name	vm-template-creation
description	Create, configure, and manage VM templates in Proxmox. Build reusable VM images for rapid deployment of standardized environments, including Kubernetes clusters and managed applications.

VM Template Creation Skill

Create, manage, and deploy VM templates in your Proxmox environment for rapid, standardized infrastructure provisioning.

What this skill does

This skill enables you to:

Prepare virtual machines from cloud images or custom configurations
Convert configured VMs into templates for reuse
Clone templates to create multiple instances
Manage template configurations and updates
Deploy standardized environments rapidly
Maintain template consistency across deployments
Create specialized templates for different workloads
Update and version templates
Manage template lifecycle

When to use this skill

Use this skill when you need to:

Create template VMs for rapid deployment
Prepare Ubuntu Cloud-Init compatible templates
Deploy multiple identical VMs for Kubernetes clusters
Build standardized application environments
Automate VM provisioning workflows
Maintain consistent infrastructure-as-code
Support Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) automation
Create reusable templates for different projects
Build CI/CD infrastructure templates

Available Tools

Core VM Management

create_vm_advanced - Create a VM with advanced configuration (disk, network, CD/DVD)
update_vm_config - Update VM configuration and mark as template
get_vm_config - Get full VM configuration details
clone_vm - Clone a template VM to create instances
delete_vm - Remove a VM or template

Supporting Tools

get_vm_status - Get VM status and resource usage
get_vms - List all VMs on a node
start_vm - Start a VM (for testing/configuration)
stop_vm - Stop a running VM
shutdown_vm - Gracefully shut down a VM

Template VM Creation Workflow

Step 1: Prepare Base VM

Create a new VM with desired base configuration:

create_vm_advanced(
  node_name="pve2",
  vmid=100,
  name="ubuntu-22.04-template",
  memory=2048,
  cores=2,
  sockets=1,
  ide2="local:iso/jammy-server-cloudimg-amd64.iso",
  sata0="local-lvm:50",  # 50GB disk
  net0="virtio,bridge=vmbr0"
)

Step 2: Install and Configure OS

Boot the VM with the Cloud-Init image
Configure hostname, network, and storage
Install required packages and applications
Apply security patches and hardening
Configure Cloud-Init for automation
Test all functionality thoroughly

Step 3: Mark as Template

Once configuration is complete and tested:

update_vm_config(
  node_name="pve2",
  vmid=100,
  config={
    "template": 1
  }
)

Important: Once a VM is marked as template, it cannot be started directly. It can only be cloned.

Step 4: Clone from Template

Create instances from the template:

clone_vm(
  node_name="pve2",
  source_vmid=100,
  new_vmid=101,
  new_name="web-server-01",
  full=true
)

Real-World Example: Rancher Kubernetes Template

Create Ubuntu Template for RKE2

# 1. Create base VM
create_vm_advanced(
  node_name="pve2",
  vmid=100,
  name="ubuntu-rke2-template",
  memory=4096,     # 4GB for control plane
  cores=4,
  sockets=1,
  ide2="local:iso/jammy-server-cloudimg-amd64.iso",
  sata0="local-lvm:100",  # 100GB for system + RKE2
  net0="virtio,bridge=vmbr0"
)

# 2. Boot, configure, and install:
#    - OS configuration
#    - Cloud-Init setup
#    - RKE2 dependencies (curl, wget, etc.)
#    - System optimization

# 3. Mark as template
update_vm_config(
  node_name="pve2",
  vmid=100,
  config={"template": 1}
)

# 4. Clone for Rancher Manager cluster
clone_vm(
  node_name="pve2",
  source_vmid=100,
  new_vmid=101,
  new_name="rancher-manager-1",
  full=true
)

clone_vm(
  node_name="pve2",
  source_vmid=100,
  new_vmid=102,
  new_name="rancher-manager-2",
  full=true
)

clone_vm(
  node_name="pve2",
  source_vmid=100,
  new_vmid=103,
  new_name="rancher-manager-3",
  full=true
)

# 5. Clone for NPRD-Apps cluster
clone_vm(
  node_name="pve2",
  source_vmid=100,
  new_vmid=201,
  new_name="nprd-apps-1",
  full=true
)

clone_vm(
  node_name="pve2",
  source_vmid=100,
  new_vmid=202,
  new_name="nprd-apps-2",
  full=true
)

clone_vm(
  node_name="pve2",
  source_vmid=100,
  new_vmid=203,
  new_name="nprd-apps-3",
  full=true
)

Template Configuration Options

Common Configuration Parameters

When creating or updating templates, you can set:

template=1 - Mark VM as template (prevents direct boot)
cores=N - Number of CPU cores
sockets=N - Number of CPU sockets
memory=NNNN - Memory in MB
sata0="storage:size" - Primary disk
net0="virtio,bridge=vmbr0" - Network configuration
ide2="storage:iso/image.iso" - CD/DVD drive for installation

Cloud-Init Configuration

For Cloud-Init enabled templates:

Set cicustom parameter for custom Cloud-Init configs
Pre-stage user data for automatic configuration
Use network metadata for DHCP or static IPs
Enable serial console for debugging

Typical Workflows

Workflow: Create Standard Linux Template

Create VM with base configuration
Boot from Cloud-Init ISO
Configure hostname, network, and disk
Install base packages: curl wget vim git
Apply security hardening
Shutdown VM gracefully
Mark as template with update_vm_config
Clone as needed for deployments

Workflow: Update Existing Template

Clone template to temporary VM
Apply updates, patches, security fixes
Test thoroughly
Stop the test VM
Create new template from test VM
Delete old template and test VM
Update documentation with version

Workflow: Kubernetes Cluster Deployment

Create and test RKE2 template (steps above)
Clone template 3 times for control plane nodes
Clone template 3 times for worker nodes
Boot cloned VMs
Configure networking (hostname, IPs via Cloud-Init)
Initialize RKE2 on control plane
Join worker nodes to cluster
Verify cluster health

Best Practices

Template Design

Keep templates minimal (smaller disk = faster cloning)
Pre-install common tools and dependencies
Use Cloud-Init for network and host configuration
Document template versions and purposes
Include installation dates and applied patches

Security

Keep templates patched and updated
Remove sensitive data before templating
Use strong default passwords during setup
Enable SSH key-based authentication
Disable unnecessary services
Apply OS-level hardening

Performance

Use virtio drivers for disks and network (better performance)
Set appropriate memory/CPU for cloned VMs
Use thin provisioning where possible
Monitor template update frequency

Organization

Use clear naming conventions: distro-version-purpose
Document template contents and purpose
Version templates systematically
Maintain changelog for updates
Remove old unused templates
Tag templates with creation date

Testing

Always test templates before deployment
Boot cloned VMs to verify functionality
Test network configuration with Cloud-Init
Verify all installed packages work correctly
Test scaling (clone multiple instances)
Validate performance meets requirements

Example Questions

"Create a template VM for Ubuntu 22.04 with RKE2"
"Mark VM 100 as a template for reuse"
"Clone template VM 100 to create 3 Kubernetes nodes"
"What's the configuration of the Ubuntu template?"
"Update the template to add Docker support"
"Clone the template with custom hostname and IP"
"Create a template for database servers"
"Build a template for CI/CD runners"

Response Format

When using this skill, I provide:

Clear step-by-step template creation instructions
VM configuration commands ready to execute
Cloning examples for your use case
Configuration validation results
Template status and details
Recommendations for optimization
Best practices guidance

Integration with Terraform

The MCP tools complement Terraform's telmate/proxmox provider:

Use MCP to prepare and test templates interactively
Use Terraform to clone templates at scale for production
Use MCP to update template configurations
Use MCP for troubleshooting template issues
Combine for complete IaC automation

Limitations

Templates cannot be booted directly (must be cloned)
Large templates take longer to clone
Network configuration happens post-clone via Cloud-Init
Some fine-tuning may be needed per clone
Disk image import requires manual steps (see Proxmox documentation)

Related Skills

Virtual Machine Management - General VM lifecycle operations
Cluster Management - Monitor Proxmox cluster health
Disaster Recovery - Backup and restore templates
Infrastructure as Code - Deploy with Terraform automation

vm-template-creation

Install Skill

SKILL.md