On this page
Reinstalling is the fastest way to start over: after a compromise, to switch distributions, or to change the disk layout. The same automation that delivered your server writes the new system, so a reinstall needs no ticket and is typically done in minutes.
What a reinstall erases
Warning: A reinstall erases all disks in the server, not only the system disk: every partition, RAID array and data disk, including extra drives. It cannot be undone. Back up first.
Your IP addresses stay assigned to the server, and backup space ordered as an add-on is separate from the server, so neither is touched. Everything you set up inside the old system, such as users, firewall rules, cron jobs or additional IP addresses, has to be configured again.
Back up first
Copy what you need to another machine: a second server, your own storage, or backup space (from $5/mo for 1 TB, reachable over SFTP, rsync, BorgBackup and restic). Typical items:
- Application data and uploads, for example
/var/wwwand/home. - Databases, as a consistent dump rather than raw data files.
- Configuration:
/etc, TLS certificates, crontabs, and the list of installed packages (dpkg --get-selectionson Debian and Ubuntu,rpm -qaon AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux).
mysqldump --all-databases --single-transaction > /root/mysql-all.sql
sudo -u postgres pg_dumpall > /root/postgres-all.sql
rsync -a /etc /home /var/www /root backup@backup.example.com:server1/Run only the dump commands for the databases you use. Then check the copy, for example by restoring one file, before you continue. Note down what will need recreating: additional IP addresses, DNS records pointing at the server, and the SSH host keys (/etc/ssh/ssh_host_*) if you want clients to keep trusting the server without a warning.
Choose the operating system
One-click installs (details on operating systems):
- Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS and 22.04 LTS
- Debian 13 “Trixie” and 12 “Bookworm”
- AlmaLinux 10 and 9, Rocky Linux 10 and 9
- Fedora Server 44 and FreeBSD 15
- Proxmox VE 9 and Proxmox Backup Server 4
- Windows Server 2025 and 2022, Standard edition
For production, choose a long-term release: Ubuntu LTS, Debian, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux receive security updates for years. Fedora moves faster and each release is supported for about 13 months, so plan regular upgrades. To run virtual machines, pick Proxmox VE and follow the Proxmox guide.
An OS that is not in the list
Mount your own ISO image with the console’s virtual media and install anything the hardware supports, for example VMware ESXi with your own license, TrueNAS or NixOS. You then configure the network and RAID yourself. See IPMI/KVM console and virtual media.
Choose the RAID layout
On servers with two disks, the default is Linux software RAID 1. You can choose another layout at install time:
| Layout | Usable space with 2 × 1 TB | If one disk fails | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 1 (default) | 1 TB | The server keeps running; the disk is replaced and the mirror rebuilt | Almost every workload |
| RAID 0 | 2 TB | All data is lost | Scratch space, caches, data replicated elsewhere |
| No RAID | 2 × 1 TB, separate | Data on the failed disk is lost | Your own layout: ZFS, LVM, a separate data disk |
A failed disk is replaced within 4 hours of diagnosis (see the SLA). RAID protects against a disk failure, not against deletion, corruption or a compromised system, so keep backups whichever layout you choose. More in Software RAID. On servers with more than two disks, choose among the layouts offered for that machine, or select no RAID and build your own array afterwards.
Start the reinstall
Open the reinstall form. In your dashboard, open the server, then choose Reinstall.
Pick the operating system and the RAID layout.
Add your SSH public key. Paste the content of your
.pubfile, for exampleid_ed25519.pub, so you can log in with your key from the start. SSH keys explains how to create one.Confirm. The automation writes the new system to the disks, configures the network and restarts the server.
Typical durations: most Linux distributions are online in under 10 minutes, Proxmox VE in about 10 minutes and Windows Server in about 20 minutes. These are typical times, not promises. Reinstalls can also be started through the API.
After the reinstall
- Login details: as at delivery, you receive the new credentials by email: the root password, or access with the SSH key you provided.
- Host key warning: the new system has new SSH host keys, so your SSH client warns that the remote host identification has changed. Remove the old entry and connect again with
ssh-keygen -R 203.0.113.10, or restore the host keys you saved and restart sshd. - Network extras: the main IPv4 address and IPv6 are configured for you. If you have additional IPv4 addresses, add them again.
- Basics: updates, a sudo user and the firewall, as in First steps.
- Data: restore from your backup and test your services before pointing DNS back to the server.
Windows Server licensing
Windows Server 2025 and 2022 Standard come with a license billed monthly: $2.75 per physical core per month, with a minimum of 8 cores (prices exclude VAT). A 6-core Xeon E-2236 or an 8-core Ryzen 7 9700X is billed as 8 cores, $22/mo; a 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X comes to $44/mo. Plan for about 20 minutes of installation, then connect with Remote Desktop as Administrator. Details in Windows Server.
Next steps
On a fresh Linux system, work through First steps, then harden the server before you restore public services. If a reinstall fails or the server does not come back online, open a ticket from Support: OS installation issues are in scope for our engineers, 24/7.