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DocumentationCloud Virtual MachineUser GuideImagesCreating an ImageInstalling Cloud-Init on Linux

Installing Cloud-Init on Linux

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Last updated: 2025-07-14 15:20:53

Overview

This document describes how to install the cloud-init service. Cloud-init allows you to customize configurations during the first initialization of an instance. Options to install cloud-init:
Download the cloud-init binary package
Download the cloud-init source package
Use the cloud-init package from the software source

Prerequisites

Connect the server that you want to install cloud-init to the public network.

How It Works

Download the cloud-init binary package
Manual download
Using software source
Note:
cloud-init depends on qcloud-python, which is a software package recompiled by Tencent Cloud. qcloud-python is a separate python environment and is only used for cloud-init. It is installed under the directory of /usr/local/qcloud/python, and it does not conflict with the default python in the system.
cloud-init is developed by Tencent Cloud based on the community v20.1. It is adapted to Tencent Cloud operation environment.
The cloud-init binary package supports the following operating systems:
Type
OS
Version
x86_64
arm64
qcloud-python
cloud-init
qcloud-python
cloud-init
rpm
CentOS
7
8
Fedora
36
N/A
N/A
Kylin
20sp1
openSUSE
15.4
N/A
N/A
deb
Debian
11
10
N/A
N/A
9
N/A
N/A
8
N/A
N/A
Ubuntu
22.04
N/A
N/A
20.04
18.04
16.04
N/A
N/A


Downloading cloud-init binary package

1. Download the installation package.
2. If cloud-init already exists, run the following command to clear it.
rm -rf /var/lib/cloud
rm -rf /etc/cloud
rm -rf /usr/local/bin/cloud*
3. Run the following commands based on the OS.
For deb type, run the following command.
dpkg -i *.deb
For rpm type, run the following command.
rpm -ivh *.rpm
4. Check whether the version is installed properly.
cloud-init qcloud -v
/usr/bin/cloud-init qcloud 0011
5. Restart.

Downloading the cloud-init source package

Note:
The cloud-init-20.1.0011 version is most compatible with Tencent Cloud. It ensures that all configuration items of CVMs created through the image can be initialized properly. We recommend that you install cloud-init-20.1.0011.tar.gz. You can also click here to download other versions. This document uses cloud-init-20.1.0011 as an example.
Run the following command to download the cloud-init source package:
wget https://gerryguan-1306210569.cos.ap-chongqing.myqcloud.com/cloud-init/src/cloud-init-20.1.0011.tar.gz

Installing cloud-init

1. Run the following command to decompress the cloud-init installation package.
Note:
If you are using the Ubuntu operating system, run this command with the “root” account.
tar -zxvf cloud-init-20.1.0011.tar.gz
2. Run the following command to enter the decompressed cloud-init installation package directory, that is, the cloud-init-20.1.0011 directory:
cd cloud-init
3. Install Python-pip according to the operating system version.
For CentOS 6/7, run the following command:
yum install python3-pip -y
For Ubuntu, run the following command:
apt-get -y install python3-pip
During installation, if an error such as “failed to install” or “installation package not found” occurs, see resolving Python-pip installation failure to troubleshoot it.
4. Run the following command to upgrade pip.
python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
5. Run the following command to install dependencies.
Note:
Python 2.6 is not supported when cloud-init uses requests 2.20.0 or later. If the Python interpreter installed in the image environment is Python version 2.6 or earlier, run the pip install 'requests<2.20.0' command to install requests 2.20.0 or later before installing the cloud-init dependencies.
pip3 install -r requirements.txt
6. Install the cloud-utils components corresponding to your OS version.
For CentOS 6, run the following command:
yum install cloud-utils-growpart dracut-modules-growroot -y
dracut -f
For CentOS 7, run the following command:
yum install cloud-utils-growpart -y
For Ubuntu, run the following command:
apt-get install cloud-guest-utils -y
7. Run the following command to install cloud-init:
python3 setup.py build
python3 setup.py install --init-system systemd
Note:
The --init-system can be followed by any of systemd, sysvinit, sysvinit_deb, sysvinit_freebsd, sysvinit_openrc, sysvinit_suse, upstart, or None (default). Choose one according to the auto-start service management method of the operating system. Otherwise the cloud-init service cannot automatically start upon system startup.
Select sysvinit for the CentOS 6 and earlier versions, and select systemd for CentOS 7 and later versions. This document uses systemd as an example.

Modifying the cloud-init configuration file

1. Download cloud.cfg for your operating system.
Download cloud.cfg for Ubuntu.
Download cloud.cfg for CentOS.
2. Replace the content of /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg with that of the downloaded cloud.cfg file.

Adding syslog user

Run the following command to add a syslog user:
useradd syslog

Configuring the auto-start of the cloud-init service on boot

If your operating system uses the systemd auto-start service management method, run the following command.
Note:
To check whether the operating system uses systemd, run the strings /sbin/init | grep "/lib/system" command, and you will receive a return message.
Run the following command in Ubuntu or Debian.
 ln -s /usr/local/bin/cloud-init /usr/bin/cloud-init
Run the following commands in all operating systems.
systemctl enable cloud-init-local.service 
systemctl start cloud-init-local.service
systemctl enable cloud-init.service
systemctl start cloud-init.service
systemctl enable cloud-config.service
systemctl start cloud-config.service
systemctl enable cloud-final.service
systemctl start cloud-final.service
systemctl status cloud-init-local.service
systemctl status cloud-init.service
systemctl status cloud-config.service
systemctl status cloud-final.service
Run the following commands in CentOS or Redhat. Replace the content of /lib/systemd/system/cloud-init-local.service with the following:
[Unit]
Description=Initial cloud-init job (pre-networking)
Wants=network-pre.target
After=systemd-remount-fs.service
Before=NetworkManager.service
Before=network-pre.target
Before=shutdown.target
Conflicts=shutdown.target
RequiresMountsFor=/var/lib/cloud
[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/cloud-init init --local
ExecStart=/bin/touch /run/cloud-init/network-config-ready
RemainAfterExit=yes
TimeoutSec=0
# Output needs to appear in instance console output
StandardOutput=journal+console
[Install]
WantedBy=cloud-init.target
Replace the content of /lib/systemd/system/cloud-init.service with the following:
[Unit]
Description=Initial cloud-init job (metadata service crawler)
Wants=cloud-init-local.service
Wants=sshd-keygen.service
Wants=sshd.service
After=cloud-init-local.service
After=systemd-networkd-wait-online.service
After=networking.service
After=systemd-hostnamed.service
Before=network-online.target
Before=sshd-keygen.service
Before=sshd.service
Before=systemd-user-sessions.service
Conflicts=shutdown.target
[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/cloud-init init
RemainAfterExit=yes
TimeoutSec=0
# Output needs to appear in instance console output
StandardOutput=journal+console
[Install]
WantedBy=cloud-init.target
If your operating system uses the sysvinit auto-start service management method, run the following commands:
Note:
To check whether the operating system uses sysvinit, run the strings /sbin/init | grep "sysvinit" command, and you will receive a return message.
chkconfig --add cloud-init-local
chkconfig --add cloud-init
chkconfig --add cloud-config
chkconfig --add cloud-final
chkconfig cloud-init-local on 
chkconfig cloud-init on 
chkconfig cloud-config on 
chkconfig cloud-final on

Installing cloud-init

Run the following command to install cloud-init:
apt-get/yum install cloud-init
Note:
By default, the cloud-init version installed by running apt-get or yum is the default cloud-init version in the software source configured for the operating system. Some configuration items of instances created by using the image whose cloud-init is installed this way may not be initialized as expected. Therefore, we recommend that you install the service by manually downloading the cloud-init source package.

Modifying the cloud-init configuration file

1. Download cloud.cfg for your operating system.
Download cloud.cfg for Ubuntu.
Download cloud.cfg for CentOS.
2. Replace the content of /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg with that of the downloaded cloud.cfg file.

More

Note:
Do not restart the server after performing the following operations. Otherwise, you will need to perform them again.
1. Run the following command to check whether the cloud-init configuration is successful.
cloud-init init --local
If the following information is returned, it indicates that the cloud-init has been successfully configured.
Cloud-init v. 20.1.0011 running 'init-local' at Fri, 01 Apr 2022 01:26:11 +0000. Up 38.70 seconds.
2. Run the following command to delete the cache records of cloud-init.
rm -rf /var/lib/cloud
3. Run the following command in Ubuntu or Debian.
rm -rf /etc/network/interfaces.d/50-cloud-init.cfg
4. For Ubuntu or Debian, modify the content of /etc/network/interfaces to the following:
# This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
# and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5).
source /etc/network/interfaces.d/*

Appendix

Resolving Python-pip installation failure

During installation, if an error such as “failed to install” or “installation package not found” occurs, troubleshoot it based on the operating system as follows:
CentOS 6/7:
Ubuntu:
1. Run the following command to configure the EPEL storage repository.
yum install epel-release -y
2. Run the following command to install Python-pip.
yum install python3-pip -y
1. Run the following command to clear the cache.
apt-get clean all
2. Run the following command to update the software package list.
apt-get update -y
3. Run the following command to install Python-pip.
apt-get -y install python3-pip

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