Install the OS by auto-installation

Auto-install is a tool to install and reinstall an operating system on a dedicated server automatically through the control panel. Standard OS images and OS images with applications are available for auto-installation .If you want to use your own image, install the OS manually.

Install the OS by auto-installation⁠

carefully

The automatic reinstallation of the OS will delete data on all disks, even if you partition only the boot disk.

We recommend that you save your data or create a backup before reinstalling the OS.

Linux

For your information

When the OS installation is complete, the number of authorization attempts when connecting via SSH will be limited.After 10 unsuccessful password attempts from one IP address, this IP address will be blocked for 24 hours.If you forget the password from the server, you can reset and recover it.

1. In the Control Panel, on the top menu, click Products and select Dedicated Servers.

2. In the Servers section, open the Server page → Operating System tab.

3. Click Change OS Configuration.

4. Optional: change the hostname.

5. Optional: Select the public IP address of the server.The IP address will be automatically configured on the port.The list displays the IP addresses that are assigned to the server in the control panel and for which a VLAN is configured on the network port.

6. Optional: Select a private IP address for the server to automatically configure on the port.The list displays the IP addresses that are assigned to the server in the control panel.

7. Optional: Add an SSH key to securely connect to the server.You can add a new public SSH key or select a downloaded key from the repository for SSH keys.

8. Optional: Enter user data.Using user data helps automate server configuration.The field is not available for all OSs.Specify user data only for servers without hardware HBAs and RAID controllers.

9. Select an image to install the OS.

10. Optional: If the server configuration has RAID controllers, configure hardware RAID arrays.OS auto-installation is available for RAID 1 and RAID 0 arrays only.Only two disks can be added to a RAID 1 array.

    If the OS configuration does not show the RAID controller configuration and disk partitioning, the OS installation will require Servercore engineers to install the OS.In this case, after clicking the Install button, a ticket will be created to change the OS configuration.Once completed, the OS configuration will show the RAID controller and hardware RAID configuration and disk partitioning will be available to you.

11. Optional: partition the disks — you can select the disk on which the root partition / and the OS will be created .By default, the optimal RAID type is defined and only partitioned disks and disks in RAID are partitioned.If you leave the default partitioning, the OS will be installed on the first disk, according to the order of installing disks on the server — NVMe → SSD → HDD.

12. Click Install. The installation may take from 7 to 60 minutes, depending on the server performance and the selected distribution.If it takes longer, create a ticket.

13. After the OS installation, a password will be generated to connect to the server.The password can be viewed in the control panel on the server page → Operating System tab .It is available for viewing 24 hours after the OS installation is complete.

Windows

An evaluation version of the OS will be installed.

The OS will be installed on the first disk, according to the order of installing disks on the server — NVMe → SSD → HDD.

1. In the Control Panel, on the top menu, click Products and select Dedicated Servers.
2. In the Servers section, open the Server page → Operating System tab.
3. Click Change OS Configuration.
4. Optional: change the hostname.
5. Optional: Select the public IP address of the server.The IP address will be automatically configured on the port. The list shows the IP addresses that are assigned to the server in the control panel and the VLAN configured on the port.
6. Select an image to install the OS.
7. Click Install. Installation may take from 120 minutes, depending on server performance and the selected distribution.If it takes longer, create a ticket.
8. After the OS installation, a password will be generated to connect to the server.The password can be viewed in the control panel on the server page → Operating System tab .It is available for viewing 24 hours after the OS installation is completed If you have forgotten the server password, you can reset and restore it.
9. Partition your disks with Windows tools or Set up software RAID.

Partition the disks⁠

Linux (partitioning for each disk)

You can partition the disks during the automatic OS installation process in step 11.

You can perform partitioning for each disk separately for the following operating systems: Ubuntu 24.04LTS, Ubuntu 22.04LTS, AlmaLinux 9.2x86_64, Oracle 9x86_64, Debian 12x86_64, Debian 11x86_64, Proxmox, Rocky 9.2x86_64.

1. Click Manage disk partitioning.

2. Select the desired disk.

3. Optional: Click Add to RAID.

4. If you have assembled disks in RAID, or want to RAID a single disk, define the RAID type:

   • RAID1 — mirroring. All data is written to at least two separate physical disks in a RAID set. The array is built from selected disks;
   • RAID0 — RAID distribution, disk striping. When RAID0 is selected, if one of the disks fails, all data will be lost with no possibility of recovery;
   • RAID10 (suitable only for configurations with at least four disks) — mirroring, disk striping. All data is written sequentially to multiple disks.

5. Check the disk partitioning or RAID. The partitioning table will show mandatory partitions with mount points — /boot, /, swap.

6. Optional: click Add Partition. The choice of partition file system depends on the OS limitations.

7. If you are installing an OS on the disk, make sure there is no unmapped area left on the disk.

8. Go to step 8 in the automatic OS installation process.

Linux (boot disk partitioning only)

You can partition the disks during the automatic OS installation process in step 11.

Only the boot disk will be partitioned. Other disks can be partitioned using the OS tools after installation.

1. If the server has one hard disk, skip this step. If the server has two or more hard disks, select RAID type:

   • RAID1 — mirroring. All data is written to two separate physical disks in a RAID set. The array is built from the first two disks, the remaining disks will be unmapped;
   • RAID0 — RAID distribution, disk striping. When RAID0 is selected, if one of the disks fails, all data will be lost with no possibility of recovery.

2. Select the type of post-install script — bash-script, which is run after the OS installation:

   • default — the standard post-install script for the selected OS is executed;
   • custom — allows you to edit the standard script, or add your own.

   Post-install script is not supported by all OS.

3. Check the partitioning. The table with partitioning will show mandatory partitions with mount points — /boot, /, swap.

4. Optional: click Add Partition. The choice of partition file system depends on the OS limitations.

5. Make sure that there is no unallocated area left on the disk. If you need to leave an unallocated area, create an additional partition with free space and delete it when the OS installation is complete.

6. Go to step 7 in the automatic OS installation process.

Windows

1. Connect to the server via RDP or via KVM console.

2. Press the Win + R key combination.

3. Run the disk management utility:

   diskmgmt.msc

4. Right-click on the partition you want to split and select Shrink Volume.

5. In the Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB field, specify the size of the space to be allocated.

6. Click Shrink. The information about the selected space is displayed with the Unallocated mark.

7. Create a new partition by right-clicking on the highlighted space and selecting New simple volume.

8. In the Simple volume size in MB field, enter the size of the partition.

9. Optional: select a partition letter.

10. Specify the file system of the partition.

11. Click Finish.