A machine folder

<WS_CREATOR_MACHINES>\my-machine\   folder name = distro = hostname
  machine.psd1      Windows side
  user-data.yaml    the machine, in cloud-config
  AGENTS.md         optional, for coding agents
  files\            optional, system files (path = destination)

machine.psd1

Key
BaseDistribution	required	WSL image
Location	required	disk folder
CloudConfig	required	fragments, in order
Modules		scripts after cloud-init
PodmanSubnet	with podman	unique per machine
Ssh	with ssh	Port (unique), PublicKey
AgentInstructions		file copied to ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md
Description	templates	shown by list
Template*	written by init	provenance

user-data.yaml

Users and permissions, /etc/wsl.conf, packages, mise tools. ws-creator checks that it agrees with machine.psd1:

• hostname= is the folder name; default= is one of users;
• Port, AllowUsers and the authorized key match Ssh;
• default_subnet matches PodmanSubnet.

files/

System files only, never under /home. Guardrail settings live here: etc/ws-creator/guard.conf, etc/ws-creator/denylist.sha256 (guardrails).