Automation

Startup Scripts

Run scripts automatically on new VMs after OS installation. Choose from the Edge library or bring your own.

How It Works

Startup scripts execute once, automatically, when a VM first boots. They run as root via the guest agent — no SSH connection required. Scripts have a 10-minute timeout, and their output is captured for debugging.

Select a script when creating a VM

VM boots and OS installs

Script runs automatically

Edge Script Library

Pre-built, tested scripts maintained by Edge. Available to all users out of the box.

Web Servers & Stacks

Script	Description	Parameters
LAMP Stack	Apache, MySQL 8, PHP 8.3	`db_password`
LEMP Stack	Nginx, MySQL 8, PHP 8.3-FPM	`db_password`
Node.js	Node.js 22 LTS, PM2, Nginx reverse proxy	`node_version`
Python	Python 3.12, pip, Gunicorn, Nginx	—

Applications

Script	Description	Parameters
WordPress	Nginx, MySQL, PHP-FPM, WP-CLI	`site_title` `admin_email` `db_password`
Docker	Docker CE, Docker Compose	—

Development Tools

Script	Description	Parameters
PostgreSQL	PostgreSQL 16, remote access configured	`db_password` `db_name`
Redis	Redis 7, password auth, AOF persistence	`redis_password`

Security

Script	Description	Parameters
Hardened SSH	Disable password auth, fail2ban, UFW	—

Using a Script When Creating a VM

Navigate to Compute → Create VM
Configure your VM as usual (region, OS, resources, SSH keys)
In the Startup Script section, select a script from the dropdown
If the script has parameters, fill them in (passwords are auto-generated if left blank)
Click Create VM

The script will run automatically once the VM finishes provisioning. You can check its status on the VM detail page.

Tip: Scripts run before SSH is available. Your VM's software will be ready by the time you connect.

Creating Custom Scripts

Create your own scripts to automate any setup you need.

Go to Compute → Scripts
Switch to the My Scripts tab
Click Create Script
Write your bash script and optionally define parameters
Save — your script is now available in the VM creation dropdown

Script Guidelines

Start with #!/bin/bash and set -e

Exit on error so failures are caught and reported.

Log progress with echo

Output is captured and visible on the VM detail page.

Use export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive

Prevents apt from prompting for input during package installation.

Keep it under 10 minutes

Scripts are killed after 10 minutes. For longer setups, have the script kick off a background task.

Parameters

Use the ${param_name} syntax in your script. When the VM is created, parameter values are substituted before execution.

#!/bin/bash
set -e

DB_PASSWORD="${db_password:-$(openssl rand -base64 16)}"

echo "Setting up database with password: $DB_PASSWORD"
# ... your setup logic ...

The :-default syntax provides a fallback if the parameter is empty.

Checking Execution Status

After creating a VM with a startup script, you can monitor its progress on the VM detail page.

Pending — VM is still provisioning, script queued

Running — script is executing inside the VM

Completed — script finished successfully

Failed — script encountered an error (click "View output" for details)

API & Agent Access

Startup scripts can also be used via the API and the AI agent.

Inline Script (API / Agent)

Pass a script directly when creating a VM using the setup_script field:

POST /agent/compute/vms
{
  "name": "my-server",
  "size": "small",
  "setup_script": "#!/bin/bash\nset -e\napt update && apt install -y nginx"
}

Using a Library Script (Agent)

POST /agent/deploy/app
{
  "project": "my-blog",
  "compute": {
    "size": "small",
    "setup_script": "#!/bin/bash\n..."
  }
}

Checking Status

GET /api/compute/vms/{vm_id}/scripts

{
  "executions": [
    {
      "id": "...",
      "script_name": "setup_script",
      "status": "completed",
      "output": "=== Docker Installed ===\nDocker: Docker version 27.4...",
      "started_at": "2026-03-03T00:15:00Z",
      "completed_at": "2026-03-03T00:17:34Z"
    }
  ]
}

Troubleshooting

Script shows "Failed"

• Click "View output" on the VM detail page to see the error
• Make sure your script starts with #!/bin/bash
• Check that all package names are correct for the selected OS
• Ensure DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive is set for apt commands

Script still "Pending" after VM is running

Scripts are executed shortly after the VM reaches "running" status. Allow up to 30 seconds for the guest agent to initialise. If the status doesn't change, the guest agent may not be available — try restarting the VM.

Script timed out

Scripts are killed after 10 minutes. If your setup takes longer, have the script start a background process and exit. For example, use nohup ./long-task.sh &.