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Reinstall your server ​

Reinstalling reimages your server from a template. The panel wipes the disk and lays down a fresh copy of the operating system, exactly as if the server were brand new. This is the fastest way to start over, but everything currently on the disk is thrown away, so treat it as a deliberate reset rather than a routine action.

When you would do this ​

Reach for a reinstall when you want a clean slate more than you want what is currently on the machine:

  • Start fresh. You have been experimenting, the system is cluttered, and you would rather begin from a known-good image than untangle it.
  • Change the operating system. You want a different template, for example moving from one Linux distribution to another.
  • Recover an unrecoverable state. The server will not boot, a broken package or config has locked you out, and repairing it in place is not worth the effort.

This destroys everything on the disk

A reinstall permanently erases all data on the server: your files, installed software, databases, and configuration. This cannot be undone.

Before you reinstall, take a snapshot or a backup so you have something to return to. See Snapshots & backups. If you only need to save a few files, copy them off the server first.

Where the button lives ​

Open the instance you want to reinstall, then open the Advanced menu at the top right of the instance page. Reinstall is the last item in that menu.

dash.galaxygate.net / Instances / web-01
web-01
Instances › Overview
Advanced
Manage ISO
Update Settings
Update cloud-init
Reset Password
Sync SSH Keys
Reinstall

Reinstall is highlighted here because it is the item you are looking for. It is styled as a destructive action for the same reason the warning above exists.

Steps ​

  1. Open the instance you want to reinstall.
  2. Open the Advanced menu at the top right and select Reinstall.
  3. Pick the template to install. This is the operating system image the fresh server will run, and it does not have to match what is on the server now.
  4. Confirm. The panel wipes the disk and reimages the server from the template you chose.

When the reinstall finishes, the server boots from the new image. The SSH keys saved to your workspace are installed on it automatically, so you can log back in the same way you did before. If you need a password login instead, set a new root password with Advanced, then Reset Password. See Passwords & reset.