Install the OS by auto-installation

Last update: November 19 2024

Install the OS by auto-installation

Autoinstall is a tool to install and reinstall an operating system on a dedicated server automatically through a control panel. Only the following are available for installation operating system distributions prepared by the Selectel team. If you want to use your image, install the OS manually.

The OS will be installed on the first disk, according to the order of disk installation — NVMe → SSD → HDD. If you need to install the OS on another disk, install the OS manually.

Install the OS by auto-installation⁠

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, that IP address will be blocked for 24 hours. If you forget your server password, you can reset and restore it.

1. In control panel go to Servers and hardware → Servers.
2. Open the server page → tab Operating system.
3. Click Change the OS configuration.
4. Optional: select SSH key. You can add a new public SSH key or select one from the repository for SSH keys;
5. Optional: enter user data. You can specify user data only for servers in a ready configuration. The field is not available for all operating systems;
6. Select distribution for installation.
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 it takes longer than that, file a ticket.
9. After the OS is installed, a password will be generated to connect to the server. The password can be viewed in control panel on the server page → tab Operating system. It is available for viewing 24 hours after the OS installation is complete.

Windows

An evaluation version of the OS will be installed.

1. In control panel go to Servers and hardware → Servers.
2. Open the server page → tab Operating system.
3. Click Change the OS configuration.
4. Select distribution for installation.
5. Click Set. Installation can take from 7 to 60 minutes, depending on the performance of the server and the distribution selected.
6. After the OS is installed, a password will be generated to connect to the server. The password can be viewed in control panel on the server page → tab Operating system. It is available for viewing 24 hours after the OS installation is complete. If you forget your server password, you can reset and restore it.
7. Partition your disks with Windows tools or configure software RAID.

Partition the disks⁠

Linux (partitioning for each disk)

You can partition disks in the automatic OS installation process in step 5.

You can perform partitioning for each disk separately for the following operating systems: Ubuntu 24.04LTS, Ubuntu 22.04LTS, Ubuntu 20.04LTS, 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: press 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 the mandatory partitions with mount points — /boot, /, swap.
6. Optional: press Add a section. 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 back to step 6 in the automatic OS installation process.

Linux (boot disk partitioning only)

You can partition disks in the automatic OS installation process in step 5.

Only the boot disk will be partitioned. Other disks can be partitioned using 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+LVM — 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;
   • LVM only — grouping disks into a group that is used as a block device. The operating system is installed on the first disk. The other disks will be unallocated. When adding disks to an array, it allows you to allocate capacity between existing partitions;
   • 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 operating systems. Read more about creating post-install scripts in the official Ubuntu documentation.

3. Check the partitioning. The partitioning table will show the mandatory partitions with mount points — /boot, /, swap.
4. Optional: press Add a section. 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.

Windows

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

2. Press the key combination Win + R.

3. Run the disk management utility:

   diskmgmt.msc

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

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

6. Click Shrink. Information about the selected space is displayed with a check mark Unallocated.

7. To create a new partition, right-click on the highlighted space and select New simple volume.

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

9. Optional: select a partition letter.

10. Specify the file system of the partition.

11. Click Finish.

OS distributions for automatic installation⁠

Periodically, we disable the ability to auto-install unclaimed configurations and configurations that have reached their official End Of Life (EOL).

Distribution	EOL
AlmaLinux 8.4x86_64	03.2029
AlmaLinux 9.2x86_64	05.2032
MacOS BigSur	TBA
Oracle 8x86_64	07.2029
Oracle 9x86_64	06.2032
Rocky 8x86_64	05.2029
Rocky 9.2x86_64	05.2032
Windows Server 2016 Standard*	12.12.2027
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter*	12.12.2027
Windows Server 2019 Standard*	09.12.2029
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter*	09.12.2029
Windows Server 2022 Standard*	14.10.2031
Windows Server 2022 Datacenter*	14.10.2031
Ubuntu 24.04LTS	04.2029
Ubuntu 22.04LTS	04.2027
Ubuntu 20.04LTS	04.2025
Debian 11x86_64	06.2026
Debian 12x86_64	06.2028
Proxmox VE 7	07.2024
Proxmox VE 7.x	05.2029
Proxmox VE 8	TBA
Proxmox BS 2	07.2024
Proxmox BS 3	TBA
Raspberry Pi OS buster	06.2024

* evaluation version of the OS.