Yes. On a virtual server you can install an operating system from your own ISO image.
How it works
- Make the image available at a direct download link — a URL that returns the ISO file itself, without a login or an intermediate download page.
- Upload it by that link in the server control panel.
- Open a ticket with our Technical Support department asking us to attach the image to your server. This step is done by us, not from the panel.
- Once the image is attached, boot the server from it and go through the installation in the console — see Managing your CloudVM virtual server in the client area for opening the console.
Before you start
- Installing from an image wipes the server. Copy off anything you need first.
- Check that the image boots. A damaged or non-bootable ISO simply produces a server that will not start, and the fault is not always obvious from the console.
- Allow for drivers. Some operating systems need virtio drivers to see the virtual disk and network. If the installer reports no disks, this is usually why.
- Network settings. An installation from your own image will not be configured for our network automatically. Note your server's IP address, gateway and DNS beforehand — you will need them during or after installation.
Dedicated servers
Installation from your own image is possible here too, through the server's management interface. The methods differ by hardware vendor, so open a ticket telling us which image you want to use — see Working with the IPMI interface.
Licensing
If you install a commercial operating system from your own image, the licence for it is a separate matter from the server itself. If you are not sure how this applies in your case, ask us in the same ticket — see also Is the Windows licence included in the plan price?
Support for what you install
Our support covers the server, the network and access to it. An operating system you have installed yourself from your own image is yours to administer — if it turns out to be misconfigured, we can help you reach the console, but not configure the system for you.
If you are unsure whether your image will work on our platform, describe it in a ticket before you start.
