How to reinstall the operating system on a HIP server from the panel

Reinstalling the OS rebuilds the server from a clean image: the old system and all data on the disk are wiped, while the IP address, plan and location stay the same. In the HIP panel this takes a couple of clicks on the Rebuild tab. This guide covers when you need it, what a reinstall wipes and what it keeps, and how to go through it step by step.

In short. Server page -> Rebuild tab -> pick an OS and version -> tick an SSH key -> confirm. The disk is wiped completely, the IP and plan do not change, the install takes a couple of minutes. After a reinstall the SSH host fingerprint changes - on your machine run ssh-keygen -R YOUR_IP before the first connection.

When you need a reinstall

• Switch distribution. For example, put AlmaLinux instead of Ubuntu or the other way round - to match a piece of software's requirements.
• Start clean. You experimented, installed too much, tangled the configs - faster to rebuild than to clean up.
• The system will not boot or is damaged. If recovery via rescue mode does not help.
• Reset after a test. A test bench is done - return the server to its initial state.

What a reinstall wipes and what it keeps

Wiped: the whole disk - the operating system, all files, databases, settings, installed software, users, keys inside the system. This cannot be recovered after you confirm.

Kept: the server IP address, the plan (CPU, RAM, disk), the location, the reverse DNS (PTR) record, the panel account itself. After a reinstall the server is the same by address, but with a fresh clean system.

Before you reinstall

1. Copy your data. The panel does not take an automatic backup before a reinstall. Download everything you need - site files, database dumps, configs - to your machine or off-site storage in advance.
2. Write down what was configured. The package list, the contents of important configs, the firewall rules - so you can reproduce them quickly on the clean system.
3. Decide on the OS. Check that the distribution and version you pick support your software (control panels, for instance, are picky about the version - see the software's docs).

Step 1. Open the Rebuild tab

In the my.hip.hosting panel pick the server and go to the Rebuild tab.

Step 2. Pick an OS and version

In the Image section keep the Operating system tab and pick a distribution: Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS Stream, Rocky Linux, Arch Linux, Fedora or Windows. Below, in the Version field, is the specific release (for Ubuntu that is 24.04, 22.04, 20.04 and older).

Step 3. Tick an SSH key

In the SSH keys block tick a saved key - then the new system accepts key login right away and you do not enter a password. Keys are added in advance under Security -> SSH keys. If you do not tick a key, login is by the root password, which the panel shows on the Information tab after the reinstall.

Step 4. Confirm

Click Rebuild. The panel opens a dialog warning that all data on the server will be deleted. Confirm once more - after that it cannot be undone.

Step 5. Wait and connect

The reinstall takes a couple of minutes. When the server is Running again, connect over SSH.

The SSH host fingerprint changed with the system, so the client shows a REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED warning. That is expected after a reinstall. Remove the old entry and reconnect:

ssh-keygen -R YOUR_IP
ssh root@YOUR_IP

From here it is like a first connection: change the root password, update packages, set up a firewall. Step by step - in Connect to your HIP server and Secure a fresh VPS.

Common questions

Will the IP address change? No. The address, plan and location stay the same.

How long does a reinstall take? Usually a couple of minutes; faster on popular images.

Can it be undone after confirming? No. Once you confirm in the second dialog, the disk starts being wiped.

Is first-boot setup (cloud-init) still running after the reinstall? Yes, for a minute or two after the first login. If you start a heavy install right away, it can collide with a background apt - wait for it to finish with cloud-init status --wait.

Is Windows available too? Yes, if the image is in the list; note that a Windows image needs more memory and disk.

Next steps

• Connect to your HIP server - SSH and the emergency web console.
• Secure a fresh VPS - the first steps on a clean system.
• How to create a server in the HIP panel - if you need another server rather than reinstalling this one.