Reinstall your servers

Warning: By default, the operation will cause a full disk wipe and all data will be lost! You can opt out by appending ?wipeDisk=false to the request URL. Proceed with caution.

To reinstall your servers, use the endpoint provided in the API documentation. Ensure you obtain the required UUID from the POST /servers response body. You may pass optional parameters such as:

• name (hostname)

• os (operating system), which must include a slug property

• kernelParam (optional)

• partitions (optional)

• sshKey (optional). If you leave it out, the keys from the original server request are reinstalled. See SSH keys on reinstall below.

• postInstallScript (a shell script on Linux, PowerShell on Windows — see Post-install scripts). If omitted, no script runs; the one from the original server request is not carried over.

Usage Scenarios

Reinstall with the Initially Requested OS

• Parameters:

  • name: (string) Optionally include kernelParam, partitions, sshKey

• Behavior: The originally provisioned OS will be reinstalled, including any specified kernelParam, custom partitions, and/or sshKey.

  • If you pass a new sshKey, it replaces the original. If you leave it out, the original keys are reinstalled.

Reinstall with a Different OS

• Parameters:

  • os: (object) Fully specify the OS you want to install.

• Behavior: The originally provisioned OS will be replaced by the provided OS object, which is installed instead.

Reinstall with Specific SSH Keys

• Parameters:

  • sshKey: (array)

• Behavior: The originally provisioned OS is reinstalled, but only the passed SSH keys are injected (not the default/original ones).

Reinstall Without Wiping the Disk

• Query parameter: ?wipeDisk=false

• Behavior: The OS is reinstalled, but the explicit quick-format pre-step is skipped.

SSH keys on reinstall

sshKey is optional on a reinstall, whichever operating system you install — including when you switch to a different OS.

What you send decides which keys end up on the reinstalled server:

You send	Result
Nothing, or "sshKey": null	The keys from the original server request are reinstalled
"sshKey": []	Also the original keys — an empty array does not clear them
"sshKey": ["ssh-ed25519 AAAA..."]	Only the keys you pass are installed; the original ones are dropped

If the original request carried SSH keys, a reinstall cannot remove all of them. If you want a server without keys, release it and order a new one without sshKey.

Example PATCH request with all of the options

{
  "name": "host.example.com",
  "os": {
    "slug": "ubuntu-2404-lts",
    "kernelParams": [
      {
        "key": "test-kernel-param-key",
        "value": "test-kernel-param-value"
      }
    ],
    "partitions": [
      {
        "target": "/custom",
        "filesystem": "ext4",
        "size": 10240
      }
    ]
  },
  "sshKey": [
    "ecdsa-sha2-nistp256 AAAAE2VjZHNhLXNoYTItbmlzdHAyNTYAAAAIbmlzdHAyNTYAAABBBHo8IaPkQ6UnDZvi4F4RBSouRa6Gtysdg2EF+SIXheVF2SGBQ2uH7RfDjXRfvq4VpHJrKYs4kWfNoHQg8ZG6PH4= ecdsa-key-20240131"
  ],
  "postInstallScript": "#!/bin/bash\necho \"Hello world!\" > /root/test.txt"
}