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User Scripts

User Scripts are saved scripts that run automatically during first-boot setup when you create or reinstall an instance. Typical uses: install a web server, configure a firewall, drop in a config file, register the machine with your inventory.

Script types: bash and python for Linux, powershell for Windows. The script body is stored encrypted.

Where to find it

Section titled “Where to find it”

In the user panel go to Compute > User Scripts.

The User Scripts list.

User Scripts list

Create a script

Section titled “Create a script”

  1. Click New script. The Add Script dialog opens.

    Add Script dialog

  2. Fill in:

Fields

Field What to enter
Name A label (letters, digits, spaces, dots, dashes, underscores).
Script Type Bash, Python or PowerShell.
Description (Optional) Optional.
Shebang Optional, Linux only. Defaults to #!/usr/bin/env bash or #!/usr/bin/env python3.
Script Content The script body, in the built-in code editor.
  1. Click Add Script.

Click Insert Variables in the editor to drop in a ready-to-edit template using the variables below.

Variables available at runtime

Section titled “Variables available at runtime”

The panel fills these in from the instance before the script runs. Use them directly ($PUBLIC_IP in Bash, $env:PUBLIC_IP in PowerShell):

Variable What it holds
PUBLIC_IP Primary public IPv4 address. Empty if the instance has none.
PRIVATE_IP Primary private IPv4 address. Empty if not configured.
VPC_IP Primary VPC IPv4 address. Empty if the instance is not on a VPC.
INSTANCE_HOSTNAME The instance hostname.
INSTANCE_UUID The instance’s unique ID.

Example Bash script:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
apt-get update
apt-get install -y nginx
echo "Server IP: $PUBLIC_IP" > /var/www/html/index.html
systemctl enable --now nginx

Run scripts on a new instance

Section titled “Run scripts on a new instance”

When you create or reinstall an instance (see Create an instance), the install form has a Select Scripts to Run field when the chosen OS image supports cloud-init. Pick one or more scripts; they run in the order you select them, each finishing before the next starts, with root (Linux) or System (Windows) privileges.

Common problems

Section titled “Common problems”
  • The script ran but did nothing visible. Check the cloud-init log on the instance: /var/log/cloud-init-output.log on Linux, or the Cloudbase-Init log directory under C:\Program Files\Cloudbase Solutions\Cloudbase-Init\log\ on Windows.
  • A variable came out empty. Variables are filled from the instance record at boot. If an IP had not been assigned yet, the matching variable is empty.
Section titled “Related”