# Operating System Images

ZCP operating system images are the base images you start an instance from. ZSoftly builds and maintains every image, rebuilds and re-validates it for each release, and tunes it to boot fast and run cleanly on the platform.

This is different from the [Marketplace](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/marketplace/), where each image is an application (WordPress, GitLab, a database, …) pre-installed and auto-configured on top of Ubuntu. Use an OS image when you want a clean operating system to build on. Use a Marketplace image when you want a ready-to-run app.

## How ZCP images work

Every OS image, Linux or Windows, behaves the same way on first boot:

- Maintained base: ZSoftly builds each image from the vendor’s official release and adds the paravirtual drivers and a guest agent for fast I/O, graceful shutdown/reboot, and application-consistent VM snapshots. Each image is validated before publishing.
- First-boot setup: the image sets a unique hostname and a unique administrator credential per instance automatically, so no two instances ship with the same password.
- Access: Linux images accept an SSH key (recommended) or a portal-generated password. Windows images use RDP with an auto-generated administrator password. Regenerate the password from the portal at any time (it applies after the next reboot).
- Right-sized: pick any [plan](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/instance-types/) that meets the image’s needs. Linux runs comfortably on the smallest plans, Windows needs at least 4 GB RAM and 2 vCPUs.

For the end-to-end deploy flow, see [Create Instance](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/create-instance/). To switch an existing instance to a different image, see [Change OS](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/settings/change-os/).

## Default login user

Each image has a default administrative user. Confirm the exact name in the portal when you create the instance.

| Image | Default user | Connect with |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ubuntu | `ubuntu` | [SSH](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/connect-ssh/) |
| Debian | `debian` | [SSH](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/connect-ssh/) |
| Rocky Linux | `rocky` | [SSH](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/connect-ssh/) |
| AlmaLinux | `almalinux` | [SSH](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/connect-ssh/) |
| Oracle Linux | `cloud-user` | [SSH](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/connect-ssh/) |
| Windows | `Administrator` | [RDP](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/connect-rdp/) |

Every instance also has a browser-based VNC console for access without SSH or RDP, useful for first boot and troubleshooting. See [Console Access](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/console-access/).

## Catalog

### Linux

Free and open-source, with no license or activation required.

| Image | Versions available | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Ubuntu](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/ubuntu/) | 26.04, 24.04, 22.04, 20.04 LTS | ✅ Available |
| [Debian](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/debian/) | 13 (Trixie), 12 (Bookworm) | ✅ Available in `yow-1`, `yul-1` |
| [Rocky Linux](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/rocky-linux/) | 9 | ✅ Available |
| [AlmaLinux](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/alma-linux/) | 9 | ✅ Available |
| [Oracle Linux](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/oracle-linux/) | 9 | ✅ Available |

### Windows

Licensed bring-your-own-license (BYOL). You supply and activate your own license.

| Image | Editions / versions | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Windows Server](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/windows-server/) | 2022 Standard, 2025 Std/DC | ✅ Available |
| [Windows Server](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/windows-server/) | 2022 Datacenter | 🚧 Pending |
| [Windows 11 Pro](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/windows-11/) | 11 Pro | ✅ Available |