Maintained by OVHcloud
The images are produced and maintained by OVHcloud. You do not have to worry about providing the classic system images, and updates are also provided by us.
Optimized for the OVHcloud infrastructure
The system images provided are specifically configured to make the most of the OVHcloud infrastructure. You enjoy the full performance offered by the instance.
Quick startup
System images from the Public Image Catalog are systematically cached on all hypervisors, so cloud servers start up in seconds.
On-the-fly configuration
Thanks to the "cloud-init" startup scripts, each instance can have a specific behaviour while still being based on a standard image. Cloud-init allows you to configure an infinite number of parameters and also launch scripts to customise each instance startup.
How to
List the images in the catalog
openstack image list --public
Display the properties of an image
openstack image show debian
Templates
Operating systems
Debian
A flagship distribution in the Linux world, Debian is recognised as one of the most stable distributions and benefits from a large user community around the world.
Ubuntu
Derived from Debian, this distribution stands out for its fast integration of different services, drivers and software on the market. It has established itself as a standard in the world of cloud computing.
Windows Server
Server version of Microsoft's operating system. Windows Server offers many services, and allows you to host applications that require a Microsoft environment.
CentOS 6
A free distribution, based on Red Hat, the most widely-used system in the corporate world. Its lifecycle is based on that of RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux).
Fedora
Community version of Red Hat. This distribution is often ahead of its time when it comes to the integration of new practices and technologies.
CoreOS
The Linux distribution designed to host distributed applications. It natively deploys Etcd, Kubernetes and Prometheus.
Archlinux
A popular Linux distribution with rolling upgrades that uses the Pacman package management system.
FreeBSD
As the only UNIX system not based on Linux, this BSD distribution uses a free license that is different to other Linux systems.
Pre-installed applications
WordPress
WordPress is a CMS (content management system) that facilitates multisite and multi-blog creation. Very popular and accessible thanks to its many options, it offers total control to its users.
Plesk
Plesk is a web management interface that allows you to manage one or more projects in a simplified way. It is ideal for companies that prefer a graphical user interface to command lines.
Virtualmin
Virtualmin is an open-source web hosting control panel, designed to facilitate the management of sites, email users, databases and web applications.
Docker
Docker is an open-source solution that allows applications to be deployed in software containers. The code launched inside a container is isolated, and works independently of the operating system (OS).
OpenVPN
OpenVPN is a complete open-source SSL VPN solution, offering all the features necessary for a site-to-site virtual private network (VPN).
Public Image Catalog billing
The Public Image Catalog offers system images for free. However, some of them may require a license.
What monthly availability commitment does OVHcloud offer for accessing the Public Image Catalog service?
The Service Level Agreement (SLA) offers 99.9% monthly availability for accessing the Public Image Catalog service.
Are the images official?
When cloud images are offered by publishers, OVHcloud delivers them as they are. This means you get exactly the same behavior as you would from other providers who use the same images. When the publisher does not provide a cloud image, we build custom images to work properly in the OVHcloud environment.
What is cloud-init?
Cloud-init is software installed on cloud images. It manages a certain number of primitives when an instance is booted, depending on its environment and "personality". This personality is defined by parameters such as its name, its network and disk configurations, and customization scripts that offer flexible automation. Cloud-init manages script formats like bash, and others that are more appropriate, such as cloud-config.
Where can I find documentation on cloud-init and cloud-config syntax?
Although the cloud-config syntax is simple, you may need documentation to set advanced configurations. You can find it here.
How do I update my operating system?
Once the instance has been deployed, you are responsible for maintaining your operating system. Even if OVHcloud updates its images, this does not affect instances that have already been deployed. You can use the standard system update channels on your instance.
I can't find the image I want in the list of images offered. What can I do?
OVHcloud provides a list of images for the most common uses. You may need something more specific. If this is the case, you can push a system image of your choice into the Private Image Catalog.
Will OVHcloud have access to my operating system if I use the images offered?
No, you are the sole administrator of your machine. OVHcloud does not have any access to your operating system.
What is a cloud image?
A cloud image is a single file with a virtual disk containing an operating system to install. This installation is made generic, so that it can be copied before running in a particular context when the user needs it. Most often, these are Linux or Windows installations.