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> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lium.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a pod

Walk-through of the **Create Pod** page at [lium.io](https://lium.io). You land here when you click **RENT NOW** on a row in **Browse Pods**.

![Create Pod page top — pod name, machine card, template, SSH key](./assets/create-pod-top.png)

:::warning Don't put secrets on a non-CVM pod
The page itself reminds you: *"Do not upload private keys, seed phrases, API keys, or other secret files to a rented pod. The GPU provider may have access to the pod environment."*

If you must run sensitive workloads, filter for **Confidential Computing** machines on Browse Pods. Full model: [Pod security](./security) and [CVM guide](../providers/nodes/cvm.md).
:::

## The fields, top to bottom

### Pod Name

Auto-generated like `Proud Machine Cloud`. Click and rename to anything you'll recognize in the **Your Pods** list later.

### Template

The Docker image your container is built from. The default is the most-used template for the chosen GPU (`Pytorch (Cuda) - daturaai/pytorch` for most NVIDIA cards), pre-cached on the host so deploys finish in ~1 minute.

- Click the **×** on the template card to swap. The picker drawer marks the host's canonical image with a blue **Fast deploy** badge and shows a green **Previously used** badge on templates you've deployed before.
- After picking, watch the right-hand summary's **Est. Deploy Time** row. A small **cached** badge there means the image is on this specific executor right now (deploy in seconds); no badge means a pull is needed (1–10 min).
- Need something specific (vLLM, SD-WebUI, your own image)? See [Templates](./templates) for picking and creating one.

### SSH Key

The chips show which keys will be installed in `~/.ssh/authorized_keys` on the pod. The dropdown picks from existing keys; **Add an SSH Key** opens an inline form to paste a new public key — same as **Access → SSH Keys**.

You **need at least one SSH key** to reach the pod.

### Volume

Optional. Mount an external [Volume](./volumes) at `/mnt` so data survives pod termination. One volume per pod at a time.

If you don't attach a volume, anything outside the pod's local mount (`/root`) is gone when the pod is deleted.

### Initial Port Count

How many TCP ports to forward from the host. Each pod gets a port range; one is used for SSH, the rest are free for your services (Jupyter, vLLM, etc.). The right side shows the host's max — click **Max** to grab them all.

### Auto-Termination (Optional)

Type a number of hours and the pod will be deleted automatically when it elapses. Cheap insurance against forgetting. You can also set this later — see [Scheduled termination](./scheduled-termination).

### Install Jupyter

Tick the box and the pod's startup script installs JupyterLab and exposes it on a forwarded port. The pod detail page will show the URL.

### Restore (optional)

Bring a [backup](./backups) into the new pod's filesystem on first boot.

- **Volume path** is fixed to `/root` — the local volume mount where your backup will be extracted.
- Click **Select a Backup** to pick one of your existing archives, or tick **Enter backup ID directly** to paste a UUID.

Full details and path rules: [Restores](./restores).

### # of GPUs (when GPU splitting is on)

If the host supports **GPU splitting**, a count selector appears. The provider sets a minimum (e.g. 2 of 8); you can pick any count between that minimum and the host's total.

CPU, memory, and storage are sliced proportionally to the GPU count you take:

```
cpu       = total_cpu      × rented_gpu_count / total_gpu_count
memory_gb = (total_mem_gb - 2) × rented_gpu_count / total_gpu_count
disk      = free_disk      × rented_gpu_count / total_gpu_count
volume_limit  = int(disk × 2 / 3)
storage_limit = int(disk × 1 / 3)
```

### Advanced — Skip agent SSH key

The platform installs a small **agent key** alongside yours. It powers the web terminal and pod-health checks. Untick **Skip agent SSH key** to remove it — you'll lose the web terminal and we can't tell the GPU provider if SSH breaks. Default: leave it on.

## Right-hand summary

The summary panel mirrors your selections — CPU, memory, hard disk, network, estimated deploy time, location, max CUDA driver, GPU cost per hour, GPU count, **Total cost / hour**. Only the **Total cost** number includes splitting; verify before you click **Deploy**.

![Right-hand summary panel with Deploy button](./assets/create-pod-summary.png)

## After deploying

Click **Deploy**, and the pod appears in **Your Pods** with status **PROVISIONING** then **RUNNING**. From there:

- Copy the SSH command from the **SSH CONNECTION** strip on the pod detail page.
- Set up automated [Backups](./backups).
- [Schedule termination](./scheduled-termination) if you forgot during creation.