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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rafftechnologies.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Updated May 8, 2026 An OS template is the pre-built operating system image you select when creating a VM. The template determines what’s on the VM’s disk before any of your code or config runs — kernel, init system, package manager, base packages, default users. Two kinds of templates ship with the platform:
TypeWhat it is
OSA clean operating system (Ubuntu, Debian, Rocky, Windows Server, etc.). You install your software after the VM boots
MarketplaceAn OS template + pre-installed software, ready to use after the credentials prompt at create-time (Docker, WordPress, OPNsense, n8n, OpenClaw)
Beyond these you can save your own VM as a Custom Image and reuse it like an OS template.

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OS templates available today (us-east)

All Linux templates ship with cloud-init already configured for Raff’s CONTEXT-disk pattern (SSH key + password injection at first boot). All Windows templates ship with cloudbase-init for the same.

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Ubuntu

VersionWhen to pick
Ubuntu 24.04 (LTS, x64)Recommended for new Linux workloads — current LTS, supported through April 2029
Ubuntu 22.04 (LTS, x64)Existing fleets running 22.04. Supported through April 2027
Ubuntu 20.04 (LTS, x64)Legacy workloads only — 20.04 LTS standard support ended April 2025; still bootable for migrations
Ubuntu 24.10 (x64)Interim release. Pick only if you specifically need newer kernel / userland features and are OK with the shorter support window

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Debian

VersionWhen to pick
Debian 13 (x64)Current stable. Pick this for new Debian workloads
Debian 12 (x64)Previous stable, oldstable. Still widely used; pick when matching an existing fleet
Debian 11 (x64)Legacy. Long-term support phase only

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RHEL family — AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, CentOS Stream

Three RHEL-compatible distros covering the same surface — same dnf/rpm ecosystem, same SELinux defaults, same admin patterns. Pick whichever fits your shop’s preference.
VersionNotes
AlmaLinux 9, Rocky Linux 9Recommended RHEL-9-compatible pick. Both are downstream rebuilds; effectively identical for most workloads
AlmaLinux 8, Rocky Linux 8RHEL-8-compatible. Use for matching existing RHEL 8 fleets
CentOS 9 Stream (x64)Upstream of RHEL — useful for testing what’s coming in RHEL next; not recommended as a long-term production base since it’s a rolling-release variant

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Fedora

VersionWhen to pick
Fedora 42 (x64)Latest. Newest userland and kernel; ~13-month support window
Fedora 41, Fedora 40Earlier Fedora releases for matching existing fleets

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Alpine

VersionWhen to pick
Alpine 3.21Latest. Tiny base image (~5 MB), musl libc, ideal for container hosts and resource-constrained workloads
Alpine 3.20Previous release
Alpine is not glibc-compatible — some prebuilt binaries (Java, Node native modules, proprietary databases) don’t run without rebuilding for musl. Pick another distro if your stack expects glibc.

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Other Unix-like

TemplateNotes
OpenSUSE 15RPM-based with zypper; popular in European shops and SUSE-trained ops teams
FreeBSD 14Real BSD (not Linux) — different kernel, different package manager (pkg), jails instead of containers. Pick for ZFS workloads, network appliances, or BSD-shop preference

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Windows Server

VersionEditionWhen to pick
Windows Server 2025DatacenterNewest, full feature set. Pick for production Windows workloads needing the latest
Windows Server 2025StandardMost production Windows VMs. Cheaper-equivalent licensing than Datacenter
Windows Server 2022DatacenterOne generation back, full feature set
Windows Server 2022StandardOne generation back, mainstream
Windows Server 2019StandardLegacy fleets. Mainstream support has ended; extended support to 2029
Datacenter vs Standard: Datacenter unlocks Storage Spaces Direct, Software-Defined Networking, and unlimited Hyper-V VM hosting — features most cloud-VM customers don’t need. Pick Standard unless you specifically need a Datacenter feature.

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Marketplace templates

Pre-installed apps on top of an OS image — usable straight after first boot once you fill in any credential fields the dialog asks for.
TemplateCategoryWhat it provides
Docker on Ubuntu 24.04DevOps & ContainersLatest Docker Engine + Compose, ready to run containers immediately
WordPress on Ubuntu 24.04CMS and Website PlatformsWordPress + MySQL preconfigured. Asks for the MySQL root password and WordPress DB password at create-time
n8n on Ubuntu 24.04Automation & Workflown8n workflow automation engine, accessible via http://<vm-ip> after boot
OPNsense 26.1Network & SecurityOPNsense firewall appliance — also surfaced as the VPC Firewall Appliance gateway option
OpenClaw on Ubuntu 24.04AI & Machine LearningDevOps-focused AI agent — connects to an LLM provider, optionally to Telegram / Discord / Slack
Marketplace templates each ship a Get-Started Guides entry (linked from the VM detail page) that walks through first use.

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Custom Images

Beyond stock and marketplace, you can save any VM’s OS disk as a Custom Image for reuse. This is how you:
  • Bake your own gold image with your packages / configs / certificates pre-installed
  • Roll back to a known-good state by reinstalling from a snapshot-saved image
  • Standardize a baseline across many VMs in your account
See Save VM disk as image for the API call. Custom Images appear under their own filter in the create-VM dialog’s template picker.

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Picking a template

A short decision flow:
NeedTemplate
General-purpose Linux, recent LTSUbuntu 24.04 LTS
Stable, conservative Linux, RHEL-shop preferenceAlmaLinux 9 or Rocky Linux 9
Stable Linux, Debian preferenceDebian 13
Tiny container hostAlpine 3.21
Windows production workloadWindows Server 2025 Standard
Match an existing fleetSame template + version that fleet runs
Pre-installed app (Docker, WordPress, OPNsense, etc.)The matching Marketplace template
If you don’t have a strong preference, start with Ubuntu 24.04 LTS — broadest community support, recent kernel, current LTS through 2029.

Create a VM

Pick a template and launch.

Reinstall a VM

Re-image with a different template.

Custom images

Save a configured VM as a reusable image.
Last modified on May 8, 2026