Deleted |
| Visibility | Public (all projects), Private (current project only), Shared |
| Protected | Protected images cannot be deleted without removing protection first |
| Disk Format | qcow2, raw, vmdk, iso, etc. |
| Size | Disk image size |
Upload an Image
Fill in image details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Image Name | Descriptive name (e.g., Ubuntu-24.04-LTS) |
| Image Description | Optional description |
| File | Upload a local image file (qcow2, raw, vmdk, iso) |
| Format | Select format matching the file (usually QCOW2 - QEMU Emulator) |
| Architecture | x86_64 (Intel/AMD 64-bit) or aarch64 (ARM) |
| Minimum Disk (GB) | Minimum root disk size required to launch |
| Minimum RAM (MB) | Minimum RAM required to launch |
| Visibility | Private (project-only) or Public (admin only) |
| Protected | Prevent accidental deletion |
Instance Snapshots
Snapshots capture the current state of a running instance’s root disk as a reusable image.- Create Snapshot
- Launch from Snapshot
Share Images
Share a private image with other projects without making it fully public.Get the target project ID
The recipient project owner must provide their Project ID. They can find it in Identity → Projects or via CLI:
Get project ID
Share the image
In the image row, open Actions → Edit Image. This operation requires
admin or image owner role.For project-level sharing, use the CLI:Share image with another project
Image Metadata and Properties
Image properties control how instances launched from the image are configured at the hypervisor level. Navigate to Project → Compute → Images, click the image name, and select the Image Metadata tab to view and edit properties.| Key | Example Value | Effect |
|---|---|---|
hw_disk_bus | virtio | Disk controller type (virtio recommended) |
hw_vif_model | virtio | Network interface model |
hw_machine_type | q35 | Machine type (q35 supports UEFI/PCIe) |
os_secure_boot | required | Requires UEFI Secure Boot on launch |
os_type | linux | OS type hint for hypervisor |
img_config_drive | mandatory | Forces config drive on all instances |
Next Steps
Images User Guide
Full image service documentation including formats and conversion
Launch an Instance
Use an image to launch a new compute instance
Image Formats
Supported formats and conversion between them
Image Security
Signing, validation, and access control for images