If you just need a single Linux VM, you don't need to fiddle with cloud-init. If you want repeatability or automation, that's when you'd reach for it, whether for setting up per-project VMs, shareable VM configs between developers etc.
Also, you don't need all 4 Linux images, just the one you want to run as your guest OS. Emulation / virtualization depends on the guest OS CPU architecture.
Also, you don't need all 4 Linux images, just the one you want to run as your guest OS. Emulation / virtualization depends on the guest OS CPU architecture.