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

# Images

> Golden images: a server that starts already prepared and enrolls on first boot, and what is available today

A golden image is a machine image that already contains the StackKits release,
its tools and the container images of the core services. A server started from
it does not download them first. Each clone enrolls on its own at first boot
and gets its own identity.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Golden images are qualified but not published as a download yet. There is no
> bootable installer image for bare metal. Planned parts are marked as planned
> below.

## What the `stackkit image` commands do

Three commands prepare the neutral part of an image. The flags are in the
[`stackkit image` reference](https://docs.kombify.io/stackkits/reference/cli/image).

* **`stackkit image plan`** prints the profile: which core container images the
  cache contains. The profiles are `cloud-core-compose` (default),
  `basement-core-compose` and `basement-core-lite-compose`.
* **`stackkit image prepare`** stores the exact running release and pulls the
  core images. It creates no owner, starts no services and creates no volumes.
* **`stackkit image verify`** checks the release bytes, the empty target
  directory, the host and the image cache again.

Run them on a dedicated Ubuntu host with a local Docker daemon, no containers
and no unrelated images. StackKits does not delete state to make an image
neutral, and it refuses a host that holds an owner or service data.

Ubuntu 26.04 is the default target. Ubuntu 24.04 is also targeted.

## What happens on first boot

The manifest `prepare` writes is cache metadata. It grants no identity and no
permission to change anything. On first boot each clone re-checks the release,
the installed files, the host and the cache, then runs the usual `init`,
`generate`, `apply` and `verify` steps. Network access is still needed for
first-boot service integrations and optional workloads.

## Who does what

StackKits owns the neutral cache. Techstack owns building the machine image,
removing machine identity and enrolling each clone with
[kombify Guard](https://docs.kombify.io/techstack/guard/overview.md).

## Current state

* Images for Ubuntu 26.04 and Ubuntu 24.04 were qualified on 2026-10-02
  against StackKits v0.50.3. The checks covered two clone boots with distinct
  machine and SSH identities and two independent enrollments.
* The qualification covers the `cloud-core-compose` profile on Linux amd64.
  Other profiles and architectures need their own evidence.
* Images are not published as a download yet.
* Planned: a bootable installer image for bare metal. It does not exist yet.
* Managed servers are currently set up with cloud-init and the install
  script, not from the image. See [Managed servers](https://docs.kombify.io/techstack/managed-servers.md).

To install on your own hardware today, use a prepared Linux host and the
installer from [Install in 10 minutes](https://docs.kombify.io/stackkits/install-in-10-minutes.md).
Check [OS compatibility](https://docs.kombify.io/stackkits/reference/os-compatibility.md) for the current
status of each system.

Last reviewed: 2026-11-10


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.