How to use the command qm cloudinit dump (with examples)

The qm cloudinit dump command is used to generate cloudinit configuration files. It is a powerful tool that allows users to create cloudinit files for specific configuration types, such as metadata, network, and user.

Use case 1: Generate a cloudinit file for metadata

Code:

qm cloudinit dump <virtual_machine_id> meta

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to generate a cloudinit file specifically for metadata. Metadata files contain information about the virtual machine, such as its name, ID, and other important details.

Explanation:

• qm cloudinit dump is the command used to generate cloudinit configuration files.
• <virtual_machine_id> is the ID of the virtual machine for which you want to generate the cloudinit file.
• meta is the argument that specifies the type of configuration file to generate. In this case, we are generating a metadata file.

Example output:

#cloud-config
instance-id: i-1234567890abcdef0
local-hostname: my-vm

Use case 2: Generate a cloudinit file for network configuration

Code:

qm cloudinit dump <virtual_machine_id> network

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to generate a cloudinit file specifically for network configuration. Network files contain information about the network settings of the virtual machine, such as IP addresses, DNS servers, and network interfaces.

Explanation:

• qm cloudinit dump is the command used to generate cloudinit configuration files.
• <virtual_machine_id> is the ID of the virtual machine for which you want to generate the cloudinit file.
• network is the argument that specifies the type of configuration file to generate. In this case, we are generating a network configuration file.

Example output:

#cloud-config
network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    eth0:
      dhcp4: true

Use case 3: Generate a cloudinit file for user configuration

Code:

qm cloudinit dump <virtual_machine_id> user

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to generate a cloudinit file specifically for user configuration. User files contain information about user accounts and authentication settings for the virtual machine.

Explanation:

• qm cloudinit dump is the command used to generate cloudinit configuration files.
• <virtual_machine_id> is the ID of the virtual machine for which you want to generate the cloudinit file.
• user is the argument that specifies the type of configuration file to generate. In this case, we are generating a user configuration file.

Example output:

#cloud-config
users:
  - name: user1
    ssh-authorized-keys:
      - ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQC...

Conclusion:

The qm cloudinit dump command is a versatile tool for generating cloudinit configuration files. By using different arguments, users can generate specific configuration files for metadata, network, and user settings. This command is invaluable for customizing and automating virtual machine configurations in cloud environments.