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Updated: 11/06/2025
( 8 minutes reading )
A VPS (Virtual Private Server) is a virtual environment hosted on a physical server that provides dedicated resources such as CPU, RAM, and storage. It functions like a standalone server, offering greater control, performance, and reliability compared to shared hosting.
A self-managed or unmanaged VPS means the hosting provider delivers only the basic server environment and access credentials (typically through SSH or a control panel). All setup, configuration, software installation, maintenance, and security management are handled by the customer. This gives you complete freedom and flexibility, but also requires technical knowledge to manage the server effectively.
An operating system (OS) is the core software that controls your VPS and manages how applications interact with the hardware. Examples include Linux distributions like CentOS, Ubuntu, and Debian, or even Windows Server.
A web hosting control panel, on the other hand, is a graphical interface that simplifies server and website management. It allows you to perform tasks like creating email accounts, managing files, databases, and domains, or configuring security settings without using command-line tools. Popular examples include cPanel, Plesk, and Cyberpanel.
In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the process of installing new control panels or deploying different operating systems on your HostArmada self-managed VPS. This will allow you to diversify, experiment, or build stable production environments tailored to your specific needs.
To install a new control panel or deploy a new Linux Distribution on your HostArmada self-managed VPS, please log in to your Client Area with us and open the management panel of your self-managed VPS plan. If you are unsure about how to access the Client Area, please refer to our tutorial on the matter. After logging in, please access the management interface of your self-managed VPS by clicking on the service icon corresponding to your package.
Upon doing so, you will be redirected to the self-managed VPS interface, from where you can perform all sorts of management actions.
To install a new Control Panel or deploy a new Operating System, please locate the triple-dot button on the right side of the “Restart” button, located near the top right corner of your screen.
Performing this action will expand a drop-down menu with additional management options, one of which is the “Reinstall” option. Please click on it.
Doing so will create a pop-up window in the middle of your screen, from which you can select the new control panel or operating system for your self-managed VPS server.
The first option will allow you to reinstall your server with the same control panel. In our case, this is cPanel, so the option we are presented with is to reinstall the container with cPanel.
The second option will allow you to reinstall your self-managed VPS with either a new control panel or a new Linux Distribution.
Selecting the first option will prompt you with another pop-up window containing a disclaimer stating that all data will be wiped if you accept the reinstallation. Please click on the orange “Reinstall” button located on the bottom left side of the pop-up window to proceed.
Performing the action above will clear the pop-up window, and the reinstallation process will commence. The dashboard will notify you with a notification on the top right corner, and your server’s state will change to “Reinstalling”. This will be displayed on the right side of the server’s current control panel/OS Label.
Once the process is complete, the state will change back to “Running” and you can start using the server once again.
Selecting the second option, “Reinstall with a new OS/Control Panel”, will present you with two tabs: “Operating System” and “Control Panel”. Selecting either of these options will display a drop-down menu underneath.
You can use this drop-down to select the desired OS or Control Panel. For the purpose of this tutorial, we will choose the Ubuntu 22.04 Operating System.
Finally, please click on the orange “Reinstall” button located in the bottom left corner of the pop-up window to initiate the reinstallation process.
This will once again notify you in the top right corner of the screen, and the state of your server will change to “Reinstalling”.
Once the process is complete, the state of your server will change to “Running”, and you can start using your server again.
There you have it! A seamless and straightforward way of reinstalling your HostArmada self-managed VPS plan with a new OS or Control Panel. We hope that this was easy to follow and the process went through without any hiccups. If you encounter any issues, please contact our support team via the live chat option on our website or via the ticketing system in your Client Area.
Nikola is an accomplished tech-savvy extraordinaire with over six years of experience in the web hosting field. He started as a customer care representative and quickly rose the ranks to become a support supervisor and, eventually - the head of the technical department in HostArmada. His deep understanding of the client's needs, combined with his technical knowledge, makes him the perfect man to create the ideal harmony between client satisfaction and professional problem-solving. You will often find him creating helpful tutorials, articles, and blog posts that help existing customers get around.
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