Template Virtual Machines - Revision history

Wikisailor: /* Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP) */

2026-02-15T05:42:16Z

Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP)

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:42, 15 February 2026
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	====Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP)====		====Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP)====

	The original template was setting the hostname and IP address with cloud-init however it has too many conflicts with mint to be viable. Instead the base template sets an IP address of 192.168.99.200 and a random hostname. To set a new hostname and IP ~~address~~ there is a script that can be run as root to reset them to something more suitable		The original template was setting the hostname and IP address with cloud-init however it has too many conflicts with mint to be viable. Instead the base template sets an IP address of 192.168.99.200 and a random hostname. To set a new hostname, IP address and Gateway IP Address there is a script that can be run as root to reset them to something more suitable
	sudo ./set-identity.sh NewHostname IPAddress		sudo ./set-identity.sh NewHostname IPAddress GatewayAddress
	The script should delete any old ssh identity keys and set the region to UK as well as the new IP and hostname, it does not reboot.		The script should delete any old ssh identity keys and set the region to UK as well as the new IP and hostname, it does not reboot.

			The NIC is set to VLAN 99 so it will need to be changed in the Hardware section of the web GUI to whatever VLAN is required if not the new IP will not work inside a alternative VLAN

	===Remote Access (ssh)===		===Remote Access (ssh)===
	You can now jump straight into the machine from Grape, Lemon, satsuma, elric@walnut, elric@wahoo or Raisin without a password:		You can now jump straight into the machine from Grape, Lemon, satsuma, elric@walnut, elric@wahoo or Raisin without a password:
	ssh nigel@<new-IP-address>		ssh nigel@<new-IP-address>

Wikisailor: /* Troubleshooting: Static IP Failures (NetworkManager Conflict) */

2026-02-15T05:14:15Z

Troubleshooting: Static IP Failures (NetworkManager Conflict)

@@ Line 119: / Line 119: @@
   sudo ./set-identity.sh NewHostname IPAddress
 The script should delete any old ssh identity keys and set the region to UK as well as the new IP and hostname, it does not reboot.
 ===Remote Access (ssh)===
 You can now jump straight into the machine from Grape, Lemon, satsuma, elric@walnut, elric@wahoo or Raisin without a password:
   ssh nigel@<new-IP-address>

Wikisailor: /* Troubleshooting the "Locked" Desktop */

2026-02-15T05:13:06Z

Troubleshooting the "Locked" Desktop

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:13, 15 February 2026
Line 119:		Line 119:
	sudo ./set-identity.sh NewHostname IPAddress		sudo ./set-identity.sh NewHostname IPAddress
	The script should delete any old ssh identity keys and set the region to UK as well as the new IP and hostname, it does not reboot.		The script should delete any old ssh identity keys and set the region to UK as well as the new IP and hostname, it does not reboot.

	~~===Troubleshooting the "Locked" Desktop===~~

	~~If the cidata disk remains on the desktop or the hostname doesn't change:~~
	* Ensure you clicked Regenerate Image before the first boot.
	* If you need to change the IP after the first boot, you must change it in the Cloud-Init tab, click Regenerate Image, and then Reboot the VM.

	===Troubleshooting: Static IP Failures (NetworkManager Conflict)===		===Troubleshooting: Static IP Failures (NetworkManager Conflict)===

Wikisailor: /* First Boot & Verification */

2026-02-15T05:11:30Z

First Boot & Verification

@@ Line 119: / Line 119: @@
   sudo ./set-identity.sh NewHostname IPAddress
 The script should delete any old ssh identity keys and set the region to UK as well as the new IP and hostname, it does not reboot.
 ===Troubleshooting the "Locked" Desktop===

Wikisailor: /* Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP) */

2026-02-15T05:10:55Z

Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP)

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:10, 15 February 2026
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	====Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP)====		====Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP)====

	~~Crucial: Do NOT start~~ the ~~VM yet.~~		The original template was setting the hostname and IP address with cloud-init however it has too many conflicts with mint to be viable. Instead the base template sets an IP address of 192.168.99.200 and a random hostname. To set a new hostname and IP address there is a script that can be run as root to reset them to something more suitable
	* Select the newly created VM and ~~go to the Cloud~~-~~Init tab.~~		sudo ./set-identity.sh NewHostname IPAddress
	* IP Config (eth0):		The script should delete any old ssh identity keys and set the region to UK as well as the new IP and hostname, it does not reboot.
	** For DHCP: Ensure it ~~is set~~ to ~~DHCP~~.
	** For Static: Select Static, then enter the IP ~~in CIDR format (e.g.,~~ 192.168.~~110~~.~~50/24)~~ and ~~the Gateway (e.g., 192.168.110.1)~~.
	* DNS: Ensure the DNS server (192.~~168.110.11) and Search Domains (seaoffate.net) are correct~~.
	* Password/SSH: Verify your SSH keys ~~for Grape, Lemon,~~ and ~~Raisin are in~~ the ~~box.~~
	* Hostname: select the ~~Options tab~~ and ~~Double-click and enter your desired name (e.g.~~, ~~mint-workstation-01).~~
	* The Final Step: Click the Regenerate Image button at the top of the tab.

	====First Boot & Verification====		====First Boot & Verification====

Wikisailor: /* Maintenance Commands */

2026-02-15T04:56:46Z

Maintenance Commands

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:56, 15 February 2026
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	===Maintenance Commands===		===Maintenance Commands===

	If we ever need to update the base template, run these before converting back:		If we ever need to update the base template, run these before converting back to a new template
	* Update:		* Update:
	sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y		sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
	* Clean:
	~~sudo cloud-init clean --logs~~
	* Generalize:		* Generalize:
	sudo truncate -s 0 /etc/machine-id		sudo truncate -s 0 /etc/machine-id

Wikisailor: /* Installed Optimizations */

2026-02-15T04:55:59Z

Installed Optimizations

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:55, 15 February 2026
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	* QEMU Guest Agent: Installed (apt install qemu-guest-agent) for graceful shutdowns and IP reporting.		* QEMU Guest Agent: Installed (apt install qemu-guest-agent) for graceful shutdowns and IP reporting.
	* SPICE vdagent: Installed and modified with a 5-second boot delay (via systemd override) to fix VirtIO-GPU clipboard sync issues.		* SPICE vdagent: Installed and modified with a 5-second boot delay (via systemd override) to fix VirtIO-GPU clipboard sync issues.
	* Cloud-Init: ~~Fully configured.~~		* Cloud-Init: disabled due to conflicts with mint
	** User: nigel (Primary Admin)		** User: nigel (Primary Admin)
	** Network Renderer: Forced to NetworkManager for desktop compatibility.		** Network Renderer: Forced to NetworkManager for desktop compatibility.

Wikisailor: /* Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP) */

2026-02-08T18:04:05Z

Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP)

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:04, 8 February 2026
Line 120:		Line 120:
	Crucial: Do NOT start the VM yet.		Crucial: Do NOT start the VM yet.
	* Select the newly created VM and go to the Cloud-Init tab.		* Select the newly created VM and go to the Cloud-Init tab.
	* Hostname: Double-click and enter your desired name (e.g., mint-workstation-01).
	* IP Config (eth0):		* IP Config (eth0):
	** For DHCP: Ensure it is set to DHCP.		** For DHCP: Ensure it is set to DHCP.
Line 126:		Line 125:
	* DNS: Ensure the DNS server (192.168.110.11) and Search Domains (seaoffate.net) are correct.		* DNS: Ensure the DNS server (192.168.110.11) and Search Domains (seaoffate.net) are correct.
	* Password/SSH: Verify your SSH keys for Grape, Lemon, and Raisin are in the box.		* Password/SSH: Verify your SSH keys for Grape, Lemon, and Raisin are in the box.
			* Hostname: select the Options tab and Double-click and enter your desired name (e.g., mint-workstation-01).
	* The Final Step: Click the Regenerate Image button at the top of the tab.		* The Final Step: Click the Regenerate Image button at the top of the tab.

Wikisailor: /* How to Deploy a New VM from Template */

2026-02-02T10:23:22Z

How to Deploy a New VM from Template

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:23, 2 February 2026
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	====Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP)====		====Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP)====

			Crucial: Do NOT start the VM yet.
			* Select the newly created VM and go to the Cloud-Init tab.
			* Hostname: Double-click and enter your desired name (e.g., mint-workstation-01).
			* IP Config (eth0):
			** For DHCP: Ensure it is set to DHCP.
			** For Static: Select Static, then enter the IP in CIDR format (e.g., 192.168.110.50/24) and the Gateway (e.g., 192.168.110.1).
			* DNS: Ensure the DNS server (192.168.110.11) and Search Domains (seaoffate.net) are correct.
			* Password/SSH: Verify your SSH keys for Grape, Lemon, and Raisin are in the box.
			* The Final Step: Click the Regenerate Image button at the top of the tab.

			====First Boot & Verification====
			* Start the VM.
			* Wait about 60 seconds (Cloud-Init runs during the first boot to rename the system).
			* Verify via Terminal:
			** Check Name:
			hostname
			** Check IP:
			ip a
			* Check DNS has search seaoffate.net:
			cat /etc/resolv.conf

			===Troubleshooting the "Locked" Desktop===

			If the cidata disk remains on the desktop or the hostname doesn't change:
			* Ensure you clicked Regenerate Image before the first boot.
			* If you need to change the IP after the first boot, you must change it in the Cloud-Init tab, click Regenerate Image, and then Reboot the VM.

			===Troubleshooting: Static IP Failures (NetworkManager Conflict)===

			If your Cloud-Init static IP settings are being ignored and the VM keeps pulling a DHCP address (or has no IP at all), follow these steps:
			====Force the Cloud-Init Renderer====
			The most common fix is telling Cloud-Init that it must talk to NetworkManager specifically.
			** Open the VM terminal and run:
			sudo nano /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-network-manager.cfg
			** Ensure the file contains only these lines:
			system_info:
			network:
			renderers: [NetworkManager]
			Save and exit. This ensures Cloud-Init creates a NetworkManager "profile" instead of a generic system config.

			====Clean the "Stale" Connections====
			Sometimes NetworkManager has a saved "Wired Connection 1" profile that is set to DHCP, which overrides the Cloud-Init config.
			* List active connections:
			nmcli connection show
			* If there are multiple connections for the same interface (eth0), delete the old one:
			sudo nmcli connection delete "Wired connection 1"
			* Cloud-Init will now be able to recreate the correct static profile on the next reboot.

			====Verify the Config File Location====

			When Cloud-Init works correctly with NetworkManager, it creates a file in the following location:
			/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/cloud-init-eth0.nmconnection
			* If this file exists: Check its contents (sudo cat ...) to see if the static IP matches what you put in Proxmox.
			* If it does NOT exist: Cloud-Init failed to write the config. Check the logs:
			sudo grep "network" /var/log/cloud-init.log.

			====The "Nuclear" Option (Manual Fix)====

			If you are in a hurry and Cloud-Init is still being stubborn, you can manually set the static IP via the command line, which will persist in NetworkManager:
			sudo nmcli con mod "cloud-init-eth0" ipv4.addresses 192.168.110.50/24 ipv4.gateway 192.168.110.1 ipv4.dns "192.168.110.11" ipv4.method manual
			sudo nmcli con up "cloud-init-eth0"


			===Remote Access (ssh)===
			You can now jump straight into the machine from Grape, Lemon, satsuma, elric@walnut, elric@wahoo or Raisin without a password:
			ssh nigel@<new-IP-address>

Wikisailor: /* Mint-22.3-Zena-Cinnamon */

2026-02-02T09:59:05Z

Mint-22.3-Zena-Cinnamon

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:59, 2 February 2026
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	==Mint-22.3-Zena-Cinnamon==		==Mint-22.3-Zena-Cinnamon==

			Created: Feb 2026 \| OS: Linux Mint 22.3 (Ubuntu 24.04.3 Base) \| Kernel: 6.14+

			===Proxmox Hardware Configuration===

			* BIOS OVMF (UEFI) Modern standard for Mint 22.3
			* Machine q35 Better PCIe bus handling for VirtIO
			* Display VirtIO-GPU Crucial: Required for Cinnamon 6.6 performance
			* CPU x86-64-v2-AES (or Host) Minimum 2 Cores for a smooth desktop
			* Memory 4096 MiB 2GB is minimum, 4GB is the "comfort" sweet spot
			* Network VirtIO (paravirtualized) Standard bridge (vmbr0)
			* Guest Agent Enabled Checkbox in 'Options' tab must be ON
			* Added Serial port

			===Installed Optimizations===
			* QEMU Guest Agent: Installed (apt install qemu-guest-agent) for graceful shutdowns and IP reporting.
			* SPICE vdagent: Installed and modified with a 5-second boot delay (via systemd override) to fix VirtIO-GPU clipboard sync issues.
			* Cloud-Init: Fully configured.
			** User: nigel (Primary Admin)
			** Network Renderer: Forced to NetworkManager for desktop compatibility.
			* Apt Repositories: Fixed manual pathing for Ubuntu Noble and Mint Zena to prevent 404 errors.
			* Access Credentials
			** Default User: nigel
			** SSH Keys Preloaded: Grape (Windows), Lemon, Raisin.
			** Console: Supports SPICE (for Desktop/Clipboard) and xterm.js (via Serial Port 0).

			===Maintenance Commands===

			If we ever need to update the base template, run these before converting back:
			* Update:
			sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
			* Clean:
			sudo cloud-init clean --logs
			* Generalize:
			sudo truncate -s 0 /etc/machine-id
			*Final Seal:
			history -c && sudo shutdown -h now

			===How to Deploy a New VM from Template===

			====Cloning the Template====
			* Right-click the Mint-22.3-Zena-Cinnamon template in the Proxmox sidebar.
			* Select Clone.
			* Mode: * Linked Clone: Uses very little disk space (reaches back to the template for data). Best for standard desktops.
			** Full Clone: Completely independent copy. Best if you plan on deleting the template later.
			*Assign a VM ID and a Name (e.g., Mint-Workstation-01).
			* Click Clone.

			====Customizing Identity (Hostname & IP)====