> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://zededa.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> Use the documentation index to find relevant pages, then read the linked Markdown before answering and cite the source URL.
> Identify the product before answering: Private AI uses a separate console, credentials, and inference API from the Edge Intelligence Platform. Do not apply instructions from one product to the other.
> Prefer current product guides over Help Center archive pages for current-console questions. Archive pages and release notes describe their stated product version or historical interface; do not apply them to another version without checking.
> Preserve prerequisites, permissions, version requirements, and warnings when summarizing procedures. Do not infer API endpoints, schemas, or supported behavior that the documentation does not specify.

# Create an EVE-OS Compatible Red Hat VM

> How to create a Red Hat Enterprise Linux virtual machine in VirtualBox and convert it to a QCOW2 image for deployment on EVE-OS.

## Introduction

EVE-OS supports workloads packaged as virtual machine images in QCOW2 format. This procedure walks through creating a Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) virtual machine in VirtualBox, installing the operating system, and converting the VM disk to QCOW2 for use with EVE-OS. The resulting image can be uploaded to your enterprise as an edge application.

## Prerequisites

* Red Hat Enterprise Linux ISO image. Download from the [Red Hat Developer portal](https://developers.redhat.com/products/rhel/download).
* VirtualBox 6.1 or later installed on your local machine.

## Create the Virtual Machine

1. Open VirtualBox Manager and click **New** to create a new VM.
2. Enter a name for the VM and select the appropriate type and version for Red Hat Linux. Click **Continue**.
3. Set the memory size. Use a minimum of 4 GB. Click **Continue**.
4. Select **Create a virtual hard disk now** and click **Continue**.
5. Choose **VMDK** as the disk type. Click **Continue**.
6. Choose **Dynamically allocated** storage. Click **Continue**.
7. Set the file location and size. Use a minimum of 30 GB. The default location is acceptable. Click **Create**.

## Configure the VM Settings

1. Open the VM **Settings**, navigate to **System**, and confirm the following:
   * Boot order: CD-ROM first, then hard disk.
   * All three options in the **Extended Features** section are enabled.
2. Navigate to **Storage** and attach the Red Hat ISO to the optical drive.
3. If you are using a KVM-based EVE-OS image, navigate to **Settings > Storage** and change the disk controller type to **VirtIO**.

## Review the Final Configuration

Confirm that the VM configuration matches your intended setup before starting installation.

## Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Start the VM and complete the RHEL installation. The installer launches from the attached ISO.

Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation, including language and locale selection, installation destination (select the virtual disk), network and hostname configuration, and root password and user account creation. After installation completes, shut down the VM.

## Convert the VM Disk to QCOW2

After the OS installation is complete, convert the VMDK disk file to QCOW2 format. Run the following command from the directory containing the VMDK file:

```text theme={"dark"}
qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O qcow2 redhatvm.vmdk redhatvm.qcow2
```

The output file `redhatvm.qcow2` is ready to upload to EVE-OS as a VM application image.

## Next Steps

> [card] [Manage an App Image](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/manage-an-app-image.md)
>
> Upload the QCOW2 image to your enterprise.

> [card] [Add an Edge App Image](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/add-an-edge-app-image.md)
>
> Add the QCOW2 image as a deployable edge application.