API

Create a Linode

post
https://api.linode.com//linode/instances

Creates a new Linode instance on your account. This incurs a charge on your account.

  • There are several types of Linode you can choose from. Each provides a different size, processing potential, and cost. Run the List Linode types operation for information on each available type.

  • You can create a Linode in any available regions. Run the List regions operation to see what's available.

  • You need to provide at least one authentication mechanism for disk access: a root_pass, authorized_keys, or authorized_users, with the latter two offering SSH protection.

  • To fight spam, Akamai restricts outbound connections on ports 25, 465, and 587 on all Linodes. For more information, see our guide on Running a Mail Server.

  • To add or modify tags on a Linode, your account user needs read-write access for Linode instances and Tags operations. Talk to your local account administrator about access management.

There are several ways to create a Linode, using the objects available in this operation:

Use an Image

This includes using a Linode public image distribution or a private image that you created, based on another Linode.

👍

There are tutorials

We offer example API workflows you can follow for both public image distributions as well as private images.

Use cloud-init

Our cloud-init solution with Metadata automates system configuration and software installation by providing a base-64 encoded cloud-config file.

  • You need a compatible image. To check for compatibility, run the List images operation and check for cloud-init under capabilities.

  • This also requires a compatible region. Run the List regions operation and look for Metadata under capabilities for a specific region.

Use a StackScript

You can use a StackScript to automate deployment of new systems, through a customized script.

👍

There's a tutorial

We offer an example API workflow you can follow to create a new Linode using a StackScript.

Use a Linode backup

You can create a backup of an existing Linode and restore it to a new one.

👍

There's a tutorial

We offer an example API workflow you can follow to create a new Linode using a backup.

Create an empty Linode

📘

You should only use this method for advanced use cases.

Linodes and interfaces

Depending on your account settings, you can choose between legacy configuration interfaces or Linode interfaces when creating a Linode. Only one type of interface is allowed per Linode. The interface_generation field lets you select one interface type for new Linodes when both legacy and Linode interfaces options are available on your account. If a Linode is configured with a Linode interface, legacy configuration interfaces can no longer be used on that Linode.

Permissions and scopes

To call this operation, you need permissions, based on the model you're using:

  • Identity and access permissions. Your user needs a role with these permissions. Learn more.

    • Permissions: create_linode

  • OAuth scopes. Your user needs these scopes assigned. Learn more.

    • Scopes: linodes:read_write

CLI

linode-cli linodes create \
  --label linode123 \
  --root_pass aComplex@Password \
  --booted true \
  --stackscript_id 10079 \
  --stackscript_data '{"gh_username": "linode"}' \
  --region us-east \
  --disk_encryption enabled\
  --placement_group.id 528 \
  --type g6-standard-2 \
  --authorized_keys "ssh-rsa AAAA_valid_public_ssh_key_123456785== user@their-computer" \
  --authorized_users "myUser" \
  --authorized_users "secondaryUser" \
  --metadata.user_data "I2Nsb3VkLWNvbmZpZw==" \
  --firewall_id 9000 \
  --ipv4 "192.0.2.141"

Learn more

Path Params
string
enum
required

Enum Call either the v4 URL, or v4beta for operations still in Beta.

Allowed:
Body Params

Common properties for creating and rebuilding Linodes.

authorized_keys
array of strings

Write-only A list of public SSH keys that will be automatically appended to the root user's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file when deploying from an image.

📘

You need to set at least one form of authentication to access a Linode disk. This can be authorized_keys, authorized_users, or a root_pass. You can optionally combine authorized_keys with a root_pass for added security.

authorized_keys
authorized_users
array of strings

Write-only A list of usernames for authorized users. Before you can add a user, it needs an SSH key assigned to its profile. See Add an SSH key for more information. If the usernames already have associated SSH keys, the keys will be appended to the root users ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file automatically when deploying from an image.

📘

You need to set at least one form of authentication to access a Linode disk. This can be authorized_users, authorized_keys or a root_pass. You can optionally combine authorized_users with a root_pass for added security.

authorized_users
boolean
Defaults to true

Write-only The boot status of the Linode after deployment. This defaults to true if you create the Linode using an image or from a backup. Set this to false to have it remain offline after deployment.

string
enum

Whether disk encryption is applied on this Linode. Local disk encryption ensures that your data is secured. Disk encryption protects against unauthorized data access by keeping the data encrypted if the disk is ever removed from the data center, decommissioned, or disposed of. The platform manages the encryption and decryption for you.

By default, encryption is enabled on all Linodes. If you opted out of encryption or if the Linode was created prior to local disk encryption support, you can encrypt your data using the Rebuild a Linode operation.

Allowed:
string | null

The identifier assigned to the disk image to be deployed to the new Linode. You can run the List images operation with authentication to view all available images, and store the id from the applicable one. Official Linode images start with linode/, while any custom images available on your account start with private/. To create a disk from a private/ image, you need read_only or read_write permissions for it. Run the Update a user's grants operation to adjust permissions for a private/ image, or talk to your local account administrator.

string
enum

Defines the maintenance policy for this Linode. This can be one of two policies:

  • linode/migrate. This migrates the Linode to a new host while it remains fully operational, but with some performance degradation. This focuses on maximizing availability.

  • linode/power_off_on. This powers off the Linode at the start of the maintenance event and reboots it once the maintenance finishes. This focuses on maximizing performance.

Review the maintenance policy documentation for more details.

Allowed:
metadata
object

Write-only An object containing user-defined data relevant to the creation of Linodes.

password
length between 7 and 128

Write-only This sets the root user's password on a newly created Linode disk when deploying from an image. A root_pass needs to meet a password strength score requirement that is calculated internally by the API. If the strength requirement isn't met, you'll receive a Password does not meet strength requirement error.

📘

You need to set at least one form of authentication to access a Linode disk. This can be a root_pass, authorized_keys, or authorized_users. You can optionally combine a root_pass and either authorized_keys or authorized_users for added security.

stackscript_data
object

This field is required only if the StackScript being deployed requires input data from the user for successful completion. See Declare user-defined fields (UDFs) for more details.

  • This field needs to be formatted in valid JSON.

  • The total length can't exceed 65,535 characters.

integer

An identifier for a StackScript that to be run during deployment of this Linode. A compatible image is required to use a StackScript. To get a list of available StackScripts and their permitted images, run the List StackScripts operation. This field can't be used when deploying from a backup or a private image.

integer

A unique identifier for a backup taken for another Linode. You can run the List backups operation to see a Linode's available backups. Consider these points when targeting a backup_id:

  • Your user needs read_write access to that Linode.

  • The backup needs to have a status of successful.

  • The Linode needs to be deployed to the same region as the backup.

  • This field and the image field are mutually exclusive.

boolean

If this field is set to true, the created Linode will automatically be enrolled in the Linode Backup service. Consider these points when applying this service:

  • This incurs an additional charge. The cost for the Linode Backup service depends on the type of Linode deployed.

  • This option is always treated as true if the account-wide backups_enabled setting is true. See Get account settings for more information.

  • Linode Backups pricing is included in the response from the List types operation.

integer

Write-only Specifies the size in MB of the primary boot disk. Consider these points when setting a boot_size:

  • The minimum boot disk size is 8,192 MB.

  • The combined boot_size and swap_size can't exceed the overall size of a disk.

  • Any remaining disk space beyond the boot_size and swap-size partition is left unallocated.

integer | null
≥ -1

The firewall to attach this Linode to upon creation. This firewall_id field is for Linodes using VLAN and legacy configuration profile interfaces only. Setting firewall_id to -1 indicates that no firewall device will be attached. If the firewall_id is not provided or is set to null, the default firewall assigned to this Linode will be used, if available.

string
deprecated

Deprecated, Filterable The group label for this Linode.

string | null
enum

Specifies the interface type for the Linode. The value can be either legacy_config or linode. The default value is determined by the interfaces_for_new_linodes setting in your account settings. If the interface_generation option is set to linode, legacy configuration interfaces can no longer be used on the Linode.

  • If interfaces_for_new_linodes is set to linode_only, set interface_generation to linode or omit it for Linode interfaces.

  • If interfaces_for_new_linodes is set to legacy_config_only, set interface_generation to legacy_config or omit it for legacy configuration interfaces.

  • If interfaces_for_new_linodes is set to linode_default_but_legacy_config_allowed, set interface_generation to linode or omit it for Linode interfaces, and to legacy_config if the Linode uses legacy configuration interfaces.

  • If interfaces_for_new_linodes is set to legacy_config_default_but_linode_allowed, set interface_generation to legacy_config or omit it for legacy configuration interfaces, and to linode if the Linode uses Linode interfaces.

Allowed:
interfaces
array of objects
Defaults to []

Interfaces for the Linode. This can be a Linode interface or legacy configuration interface.

interfaces
ipv4
array of strings
length between 0 and 1

The public IPv4 address to be assigned to the new Linode. This must be an unassigned reserved IPv4 address. A reserved IP address is a static public IP that can be assigned to Linodes in the same region. Use it for services that require a consistent IP address. Only a single ipv4 address can be specified during creation.

ipv4
string
length between 1 and 100

Write-only The identifier value for a kernel to apply on a new Linode instance. Run the List kernels operation to see a list of supported kernels and store the id for the applicable one.

string
length between 3 and 64

Filterable Provides a name for the Linode. If not provided, the API generates one for it. A Linode label has some constraints:

  • It needs to begin and end with an alphanumeric character.

  • It can only consist of alphanumeric characters, hyphens (-), underscores (_), or periods (.).

  • It can't contain two consecutive hyphens (--), underscores (__) or periods (..).

boolean | null

Enables the Network Helper feature. The default value is determined by the network_helper setting in the account settings. This network_helper field is for Linodes using Linode interfaces only.

placement_group
object

Include this to assign this Linode to an existing placement group. These constraints apply:

  • The target placement group needs to be in the same region set for this Linode.

  • The placement group needs to have capacity. Run the Get a region operation and note either the maximum_linodes_per_pg (strict) or maximum_linodes_per_flexible_pg (flexible), based on your selected placement_group_policy. These represent the Linode limit per placement group, for each placement_group_policy type. You can then run the Get a placement group operation to review the Linodes in that group.

boolean

If true, the created Linode will have private networking enabled and assigned a private IPv4 address.

string
required

The region where the Linode will be located.

integer
Defaults to 512

Sets the swap disk size in MB for a new Linode. A swap disk is a dedicated area used by an operating system as an extension of physical system memory.

tags
array of strings

Filterable Tags to help you organize your content.

tags
string
required

The Linode type of the Linode you're creating.

Responses

Updated about 1 month ago

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