# AlmaLinux 8

Validated minimal CloudStack KVM VPS template promoted on 2026-08-11.

## Artifact

- File: `almalinux-8.qcow2`
- Format: standalone, uncompressed sparse QCOW2
- Backing file: none
- Compressed clusters: zero
- Architecture: x86_64
- Virtual disk: 30 GiB (32212254720 bytes)
- Exported file: 1.23 GiB (1324810240 bytes)
- SHA-256: `94c69840b52fc69114aceda9c579de2d402affbe52c80c0c07834460c3c690a4`
- Mirror URL: https://cloud-mirrors.noc.sh/almalinux-8/almalinux-8.qcow2
- CloudStack template UUID: `e718afcc-7f30-440f-8cc6-807a7eb0e080`
- CloudStack state: Ready / Download Complete

## Guest image

- Release: AlmaLinux 8.10 (Cerulean Leopard)
- Kernel: `4.18.0-553.153.1.el8_10.x86_64`
- Installed packages: 424
- Installed kernels: one current kernel
- Swap: fixed persistent 1 GiB `/swap.img`
- Cloud-init: `23.4-7.el8_10.11.alma.2`
- Retained components include GRUB BIOS/EFI and shim, dracut, VirtIO storage
  and network support, NetworkManager, OpenSSH, cloud-init, QEMU Guest Agent,
  wget, DNF, XFS utilities, SELinux, chrony, rsyslog, fwupd, mdadm,
  kexec-tools, and tuned.

The minimalisation transaction used `dnf remove --noautoremove` and removed
exactly 16 packages: the superseded kernel, physical-device firmware and CPU
microcode, Bluetooth, UDisks, NFS client, and SSSD client components.

## CloudStack registration

Register the template privately with these settings:

- Hypervisor: KVM
- Format: QCOW2
- OS type: AlmaLinux 8
- HVM: Yes
- Password enabled: Yes
- SSH key enabled: Yes
- Public: No
- Featured: No
- Extractable: No
- Template details: none

Do not copy transient CloudStack runtime details such as
`Message.ReservedCapacityFreed.Flag`.

## Verification

Run before registration:

```bash
sha256sum almalinux-8.qcow2
qemu-img info almalinux-8.qcow2
qemu-img check almalinux-8.qcow2
qemu-img map --output=json almalinux-8.qcow2
```

Expected SHA-256:

```text
94c69840b52fc69114aceda9c579de2d402affbe52c80c0c07834460c3c690a4  almalinux-8.qcow2
```

The candidate passed Base acceptance using both an injected SSH key and the
initial CloudStack password, followed by a CloudStack reboot and repeat
key/password checks. Password-only Pro and Ultra deployments passed at 50 GiB
and 80 GiB with no residual authorized key. A final password-only Base import
through the canonical URL also passed. All tests validated filesystem growth,
1 GiB swap, CloudStack datasource, cloud-init with no errors or recoverable
warnings, networking and repositories, SELinux enforcing, active QEMU Guest
Agent, one kernel, and zero failed systemd units.

## Lifecycle note

Validated final CloudStack template. Re-run the full acceptance test after
importing the artifact into another CloudStack environment.