# Instances

 Instances are Linux or Windows-based virtual machines (VMs) that run on top of virtualized hardware in different regions.

## Quickstart

1. Start by clicking the **Wizard** button in the [Control Panel](https://my.flow.swiss). Click **Create Instance**.<br>
2. Name your instance. The hostname is also set from the selected name during the initial creation.<br>
3. Choose a data center [Region](/platform/regions.md).<br>
4. Choose the image distribution and version of your choice. Several Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, Container, and Firewall image distributions are available.<br>
5. Choose the configuration (flavor) for your instance that determines its vCPUs, RAM, Disk, and price.<br>
6. Confirm the network topology. If you have more than one **Private Network**, you can select the one you want. By default, each instance is assigned an [Elastic IP](#user-content-fn-1)[^1] address and is reachable via the Internet. If you wish for the instance to be reachable only internally, uncheck the **IPv4** checkbox. <br>
7. **Linux-based** distributions:\
   Select an existing SSH key or create a new one by clicking the **(+) Plus** button.\
   The use of "User data" aka cloud-init[^2], is optional and only intended for advanced users.\
   \
   **Windows-based** distributions:\
   Specify a password for the Administrator user account.\
   \
   Click on **Finish**. Deploying an instance takes a few minutes.<br>
8. Once the instance is created, follow the [detailed guide](/products/compute/instances/how-to/connect-to-instances.md) on how to connect to it.

## Images

We offer a wide variety of different distribution images you can use for your Instances. Besides regular server operating systems, we also offer container and firewall distributions, as listed below.

| Distribution     | Available Versions                                              |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Ubuntu           | 16.04 LTS, 18.04 LTS, 20.04 LTS, 22.04 LTS                      |
| Debian           | 10, 11                                                          |
| RHEL Derivatives | Alma Linux 8, 8.5, 9                                            |
|                  | Cent OS 7, 8.1, 8.3                                             |
|                  | Rocky Linux 8.5                                                 |
|                  | VzLinux 8                                                       |
| Windows Server   | 2016 Standard, 2019 Standard, 2019 Core Standard, 2022 Standard |
| Fedora           | 31, 32, 34, 35                                                  |
| FreeBSD          | 12.2, 13.1                                                      |

| Container Distribution | Available Versions     |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Fedora Core OS         | 31, 34, 35             |
| RancherOS              | 1.5.5                  |
| Flatcar                | 2512, 2765, 3033, 3227 |

| Firewall Distribution . | Available Versions                       |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| VyOS (Crux)             | 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.2.5, 1.2.6, 1.2.7, 1.3.1 |
| FortiGate               | 6.2.3, 6.4.0, 7.0.0                      |

## Regional Availability

Instances are available in all regions. They are region-specific resources and can only be assigned within the same region.

## Limits

* At the moment, IPv6 is not supported.

[^1]: Publicly-accessible static IP address

[^2]: Cloud-init is an industry-standard instance initialization tool that allows you to inject customized configurations at creation time


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