Skip to main content
Install the OS with Containers Ready

Install the OS with Containers Ready

On a dedicated server, you can install an OS with Containers Ready application.

The Containers Ready application contains:

  • Docker version 28.0.3 is a containerization platform for developing and running applications;
  • plugins to run Docker Compose version 2.33.0;
  • Portainer version 2.27.0 is a GUI for monitoring and managing Docker containers, images, and the Docker network.

For Containers Ready and Portainer configuration, you can specify user data — custom operating system configuration settings — when you create the server.

Install the OS with Containers Ready⁠

  1. В control panels from the top menu, press Products and select Dedicated servers.

  2. In the section Servers open the server page → tab Operating system.

  3. Click Change the OS configuration.

  4. Optional: to securely connect to the server using the encrypted SSH protocol, select a previously downloaded and hosted SSH key or add a new one. More details in the instructions Create and upload an SSH key on a dedicated server.

  5. Optional: enter user data. Using user data helps automate server configuration. You can only specify user data for servers without hardware HBAs and RAID controllers.

    To connect to the Portainer panel by domain and to issue a TLS(SSL)-certificate use the script:

    #cloud-config

    write_files:
        - path: "/opt/containers/docker-compose.yaml"
        permissions: "0644"
        content: |
            version: "3.9"
            services:
            web:
                container_name: web
                image: "busybox"
                env_file: "/opt/containers/.env"
            db:
                container_name: db
                image: "busybox"
                env_file: "/opt/containers/.env"

        - path: "/opt/containers/.env"
        permissions: "0644"
        content: |
            ENV_VARIABLE: example.com

        - path: "/opt/user-values.yaml"
        permissions: "0644"
        content: |
            portainer_use_le: true
            portainer_domain: "<example.com>"
            portainer_le_email: "<root@example.com>"

    Specify:

    • in the code block content: for the file docker-compose.yaml specify the contents of the Docker Compose file. More details in the instructions docker compose Docker documentation;
    • in the code block content: for the file .env specify environment variables. If the file is not needed, delete the code block. More details in the instructions Use environment variables Docker documentation;
    • in the code block content: for the file /opt/user-values.yaml specify the configuration parameters for Portainer;
    • portainer_use_le: true — parameter to automatically issue a TLS(SSL)-certificate from Let's Encrypt®;
    • <example.com> — domain to access Portainer. For the domain you need to add an A-record and specify the public IP address of the server in the record value. If the domain is added to DNS hosting Servercore (actual) use the instruction manual. Add a resource record. After the server is created, a TLS(SSL)-certificate from Let's Encrypt® will be automatically issued for the domain. If no domain is specified, Portainer will be available at the following address <ip_address>:9000;
    • <root@example.com> — Containers Ready administrator email to create an account and receive Let's Encrypt® notifications.

  6. In the field Distribution select the OS image with the application — Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Container Ready 28.0.0).

  7. Optional: partition the disks. By default, the optimal RAID type is defined and only partitioned disks and disks in RAID are partitioned.

  8. Click Set. Installation can take from 7 to 60 minutes, depending on the performance of the server and the distribution selected. If more time has elapsed, file a ticket.

  9. After the OS is installed, a password will be generated to connect to the server. The password can be copied to control panels: from the top menu, press Products → Dedicated servers → server page → tab Operating system. The password is available for review 24 hours after the OS installation is complete.

Open the Portainer panel⁠

The address to connect to the Portainer panel depends on whether you specified a domain in the user data at OS installation in step 5.

  1. Open the page in your browser:

    https://<domain>:9443

    Specify <domain> — the domain name that you entered when OS installation at step 5 in the field User data.

  2. Authorize in the panel. Use:

    • login — admin;
    • password — your server password.
      You can copy it into control panels: from the top menu, press Products → Dedicated servers → server page → tab Operating system → in the field Password click . The password is available for 24 hours from the start of the OS installation or configuration change. If you forget the server password, you can reset and restore it.