Choose a Linux distribution

When you order a server, you pick the Linux distribution it's built with. Every server boots from the distribution's own official cloud image, so what you get is the real upstream system, not a copy we've customised.

The short answer#

If you have no strong preference, take Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. It's preselected in the order form. It gets security updates until 2029, and nearly every guide on the internet is written for it or for Debian. Ours are written for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Debian 12, with the differences called out. They work on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Debian 13 too.

The full list#

The dates are the ones each project publishes. The Debian dates include Debian's long-term support. The Red Hat family uses dnf instead of apt, so commands in our guides need translating there.

Which one#

• You're following a tutorial: use whatever it was written for. That's usually Ubuntu.
• You want it to just keep working: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Debian 13.
• You want newer kernels and toolchains, still on an LTS: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.
• Your software isn't ready for 24.04 yet: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, but plan to move before April 2027.
• Your software is built or supported for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, as with many control panels and commercial apps: AlmaLinux 9, or Rocky Linux 9 if that's what your team already runs. AlmaLinux 10 for a new build that can use the newer release.
• You want the newest packages and don't mind upgrading twice a year: Fedora.
• You want to build the system up yourself: Arch Linux.

One-click apps work on every family except Arch, and Coolify and WordPress need Ubuntu or Debian.

Ubuntu LTS#

Ubuntu puts out a long-term support (LTS) release every two years, in April, with five years of standard security updates. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS came out in April 2026.

Ubuntu ships ufw and unattended upgrades already installed, and third-party vendors very often publish packages and instructions for it first. We don't offer the in-between releases, like 25.10. They're only supported for nine months, which is no time at all on a server.

Debian#

Debian changes slowly, and that's the point. It suits a server you set up once and then leave alone.

Debian 13 "trixie" replaced Debian 12 "bookworm" as stable in August 2025. Bookworm still gets security updates through Debian LTS until June 2028, but for a new server, take 13. Debian's images are leaner than Ubuntu's, so you'll install a few things yourself, ufw for one.

AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux#

Both are free rebuilds of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, binary compatible with it, and supported for about ten years per major release. Pick one when software you need is only supported on RHEL. Between the two, there's little to choose: take AlmaLinux unless you already standardise on Rocky. AlmaLinux vs Rocky Linux goes through the differences.

They ship firewalld rather than ufw, and SELinux is on, which sometimes stops a service reading files in an unusual place. journalctl and ausearch -m avc tell you when that's happening.

Fedora and Arch#

Fedora is where many Red Hat changes land first. A new release comes out every six months, and each is supported for about 13 months, so you'll upgrade in place once a year at least. We always offer the current release.

Arch is a rolling release: there are no versions, just a steady stream of updates. It suits people who know it already and keep up with its news. Update it often, and read the Arch news before a big update.

Changing your mind#

A reinstall from the panel erases the disk and installs a fresh system: the same one by default, or any other distribution you pick on the reinstall form. Your IP addresses stay the same, but everything on the disk is gone, so take a copy of your data first. If you'd rather move at your own pace, order a second server with the new distribution, copy your data across, point your DNS at it and then cancel the old server. If you'd like a hand with the move, open a support ticket.

Moving to the next release of the same distribution (Debian 12 to 13, say) doesn't need a new server; follow the distribution's own upgrade notes.

To see what a server is running:

cat /etc/os-release

Look at the PRETTY_NAME line.