Chapter 9: Creating a Debian Image on Oracle Cloud (OCI)

Why Debian?

Debian is a lightweight, stable, and secure Linux distribution, perfect for hosting services like Nginx Proxy Manager.
It’s clean, efficient, and widely used in production environments.

OCI (Oracle Cloud Infrastructure) doesn’t offer a ready-made Debian image in its default list.
so we’ll build our own using the official ISO from Debian’s site and Oracle’s custom image tools.

Step 1: Download the Official Debian Image

Go to the official Debian cloud image repository:

https://cloud.debian.org/images/cloud/bullseye/latest/

Choose:

• Version: Debian 11 (or the latest stable)
• Architecture: amd64
• Format: Oracle-compatible .qcow2 image (usually under the genericcloud folder)

Step 2: Upload the Image to OCI Object Storage

1. In the OCI Console, go to:
   Storage > Object Storage > Buckets

Create a new bucket (e.g., debian-images)

Click "Upload" and send the .qcow2 file you just downloaded

Tip: It may take a few minutes depending on your file size and connection.

Step 3: Create a Custom Image from the Uploaded File

Once the image is uploaded:

1. Go to Compute > Custom Images
2. Click "Import Image"
3. Fill out the form:
   • Name: debian-11-custom
   • Operating System: Debian
   • Operating System Version: Choose the closest available option
   • Image Type: QCOW2
   • Source: Object Storage URL (select your uploaded file)

Click "Import" and OCI will process your image.