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# ISOs

> Upload custom ISO images to your IBEE Solutions organization and boot Cloud VMs from them.

ISOs let you install operating systems that aren't in the [OS template catalog](/docs/infrastructure/cloud-vms/os-images). Upload an ISO once at the organization level, then choose it under **Operating System → ISOs** when [creating a VM](/docs/infrastructure/cloud-vms/create-a-vm).

## Open the ISOs page

1. In the IBEE Solutions portal, expand **Tools** in the left nav.
2. Click **ISOs**.

The page lists every ISO in the current organization, with a **Search ISOs…** box and a **Refresh** button. The empty state shows **No ISOs Found** with an **Add ISO** call-to-action.

## Add an ISO

### 1. Click Add ISO

Click **Add ISO** (top-right or the empty-state button). The **ADD ISO** dialog opens with the subtitle **Upload from a remote URL (up to 10 GB)**.

### 2. Enter a name

In **ISO NAME**, give the image a clear, human-readable label.

Example: `Ubuntu 24.04 LTS`

This is the name you'll see in the ISOs list and in the VM deployer's **ISOs** tab.

### 3. Paste a remote URL

In **REMOTE URL**, paste the public URL where the ISO can be downloaded.

Example: `https://releases.ubuntu.com/24.04/ubuntu-24.04.iso`

### 4. Confirm the constraints

The dialog reminds you of the upload requirements:

| Constraint                                  | Value                                           |
| ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| ISO must be publicly accessible via the URL | Yes — IBEE pulls from the URL you provide       |
| Supported formats                           | `.iso` images only                              |
| Maximum size                                | **10 GB**                                       |
| URL scheme                                  | Must begin with **`http://`** or **`https://`** |

If your image lives behind authentication, host it on a public bucket (such as [Object Storage](/docs/storage/object-storage)) or generate a signed URL that doesn't require headers.

### 5. Click Add ISO

Click **Add ISO** in the bottom-right of the dialog. IBEE downloads the ISO from the URL into organization storage. The new entry appears in the list once the download completes.

## Boot a VM from your ISO

1. Open **Cloud VMs → Create server**.
2. Pick **Region**, **Location**, and **Plan** as usual.
3. Under **Operating System**, switch to the **ISOs** tab.
4. Pick your uploaded ISO from the list.
5. Continue with **SSH Keys**, **Hostname**, and **Deploy Now**.

The VM boots from the ISO. Open the [Console](/docs/infrastructure/cloud-vms/power-actions#console) to step through the installer, partition the root disk, and finish the install.

## Manage ISOs

From the ISOs list:

* Use the **search box** to filter by name or ID.
* Use **Refresh** to re-poll the catalog after a recent upload.
* Use the per-row actions menu to delete an ISO you no longer need.

Deleting an ISO removes it from organization storage. VMs already installed from the ISO are unaffected — the install lives on the VM's own root disk.

## Bring-your-own-image checklist

For a custom Linux ISO to boot cleanly under KVM, verify before uploading:

* **virtio drivers** for disk and network are present (Linux kernels include them by default).
* **DHCP client** is enabled on the primary NIC.
* The ISO has a working **bootloader** that targets `/dev/vda`.
* (Optional) Install **cloud-init** during the install for SSH key injection on next boot.

For Windows ISOs, plan to install virtio drivers from the [Windows guest tools ISO](https://github.com/virtio-win/kvm-guest-drivers-windows) during setup.

## Troubleshooting

**Add ISO button is disabled**
Both **ISO NAME** and **REMOTE URL** are required. The URL must start with `http://` or `https://`.

**Download fails or stalls**
The URL must be publicly reachable from IBEE infrastructure. Check the URL in a browser; if it requires authentication, redirects to a login page, or rate-limits unauthenticated downloads, host the ISO somewhere that doesn't.

**Image rejected as "unsupported format"**
Only `.iso` files are accepted. Cloud images in `.qcow2`, `.img`, or `.vmdk` are not — for those, see [Custom images](/docs/infrastructure/cloud-vms/custom-images) (snapshot/backup paths instead).

**ISO won't boot**
Open the [Console](/docs/infrastructure/cloud-vms/power-actions#console) and watch the boot output. Most failures are missing virtio drivers or a bootloader pointing at the wrong device.

## Related pages

* [OS images](/docs/infrastructure/cloud-vms/os-images)
* [Custom images](/docs/infrastructure/cloud-vms/custom-images)
* [Create a VM](/docs/infrastructure/cloud-vms/create-a-vm)
* [Console access](/docs/infrastructure/cloud-vms/power-actions#console)