How to install Windows or Linux to a 2nd partition on a remote server?

[greenkomodo]

Hi there,

I bought a Linux server online so I don't have physical access to it. I have been able to SSH to it and install Ubuntu on it but I notice some things are not working how they should been so I want to nuke it and start again.

I figure my best bet would be to partition the existing HDD and then somehow install WIndows or Linux to it and then change the boot priority or is there a smart way to by default load into 1 partition then I can hot switch to the other? I can't physically be at the device to choose which to to boot to after my teamviewer and other remote software kick in right? From my experience with Windows, the bootloader is part of the BIOS so no way to control it remotely?

Currently Running: UBUNTU 20.04.01 LTS Codename: Focall

[Levent]

Did you rent a dedicated machine or rent a virtual server? I havent had much experience with dedicated setups but if you are renting a vps check your service providers control page, I am certain they offer some sort of recovery / reinstall function.  Also bootloader is definitely not part of the bios.

[Nayr438]

Did you rent a physical system or a Virtual System?

If you rented a physical system, you should be able to put in a request to have the system OS swapped or reinstalled.

If its a virtual instance, you can only install what the Provider offers, check your control panel. Normally in the event you rent a Virtual Linux Server, you can not install Windows.

[greenkomodo]

4 minutes ago, Levent said:

Did you rent a dedicated machine or rent a virtual server? I havent had much experience with dedicated setups but if you are renting a vps check your service providers control page, I am certain they offer some sort of recovery / reinstall function. 

It is listed in my control panel as "dedicated server".  When I purchased it I said not to install any OS on it because I was able to work out how to use SSH to install a Linux shell on it. Linux was free by default so went with that. It says it has Ubuntu 18.04 LTS but I installed version 20 ubunutu gui on top of it.

 

Currently Running: UBUNTU 20.04.01 LTS Codename: Focall

[Eigenvektor]

What type of server are we talking about? In some cases you can select a base image that should be used to set up the machine and you only get root access once the initial "installation" is done.

 

In other places you get access through some remote terminal software that is able to show the boot process and allows you to do a normal setup process including partitioning.

[Sauron]

You can theoretically install another Linux system on a different partition using a chroot but it's a mess and I'm certain your VPS provider has a handy option to restore the server automatically.

[greenkomodo]

3 minutes ago, Eigenvektor said:

What type of server are we talking about? In some cases you can select a base image that should be used to set up the machine and you only get root access once the initial "installation" is done.

 

In other places you get access through some remote terminal software that is able to show the boot process and allows you to do a normal setup process including partitioning.

I bought it with Ubuntu 18 so I guess thats the base. I put Ubunutu 20 on top it but the control panel still says it has Ubuntu 18 but doubt if it is dynamically updating and checking that on the provider's control panel.

[Eigenvektor]

Just now, greenkomodo said:

I bought it with Ubuntu 18 so I guess thats the base. I put Ubunutu 20 on top it but the control panel still says it has Ubuntu 18 but doubt if it is dynamically updating and checking that on the provider's control panel.

The control panel most likely shows whichever image was used to do the initial installation, it has no idea that you did an upgrade afterwards.

 

Have a closer look at the control panel. In most cases there should be an option to trigger a re-install and a number of images to chose from. E.g. my provider has an option to select from a base image but also the option to insert a virtual CD into the machine's drive. I can then use some kind of Java console on their webpage to get access before the machine is even booted. This lets me do an installation including my own partitioning scheme.

[greenkomodo]

16 minutes ago, Eigenvektor said:

The control panel most likely shows whichever image was used to do the initial installation, it has no idea that you did an upgrade afterwards.

 

Have a closer look at the control panel. In most cases there should be an option to trigger a re-install and a number of images to chose from. E.g. my provider has an option to select from a base image but also the option to insert a virtual CD into the machine's drive. I can then use some kind of Java console on their webpage to get access before the machine is even booted. This lets me do an installation including my own partitioning scheme.

Right, it seems pretty basic but I just enabled something called 'API'.

Looks like I can issue commands but not sure I want to do these.

[Eigenvektor]

2 minutes ago, greenkomodo said:

Right, it seems pretty basic but I just enabled something called 'API'.

Looks like I can issue commands but not sure I want to do these.

This looks like a REST API. I'd say this is advanced rather than basic. You could use this to automate your setup. You can probably click on individual entries to see which parameters each endpoint takes and possibly even run them directly from there (this is some kind of openapi browser if I'm not mistaken).

 

The one you want is probably "POST /vm/reinstall", but unless you know what you're doing I guess there is some chance you could mess it up. Is there no "graphical" way to trigger a reinstallation?

[greenkomodo]

3 minutes ago, Eigenvektor said:

This looks like a REST API. I'd say this is advanced rather than basic. You could use this to automate your setup. You can probably click on individual entries to see which parameters each endpoint takes and possibly even run them directly from there (this is some kind of openapi browser if I'm not mistaken).

 

The one you want is probably "POST /vm/reinstall", but unless you know what you're doing I guess there is some chance you could mess it up. Is there no "graphical" way to trigger a reinstallation?

There is not, seems like I would need to ask them to do it. The provider is OneProvider for whatever that is worth.