> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nebius.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating custom boot disk images

*Custom images* allow you to quickly [create virtual machines (VMs)](#how-to-create-a-vm-from-a-custom-image) or boot disks with all the necessary software, OS and configuration, which can greatly reduce infrastructure deployment time and ensure consistency across environments.

You can [create](#how-to-create-a-custom-boot-disk-image) and [edit or delete](#how-to-edit-or-delete-a-custom-boot-disk-image) custom [boot disk images](/compute/storage/boot-disk-images) in the web console or by using the CLI. Alternatively, you can create custom boot disk images by using [Packer with the Nebius plug-in](/compute/storage/packer).

## Before you start

1. Make sure that you have enough quotas for images (**Number of images** and **Total storage capacity of all images**). You can view quotas and request changes on the [Administration → Limits → Quotas](https://console.nebius.com/limits/quotas) page of the web console.
2. Prepare the source from which the image inherits configuration and architecture. Choose one of the following types of sources:

   * Boot disk. [Create a VM](/compute/virtual-machines/manage#create-a-vm), [connect to it](/compute/virtual-machines/connect) and install the software that the image should inherit. The image will be based on the boot disk of this VM and will include the installed software.
   * Disk snapshot. [Create a snapshot](/compute/storage/disk-snapshots#how-to-create-a-snapshot) from a boot disk and reuse this snapshot for the image.
   * File with the ready image. [Upload an image file to a bucket](/object-storage/objects/upload-download#upload-a-single-file) in Object Storage and use this file to create the image.

## How to create a custom boot disk image

<Tabs group="interfaces">
  <Tab title="Web console">
    1. In the [web console](https://console.nebius.com), go to <Icon icon="https://mintcdn.com/nebius-ai-cloud/rOlLZ_MFvrheaI-h/_assets/sidebar/storage.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=rOlLZ_MFvrheaI-h&q=85&s=f060b15cbd82c08f84599faeeeb07ece" width="16" height="16" data-path="_assets/sidebar/storage.svg" /> **Storage** → **Disks**.

    2. Click **Create resource** and then select **Image**.

    3. In the window that opens, specify the name of your image.

    4. Select the image source:

       * **Disk**: Create an image from a disk. Specify the following parameters:

         * **Project of source disk**: Project that the source disk of your image belongs to.
         * **Source disk**: Disk used as the source for your image. The image will retain the basic architecture, size and installed software of the source disk.

               <Note>
                 You cannot create images from disks that are attached to a VM that is currently running. Stop the VM before attempting to create an image.
               </Note>

       * **Snapshot**: Create an image from a disk snapshot. Select the snapshot in the **Source snapshot** field.

       * **Object Storage file**: Import an image from a bucket. Specify the path to the file that you uploaded to the bucket. For example, `s3://nebius-bucket-test/my-image-file.qcow2`.

         You can copy and paste this value. To copy it, go to the bucket page. In the line of the uploaded image file, click <Icon icon="https://mintcdn.com/nebius-ai-cloud/1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS/_assets/button-vellipsis.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS&q=85&s=e80b8e57c43bfd117679262e6a1334ad" width="12" height="24" data-path="_assets/button-vellipsis.svg" /> → **Copy key**.

         For information about requirements to the image file, see [Importing your own image into Compute](/compute/storage/import-image#prerequisites).

    5. (Optional) Specify the image family. It represents a new or existing label used to group your custom images into a family. If you create a VM or a boot disk from this image family, you will use the latest image in the family.

    6. (Optional) Specify the image description.

    7. (Optional) Under **Advanced settings**, specify:

       * **Image family description**: Description of the family that your new image belongs to (if you specified one).
       * **Recommended platforms**: Comma-separated list of compatible [platforms](/compute/virtual-machines/types) that your image will use by default.
       * **Unsupported platforms**: Comma-separated list of platforms that your image architecture is *not* compatible with. Must be in the `<platform>=<description>` format. For example, `gpu-l40s-d=not supported`.

    8. Click **Create image**.

    The new image will appear on the **Images** tab in <Icon icon="https://mintcdn.com/nebius-ai-cloud/rOlLZ_MFvrheaI-h/_assets/sidebar/storage.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=rOlLZ_MFvrheaI-h&q=85&s=f060b15cbd82c08f84599faeeeb07ece" width="16" height="16" data-path="_assets/sidebar/storage.svg" /> **Storage** → **Disks**.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="CLI">
    1. If the source disk for your image is attached to a VM that is currently running, stop it:

       ```bash theme={null}
       nebius compute instance stop --id <VM_ID>
       ```

       To get the VM ID, run <code>nebius compute instance list</code>.

    2. Create an image:

       ```bash theme={null}
       nebius compute image create \
          --name <image_name> \
          --source-disk-id <disk_ID> \
          --parent-id <project_ID> \
          --source-disk-snapshot-id <snapshot_ID> \
          --source-storage-bucket-name <bucket_name> \
          --source-storage-object-name <object_name> \
          --image-family <image_family_name> \
          --description <image_description> \
          --image-family-human-readable <image_family_description> \
          --recommended-platforms "<platform_1>,<platform_2>,..." \
          --unsupported-platforms "<platform>=<description>"
       ```

       The command includes the following parameters:

       * `--name`: Name of your image.

       * Image sources. Use one of the following:

         * `--source-disk-id`: ID of the source disk that you want to create an image from. Use together with `--parent-id`: ID of the project that the source disk belongs to.

           To get both `--parent-id` and `--source-disk-id`, run `nebius compute disk list`.

         * `--source-disk-snapshot-id`: ID of the [disk snapshot](/compute/storage/disk-snapshots) that you want to create an image from.

           To get the snapshot ID, run `nebius compute disk-snapshot list`.

         * `--source-storage-bucket-name` and `--source-storage-object-name`: Bucket and object that contain the source image.

           You can import an image from a file that meets certain [requirements](/compute/storage/import-image#prerequisites). To do so, upload this file to a bucket. Then, specify the name of this bucket in the `--source-storage-bucket-name` parameter and the name of the file in the `--source-storage-object-name` parameter.

               <Accordion title="Creating an image from a bucket">
                 ```bash theme={null}
                 nebius compute image create \
                    --name <image_name> \
                    --source-storage-bucket-name <bucket_name> \
                    --source-storage-object-name <object_name>
                 ```
               </Accordion>

       * `--image-family` (optional): New or existing label used to group your custom images into a family. If you create a VM or a boot disk from this image family, you will use the latest image in the family.

       * `--description` (optional): Description of your image.

       * `--image-family-human-readable` (optional): Description of the family that your new image belongs to (if you specified one).

       * `--recommended-platforms` (optional): Comma-separated list of compatible [platforms](/compute/virtual-machines/types) that your image will use by default.

       * `--unsupported-platforms` (optional): Comma-separated list of platforms that your image architecture is *not* compatible with. Must be in the `<platform>=<description>` format. For example, `gpu-l40s-d=not supported`.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## How to edit or delete a custom boot disk image

<Tabs group="interfaces">
  <Tab title="Web console">
    1. In the [web console](https://console.nebius.com), go to <Icon icon="https://mintcdn.com/nebius-ai-cloud/rOlLZ_MFvrheaI-h/_assets/sidebar/storage.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=rOlLZ_MFvrheaI-h&q=85&s=f060b15cbd82c08f84599faeeeb07ece" width="16" height="16" data-path="_assets/sidebar/storage.svg" /> **Storage** → **Disks**.

    2. Switch to the **Images** tab and open the image you want to access.

       The **Image overview** tab shows detailed information about the image and the source disk that it's based on.

    3. On the image page, switch to the **Settings** tab.

    4. Update the image name or click **Delete image** to delete it.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="CLI">
    * To check the status of your image, run:

      ```bash theme={null}
      nebius compute image get computeimage-e***
      ```

      To get the image ID, run <code>nebius compute image list</code>.

    * To edit your image (for example, rename it), run:

      ```bash theme={null}
      nebius compute image update computeimage-e***
      ```

      For more information about the command parameters, see the [command reference](/cli/reference/compute/image/update).

    * To delete your image, run:

      ```bash theme={null}
      nebius compute image delete computeimage-e***
      ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## How to create a VM from a custom image

After your custom boot disk image is ready, you can deploy a VM from it or create a boot disk based on this image.

<Tabs group="interfaces">
  <Tab title="Web console">
    To create a VM from a custom image:

    1. In the [web console](https://console.nebius.com), go to <Icon icon="https://mintcdn.com/nebius-ai-cloud/rOlLZ_MFvrheaI-h/_assets/sidebar/storage.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=rOlLZ_MFvrheaI-h&q=85&s=f060b15cbd82c08f84599faeeeb07ece" width="16" height="16" data-path="_assets/sidebar/storage.svg" /> **Storage** → **Disks** → **Images**.
    2. Next to the image, click <Icon icon="https://mintcdn.com/nebius-ai-cloud/1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS/_assets/button-vellipsis.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS&q=85&s=e80b8e57c43bfd117679262e6a1334ad" width="12" height="24" data-path="_assets/button-vellipsis.svg" /> → **Create virtual machine**.
    3. [Configure and create the VM](/compute/virtual-machines/manage#create-a-vm).

    <Note>
      You can also select a custom image on the VM creation page. To do that, click <Icon icon="https://mintcdn.com/nebius-ai-cloud/1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS/_assets/pencil-to-line.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS&q=85&s=9f557f28487b7fec78ae7508b5b6a145" width="16" height="16" data-path="_assets/pencil-to-line.svg" /> in the **Boot disk** section and select your custom image or image family in **Image configuration**.
    </Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="CLI">
    1. Create a boot disk based on a custom image:

       ```bash theme={null}
       nebius compute disk create \
          --name <disk_name> \
          --type network_<ssd|ssd_non_replicated|ssd_io_m3> \
          --size-gibibytes <size> \
          --block-size-bytes <block_size> \
          --source-image-id computeimage-***
       ```

       To get the image ID, run <code>nebius compute image list</code>.

    2. [Create a VM](/compute/virtual-machines/manage#create-a-vm) with the new disk.

       Use the ID of the boot disk created earlier with the `--boot-disk-existing-disk-id` parameter.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>