Installing a Custom Operating System

This guide shows how to install a Linux distribution that is not available as a standard OS template in the PowerPanel. You boot the server into Rescue Mode and write the image to the disk with dd.

Windows Limitation: This method is only suitable for Linux-based distributions. Custom Windows installations are not possible as they require IPMI access to mount ISO files.

Warning - Data Loss: This procedure will irreversibly erase all data on your server. Ensure you have a full backup before you begin.

Step 1

Activate Rescue Mode

To write directly to the hard drive, the currently installed system must be inactive. First, boot your server into Linux Rescue Mode via your PowerPanel.

Guide: How to start Rescue Mode →

Step 2

Download the OS Image

Once connected via SSH to the rescue system, download your preferred distribution's image directly into the temporary memory (/tmp).

Download Image

wget -O /tmp/os_image.iso "INSERT_DIRECT_DOWNLOAD_LINK_HERE"

Make sure to use a direct link that immediately triggers the download of the file (usually ending in .iso or .img).

Step 3

Flash the Image to Disk

Identify your target drive and use the dd tool to write the image.

A. Identify Hard Drive

List Devices

lsblk

Usually, /dev/sda is your primary hard drive (on NVMe systems, e.g. /dev/nvme0n1). Adjust the of= target in the next command accordingly.

B. Start Writing Process

DD Command

dd if=/tmp/os_image.iso of=/dev/sda bs=4M status=progress

Step 4

Finalize and Reboot

Once the process is complete, follow these steps to boot from the newly flashed drive:

•Type exit in the console.

•Deactivate Rescue Mode in the PowerPanel.

•The server will now automatically boot into your new OS.

Guide: How to cancel Rescue Mode →

Need Assistance?

Detailed information on various distributions can be found in their official community wikis.

Linux Journey