Can I import a KVM/HyperV image onto Linode?

While there isn't a way to import a virtual machine's image directly as a Linode, you can still get your system running on our platform. The best way to go about doing this is to load up your VM in a local hypervisor, such as VirtualBox (do not run this on a Linode, it won't work correctly, as we don't support nested virtualization), and then copy an image of the virtual disk by following the instructions in our guide on copying a disk over SSH.

Once you've copied the image, you can install it onto your Linode by following the instructions in our guide on installing a custom distribution.

It's worth mentioning that using this method, you are likely to copy your original VM's network configuration to the Linode. You will need to correct this if it comes up. You can do so by following the instructions in our guide on static networking.

You may also run into issues with deploying the image if you are using things like encryption, multiple volumes, or anything else that breaks away from the standard/expected configuration when deploying a Linode.

For these reasons, you may ultimately find that it's easier to copy directly from the VM to an already configured Linode using a tool like rsync, or any other file transfer tool.