> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.layeronecloud.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.layeronecloud.com/pve-microvm/guests.md).

# Supported Guest OS

Source project: `pve-microvm` (migrated from `docs/guests.md`). Run commands from the code checkout and directory specified below, not from this documentation repository.

## Linux distributions <a href="#linux-distributions" id="linux-distributions"></a>

| Image                                        | Size  | Pkg mgr  | Profile support |
| -------------------------------------------- | ----- | -------- | --------------- |
| `debian:trixie-slim`                         | 28 MB | apt      | full            |
| `ubuntu:24.04`                               | 28 MB | apt      | full            |
| `alpine:3.21`                                | 3 MB  | apk      | full            |
| `fedora:41`                                  | 57 MB | dnf      | full            |
| `rockylinux:9-minimal`                       | 44 MB | dnf      | full            |
| `almalinux:9-minimal`                        | 34 MB | dnf      | full            |
| `amazonlinux:2023`                           | 52 MB | dnf      | full            |
| `oraclelinux:9-slim`                         | 45 MB | dnf      | full            |
| `redhat/ubi9-minimal`                        | 38 MB | microdnf | full            |
| `redhat/ubi9-micro`                          | 6 MB  | microdnf | full            |
| `photon:5.0`                                 | 15 MB | tdnf     | full            |
| `mcr.microsoft.com/azurelinux/base/core:3.0` | 30 MB | tdnf     | full            |

Any OCI image with apt, apk, dnf, microdnf, tdnf, or yum is supported.

## Specialist OS <a href="#specialist-os" id="specialist-os"></a>

| System          | Type         | Command            | Boot time | Notes                      |
| --------------- | ------------ | ------------------ | --------- | -------------------------- |
| **SmolBSD**     | NetBSD       | `--image smolbsd`  | 31 ms     | virtio-mmio, 64 MB RAM     |
| **OpenWrt**     | Router       | `--image openwrt`  | \~5 s     | q35/BIOS, 13 MB            |
| **OPNsense**    | Firewall     | `--image opnsense` | \~90 s    | q35/BIOS, FreeBSD, >= 1 GB |
| **9Front**      | Plan 9       | `--image 9front`   | \~3 s     | q35/BIOS, 239 MB           |
| **OSv**         | Unikernel    | `--image osv`      | \~1 s     | q35, needs app image       |
| **gokrazy**     | Go appliance | `--image gokrazy`  | —         | Prints build instructions  |
| **Firecracker** | Any          | `qm importdisk`    | —         | Direct ext4 rootfs import  |

## Template profiles <a href="#template-profiles" id="template-profiles"></a>

| Profile              | Installs                     | Use case                         |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| `--profile minimal`  | Nothing (microvm-init shell) | Fastest boot, scripted workloads |
| `--profile standard` | SSH, cloud-init, guest agent | General use (default)            |
| `--profile full`     | Standard + Docker CE         | Container workloads              |

Additional flags: `--no-docker`, `--no-ssh`, `--no-agent`

## Creating templates <a href="#creating-templates" id="creating-templates"></a>

```bash
# Linux (from OCI image)
pve-microvm-template --image debian:trixie-slim --vmid 9000
pve-microvm-template --image alpine:3.21 --vmid 9001 --profile minimal

# Specialist OS
pve-microvm-template --image smolbsd --vmid 9002
pve-microvm-template --image openwrt --vmid 9003
pve-microvm-template --image opnsense --vmid 9004

# Template options
pve-microvm-template --image <image> --vmid <id> \
  --name <name> --storage <store> --disk-size <size> \
  --profile <minimal|standard|full> --cores <n> --memory <mb>
```


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.layeronecloud.com/pve-microvm/guests.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.