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EdgeVirtual MachinesWindows Configuration

Windows Configuration

Gallium Edge runs Windows virtual machines and templates alongside Linux guests. This page covers what differs for Windows; for the general creation flow, see Creating a Virtual Machine.

Supported Windows Versions

Gallium Edge ships VirtIO storage, network, and balloon drivers for Windows Server 2019 through 2025, Windows 10, and Windows 11. Older releases may still install and run, but they are outside the tested driver set and may lack full device support.

Drivers

Windows has no VirtIO drivers of its own, so it cannot see a VirtIO disk or network adapter until they are loaded. Edge attaches them for you: create a virtual machine from a Windows template and the form adds the VirtIO driver ISO as a Tool ISO in the Disks section, so the drivers are on the VM at first boot. The row carries a delete button like any other device, and you can add further tools with Add Tool Disk.

Because Edge supplies the drivers, a Windows template holds only the Windows ISO and a blank OS disk. Do not add a VirtIO driver ISO to the template.

Provisioning Windows on Edge

Provisioning instructions go through the User Data or Script field described in Creating a Virtual Machine. On a Windows template the field accepts #cloud-config user data or a PowerShell script prefixed with #ps1, which runs on the guest during first boot. There is no separate Autounattend answer-file or configuration-drive wizard.

In the Users section, Windows templates accept an optional password for the default account, but the SSH keys selector is hidden, since Windows guests do not consume SSH keys through this flow. Supply additional account or remote-access configuration through your PowerShell script.

Licensing and Image Availability

Because of Microsoft’s licensing terms, Gallium cannot distribute Windows installation media or pre-built Windows images. How you obtain a usable image depends on your licensing:

  • Commercial licensees: upload your own Windows media and license key, and Gallium’s image-build process can prepare templates that are ready to deploy.
  • Evaluation customers: contact support to discuss access to evaluation images.
  • Community users: supply and upload your own Windows images into templates.

Install Windows on Edge

  1. Build a Windows template with the Windows ISO and a blank OS disk. See Create a Windows Template.
  2. Create a virtual machine from it. The VirtIO driver ISO is attached for you as a Tool ISO.
  3. Open the VM’s console and step through Windows Setup.
  4. At the disk-selection screen, Setup cannot see the blank VirtIO disk. Choose Load driver, browse to the VirtIO disc, and load the viostor storage driver so the disk appears.
  5. Select the disk and finish the installation.
  6. In the installed guest, open the VirtIO disc and install the remaining drivers, at minimum the network driver, along with the QEMU guest agent.
  7. Shut the VM down and remove the ISOs from its disk layout so it boots from the OS disk. Add further disks from Virtual Disks.

The QEMU guest agent reports the guest’s operating system details and IP addresses back to the Console, so install it on every Windows VM.

Where possible, contact support to have a template prepared from your Volume License media instead.

Console AccessImporting a Virtual Machine