Manage Packages

PaletteAI VM Launchpad provides package management for airgap environments. Upload DEB, RPM, MSI, and ISO packages, and serve them to VMs via a built-in APT/YUM-compatible repository.

Overview

In airgap clusters, VMs cannot reach external package repositories. VM Launchpad provides the following capabilities.

Capability	Description
Stores packages	Upload DEB, RPM, MSI, and ISO files with SHA-256 checksums.
Generates repository metadata	Pure-Go APT and YUM metadata so VMs can use apt or dnf/yum to install packages.
Serves packages	The /serve/repo/ endpoint serves package files and metadata to in-cluster VMs.
Auto-injects guest agent	Cloud-init can be augmented to configure the repository and install the QEMU guest agent automatically.

Package Management in Airgap Environments

Workflow

1. Upload packages. On a connected machine, download DEB/RPM/MSI/ISO files. Upload them to VM Launchpad from the Packages page or API.
2. Rebuild metadata. Trigger a repository metadata rebuild so APT/YUM clients detect the new packages.
3. Configure VMs. Use cloud-init to add the VMO repository as a source and install packages, or enable Install QEMU Guest Agent in the VM wizard to auto-inject the guest agent installation.

Supported Formats

Format	Use Case
DEB	Debian, Ubuntu packages
RPM	RHEL, CentOS, Fedora, SUSE packages
MSI	Windows installers, such as the QEMU guest agent.
ISO	Full disk images, such as the Virtio Windows drivers ISO.

Packages Page

Navigate to Image Catalog > Packages to view and manage uploaded packages. The page shows the current storage usage and the time the repository was last rebuilt, and provides the following controls.

Control	Description
Upload Package	Upload a new package. Refer to Upload a Package.
Check for Updates	Check for newer versions of the built-in packages.
Refresh	Reload the package list.
Rebuild Repository	Regenerate the APT and YUM repository metadata so VMs can install the current package set.
URLs	Display the repository URLs that VMs use as package sources.
Filters	Filter the package list. Use Filter rows to search by name.
Delete	Select one or more package rows, then select Delete to remove them.

Each package is listed with the following columns.

Column	Description
Name	The package name and target, such as libnuma1 (Ubuntu 24.04 Noble / generic, amd64). A Built-in badge marks packages that VM Launchpad seeds automatically, such as the QEMU guest agent and its dependencies.
Type	The package format, such as DEB or RPM, including codename-specific variants such as DEB (jammy).
Architecture	The target architecture, such as amd64 or arm64.
Version	The package version.
File	The package filename.
Size	The package file size.
Uploaded	The date and time the package was uploaded.

Upload a Package

1. Navigate to Image Catalog > Packages.

2. Select Upload Package.

3. In the Upload Package dialog, configure the following fields.

   Field	Description
   Package Name	The package name, such as qemu-guest-agent.
   Version	The package version, such as 9.1.0.
   OS Type	Select the package OS type and format from the drop-down menu, such as Linux DEB, Linux RPM, or Windows MSI. DEB packages can be codename-agnostic or codename-specific.
   Architecture	Select the target architecture from the drop-down menu, such as amd64 or arm64.
   Description	An optional description for the package.
   File	Select Choose File and select the package file (DEB, RPM, MSI, or ISO).

4. Select Upload. VM Launchpad stores the package and computes its SHA-256 checksum.

info

Package uploads are streamed to the cluster. Large files, such as multi-GB ISOs, may take time. Ensure the request body limit and CDI upload infrastructure can handle the file size.

SHA-256 Checksums

Packages are stored with SHA-256 checksums for integrity verification. When the repository metadata is generated, checksums are included so clients can verify downloads.

QEMU Guest Agent

The QEMU guest agent enables:

• VNC clipboard support.
• Graceful shutdown and reboot.
• Guest identity diagnostics.
• Live migration features.

Built-in Package

VM Launchpad ships with a built-in QEMU guest agent package for Debian/Ubuntu (amd64 and arm64). It is embedded in the container image at /embedded-packages/ and does not require upload.

Auto-Injection via Cloud-Init

When Install QEMU Guest Agent is enabled in the VM creation wizard (Lifecycle step, Cloud-Init section), the generated cloud-init user-data includes:

• Repository configuration pointing to the VMO package server.
• Commands to install the guest agent, such as apt-get install --yes qemu-guest-agent for Debian/Ubuntu.

The package server URL uses the in-cluster service name, such as http://vmo-manager.vm-dashboard.svc.cluster.local:8080/serve/repo/. VMs must be able to reach the VM Launchpad service from within the cluster.

tip

The GUEST_AGENT_AUTO_INSTALL config controls whether the wizard offers and applies guest agent injection. Disable it if you manage the guest agent separately.

Package Repository

Pure-Go APT/YUM Metadata

VM Launchpad generates APT and YUM repository metadata in pure Go. No external tools, such as dpkg-scanpackages or createrepo, are required. This keeps the container image small and avoids licensing concerns.

Metadata Rebuild

After uploading or deleting packages, trigger a metadata rebuild.

1. Navigate to Image Catalog > Packages.
2. Select Rebuild Repository or use the API POST /api/v1/packages/repo/rebuild.

The rebuild scans the package directory and regenerates the APT Packages metadata and the YUM repodata metadata so clients can install the current package set.

Serve Packages

Packages are served at /serve/repo/. The path structure is compatible with APT and YUM.

Repository	URL
APT	http://<vmo-service>.<namespace>.svc.cluster.local:8080/serve/repo/apt/
YUM	http://<vmo-service>.<namespace>.svc.cluster.local:8080/serve/repo/yum/

VMs add these URLs as package sources in /etc/apt/sources.list or /etc/yum.repos.d/.

Cloud-Init Auto-Injection

When creating a VM with Install QEMU Guest Agent enabled, the following occurs.

1. The wizard generates cloud-init user-data.
2. The backend injects a snippet that:
   • Adds the VMO package repository as an APT or YUM source (based on guest OS).
   • Installs qemu-guest-agent (and dependencies such as liburing2, libnuma1 for DEB).
3. At first boot, cloud-init runs and installs the guest agent.

For Windows, the guest agent is typically installed from an MSI. The Virtio Windows ISO or a separate MSI package can be used. The Windows finalization template's seal script may install the guest agent from the VMO package server before sysprep.

Virtio Windows ISO

The Virtio Windows drivers ISO is a dedicated package used for Windows golden image builds. It provides Virtio disk and network drivers so Windows can boot from Virtio devices.

Aspect	Description
Storage	A DataVolume vmo-virtio-win is created in the golden images namespace. It is populated from a built-in package definition or downloaded at runtime.
Auto-mount	When creating a Windows builder VM, the Virtio ISO is automatically attached as a CD-ROM. The ISO is served from a shared RWX PVC so the builder VM can access it.
Installation	During Windows setup, load the Virtio drivers from the attached CD-ROM when prompted for disk or network drivers.

The Virtio ISO is managed as part of package seeding. Ensure the package is seeded and the PVC is bound before building Windows golden images.