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

# Creating Instances

> Create new GPU instances via the CLI. Execute terminal commands to select hardware profiles and initialize remote environments.

<Columns cols={3}>
  <Card title="VS Code" icon="window" href="/vscode/operations/creating-instances" color="#95c5ea" className="platform-card">
    Editor extension
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLI" icon="terminal" color="#95c5ea" className="platform-card platform-current">
    Command line
  </Card>

  <Card title="Console" icon="browser" href="/console/operations/creating-instances" color="#95c5ea" className="platform-card">
    Web interface
  </Card>
</Columns>

## Create an Instance

### Interactive Mode

Run the create command to launch an interactive menu:

```bash theme={null}
tnr create
```

This walks you through selecting your instance configuration step by step.

### One-Line Creation

Specify all options in a single command:

```bash theme={null}
tnr create --mode development --gpu a6000 --vcpus 8 --template base --disk 100
```

## Configuration Options

| Flag         | Description                                                      |
| ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--mode`     | `development` or `production`                                    |
| `--gpu`      | GPU type. Available options depend on mode                       |
| `--num-gpus` | Number of GPUs. Options depend on mode and GPU type              |
| `--vcpus`    | CPU cores (development only). Options vary by GPU type and count |
| `--template` | `base`, `comfy-ui`, `ollama`, or a snapshot name                 |
| `--disk`     | Disk storage in GB. Range varies by mode                         |

### Mode Selection

Choose between optimized development pricing or full compatibility:

* **Development** (default): Lower cost with CUDA-level optimizations. Best for development.
* **Production**: Standard VM with full compatibility. Best for long-running jobs and production workloads.

See [Development vs Production](/development-vs-production) for details on each mode.

### GPU, CPU, and RAM

Available GPU types, GPU counts, vCPU options, and RAM configurations vary by mode. Use `tnr create` to see current options interactively, or check the [pricing page](https://www.thundercompute.com/pricing) for details.

## Templates

Templates pre-configure your instance for common AI workflows:

| Template   | Description                     |
| ---------- | ------------------------------- |
| `base`     | Ubuntu with PyTorch + CUDA      |
| `ollama`   | Ollama server environment       |
| `comfy-ui` | ComfyUI for AI image generation |

After connecting to an instance with a template, start the server with:

```bash theme={null}
start-ollama      # or start-comfy-ui, etc.
```

See [Using Instance Templates](/guides/using-instance-templates) for more details.

## Restore from Snapshot

Your snapshots appear alongside templates in the selection menu. Select a snapshot to create an instance with your previously saved state.

```bash theme={null}
tnr create
# Select your snapshot in the "Templates" step
```