> ## 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 a dedicated VM with the required custom software. [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.

## How to create a custom boot disk image

To create an image from an existing boot disk:

<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/1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS/_assets/sidebar/storage.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS&q=85&s=0a2dad6b48aea10e85f6f3e2343aee26" 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 required parameters:

       * **Name**: Name of your image.
       * **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 currently running VMs. Stop the VM before attempting to create an image.
             </Note>

    4. (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.

    5. (Optional) Specify the image description.

    6. (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`.

    7. Click **Create image**.

    The new image will appear in the **Images** tab in <Icon icon="https://mintcdn.com/nebius-ai-cloud/1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS/_assets/sidebar/storage.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS&q=85&s=0a2dad6b48aea10e85f6f3e2343aee26" 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 currently running VM, 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 from a boot disk:

       ```bash theme={null}
       nebius compute image create \
          --name <image_name> \
          --parent-id <project_ID> \
          --source-disk-id computedisk-e*** \
          --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 contains the following parameters:

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

       * `--parent-id`: ID of the project that the source disk belongs to.

       * `--source-disk-id`: ID of the source disk that you want to create an image from.

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

       * `--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/1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS/_assets/sidebar/storage.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS&q=85&s=0a2dad6b48aea10e85f6f3e2343aee26" 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/1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS/_assets/sidebar/storage.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=1Ha0sWR6e1mnIaHS&q=85&s=0a2dad6b48aea10e85f6f3e2343aee26" 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>