--- title: "VPS Operating Systems: Templates, Reinstalls & Custom ISO" description: "The Linux and BSD templates on an OffshoreServ VPS, how to reinstall safely, how to boot your own ISO, and which system suits which job." url: https://offshoreserv.com/docs/vps/operating-systems lang: en updated: 2026-09-25 source: HTML page at the url above (canonical); this is its Markdown version --- Knowledge base · VPS # VPS operating systems: templates, reinstalls and custom ISOs The Linux and BSD templates available on an OffshoreServ VPS, how to reinstall safely, how to boot your own ISO, and which system suits which workload. Updated 25 September 2026 5 min read In this guide - Nine templates: Debian 12 and 13, Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 LTS, AlmaLinux 9, Rocky Linux 9, Arch Linux, FreeBSD 14 and Alpine Linux. - A reinstall wipes the whole disk, so copy your data off the server first. - Any other x86-64 system can be installed from your own ISO: request it from your server's page, then install it through the VNC console. - If you are unsure, start with Debian 13 or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. VPS5 sections Every [Offshore VPS](https://offshoreserv.com/offshore-vps) is a KVM virtual machine with full root access. You pick an operating system template when you order, and you can change it at any time: reinstall from another template, or boot your own ISO and install any system that runs on x86-64 hardware. ## Available templates | Template | Type | Security support | | --- | --- | --- | | Debian 13 (trixie) | Current stable release, since August 2025 | Regular support until about 2028, then LTS until June 30, 2030 | | Debian 12 (bookworm) | Previous stable release | Long-term support (LTS) since June 2026, until June 30, 2028 | | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | Long-term support release | Standard support until May 2029 | | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | Long-term support release | Standard support until May 2027 | | AlmaLinux 9 | Compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Until May 31, 2032 | | Rocky Linux 9 | Compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Until May 31, 2032 | | Arch Linux | Rolling release | Continuous, as long as you update often | | FreeBSD 14 | BSD, stable branch | Branch supported until November 30, 2028 | | Alpine Linux | Minimal, musl-based | About two years per release branch | The dates are the projects' own published plans as of September 2026. On FreeBSD, stay on the latest 14.x point release: each one is supported for only a few months after the next is published. Whatever you choose, install pending updates right after the first boot, as shown in the [getting started guide](https://offshoreserv.com/docs/getting-started). ## Reinstall from a template > A reinstall erases the entire disk: files, databases, users, SSH keys and configuration. It cannot be undone. Copy everything you need off the server before you start. 1. Back up your data to another machine. [VPS snapshots and off-site backups](https://offshoreserv.com/docs/vps/snapshots) shows how with restic or Borg. 2. On your server's page in the client area, under **Server actions**, pick the template in **Reinstall with**, confirm that the disk will be erased and send the request. The new access details appear on the same page once the reinstall is done. 3. Confirm. The new system is written to the disk and the VPS boots into it. 4. Log in as root with the new credentials, install updates and work through the [hardening guide](https://offshoreserv.com/docs/security/hardening) again. A reinstall creates new SSH host keys, so your SSH client will warn that the remote host identification has changed. Remove the old key from your computer, then connect again: ``` ssh-keygen -R SERVER_IP ``` ## Boot a custom ISO Use your own ISO for systems that are not in the template list, such as OpenBSD, NixOS, FreeBSD 15, AlmaLinux 10 or Rocky Linux 10, or to start a rescue system. First note the current network settings, which the installer may ask for: ``` ip -br addr ip route ``` 1. Find a direct HTTPS link to the ISO file on the publisher's official download page or mirror list, so you know the image is genuine. The link must download the file without a login or an intermediate page. 2. On your server's page in the client area, under **Server actions**, choose **Boot my own ISO** and paste the link. Large images take a few minutes to fetch. 3. We attach the ISO, set the VPS to boot from it and restart it. The request then shows as done, and the address and password of the VNC console appear in the Access section of the page. 4. Open the VNC console. You now see the installer as if you were sitting at the machine. 5. Install to the virtual disk, usually `/dev/vda` on Linux or `vtbd0` on FreeBSD. If the installer does not configure the network by itself, enter the IPv4 address, netmask and gateway you noted, and add an address from your /64 if you want IPv6. 6. When the installation finishes, request **Detach the ISO and boot from disk** under **Server actions**. Until it shows as done, a restart opens the installer once more. > Installing from an ISO overwrites the existing system, just like a template reinstall. Back up first. KVM presents virtio disks and network cards. Current Linux and BSD installers include virtio drivers; Windows installers do not. If you need Windows, order a [Windows RDP plan](https://offshoreserv.com/offshore-rdp) instead. ## Notes on cloud-init Some templates use cloud-init to apply first-boot settings such as the hostname, the root password or key, and the network configuration. Check whether yours does: ``` cloud-init status ``` If the command is not found, your system does not use cloud-init and you can skip the rest of this section. If it is installed, cloud-init can regenerate the network configuration at boot. If you manage networking yourself, turn that part off: ``` echo 'network: {config: disabled}' > /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-disable-network-config.cfg ``` If your hostname resets after a reboot, tell cloud-init to keep it: ``` echo 'preserve_hostname: true' > /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-preserve-hostname.cfg ``` On Ubuntu, cloud-init may write `/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/50-cloud-init.conf`, which can switch password logins back on. The [hardening guide](https://offshoreserv.com/docs/security/hardening#sshd-config) uses a file that SSH reads before that one, so your settings win. To stop cloud-init entirely once the server is set up: ``` touch /etc/cloud/cloud-init.disabled ``` Systems you install from your own ISO have no cloud-init unless you add it. ## Choosing an operating system | Use case | Recommended | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Websites, reverse proxies, databases | Debian 13 | Conservative updates, small base system, long support | | Docker and container hosts | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Debian 13 | Both are supported by Docker's own package repository | | Software certified for Red Hat Enterprise Linux | AlmaLinux 9 or Rocky Linux 9 | Binary compatible with RHEL 9, updates until 2032 | | Tor relay | Debian 13 | The Tor Project publishes current packages for Debian | | WireGuard VPN | Debian 13, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Alpine Linux | WireGuard is built into the Linux kernel | | Smallest footprint (Dinghy, 1 GB RAM) | Alpine Linux or Debian 13 | A very small base system leaves memory for your application | | ZFS, jails, pf firewall | FreeBSD 14 | All three are part of the base system | | Newest packages, for experienced users | Arch Linux | Rolling release: update often and read the Arch news before large upgrades | | Older software that needs older libraries | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or Debian 12 | Works today, but plan a move before support ends | | Windows applications | [Windows RDP](https://offshoreserv.com/offshore-rdp) | Windows Server 2019, 2022 or 2025, or Windows 10 or 11 | On the 1 GB Dinghy plan, package managers can run short of memory during large updates; dnf on AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux is the usual case. If `free -h` shows no swap, add a 1 GB swap file: ``` dd if=/dev/zero of=/swapfile bs=1M count=1024 chmod 600 /swapfile mkswap /swapfile swapon /swapfile echo '/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' >> /etc/fstab ``` If you are unsure, choose Debian 13 or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Both are widely documented, supported until 2029 or later, and match the commands in our other guides. Once the system is running, secure it with the [first-hour hardening checklist](https://offshoreserv.com/docs/security/hardening). **Stuck on a step?** Dedicated and GPU customers can open a ticket from the [client area](https://offshoreserv.com/account/support) with the server’s IP address and what they tried. First reply target: under 12 hours. For every other server, use the Server actions on its page, the [guides](https://offshoreserv.com/docs) and the [network status](https://offshoreserv.com/status) page. --- OffshoreServ is an offshore hosting provider: VPS, dedicated servers, Windows RDP and GPU servers in seven jurisdictions (Iceland, Switzerland, Moldova, Romania, the Netherlands, Bulgaria and Malaysia), paid only in cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, Tether (USDT) and Solana), with no identity checks (no KYC). Prices and plans: https://offshoreserv.com/pricing · Answers: https://offshoreserv.com/faq · Every page: https://offshoreserv.com/llms.txt