Install the OS by auto-installation

Last update: April 10 2024

Install the OS by auto-installation

Auto-install is a tool to install and reinstall an operating system on a dedicated server automatically via control panel. Only OS distributions prepared by the Selectel team are available for installation. If you want to use your own 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 with the auto-installer⁠

Linux

1. In Control Panel, go to Servers and Hardware → Servers.
2. Open the server page → Operating System tab.
3. Click Change 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 only specify user data for servers in a ready configuration. The field is not available for all operating systems;
6. Select distribution to install.
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 server performance and the distribution selected. If it's been longer, create 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 → Operating System tab. It is available for viewing 24 hours after the OS installation is complete. If you forget your server password, you can reset and recover it.

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 → Operating System tab.
3. Click Change OS Configuration.
4. Select distribution to install.
5. Click Set. Installation can take from 7 to 60 minutes, depending on server performance 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 → Operating System tab. It is available for viewing 24 hours after the OS installation is complete. If you forget your server password, you can reset and recover it.
7. Partition Windows tools disks or configure software RAID.

Partition the disks⁠

Linux (разметка для каждого диска)

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

You can perform partitioning for each disk separately for the following operating systems: 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: 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 the selected disks;
   • RAID0 — disk allocation, 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 partitioned table will show the mandatory partitions with mount points — /boot, /, swap.
6. Optional: click Add 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. Return to step 6 in the automatic OS installation process.

Linux (boot volume partitioning only)

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

Only the boot disk will be marked. You can partition the other disks using the OS tools after installation.

1. If the server has a single 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 — Combine disks into a group that is used as a block device. The operating system is installed on the first disk. The rest of the disks will be unmarked. When you add disks to the array, it allows you to distribute capacity among existing partitions;
   • RAID0 — disk allocation, 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. Read more about creating post-Install scripts in the official Ubuntu documentation.

3. Check the markings. The partitioned table will show the mandatory partitions with mount points — /boot, /, swap.
4. Optional: click Add Section. The choice of partition file system depends on the OS limitations.
5. Make sure there is no unmapped area left on the disk. If you want to leave an unpartitioned 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 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. Press Shrink. Information about the allocated space will be displayed with Unallocated.

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

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

9. Optional: select a partition letter.

10. Specify the file system of the partition.

11. Press 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
CentOS 7	30.06.2024
Ubuntu 22.04LTS	04.2032
Ubuntu 20.04	04.2030
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

* an evaluation version of the OS.