Updated on 15 May 2026
Running your own Dedicated Server means you've got the freedom to choose exactly which operating system you want to use. While Windows and Ubuntu are incredibly popular choices, they might not be the perfect fit for your specific project. Here’s how to install an alternative server operating system with Fasthosts.
What to know before you start
When setting up a Dedicated Server, you normally pick your preferred operating system during the initial setup. Usually, you'll see a Windows server version and a few Linux distributions on offer. You can also swap out your operating system later via the Control Panel by choosing from the options included in your server plan.
To install something different, you'll need to take a slight detour. By using an emulator, you can install any ISO file you like. Once it's set up, the operating system will run just as it would if it were installed directly onto the bare metal of your server.
Keep in mind that if you go off the beaten path, your chosen operating system won't be officially supported by us – so if things go wrong, our support team might not be able to help out. You should only swap out the operating system if you're confident you have the technical know-how to secure your server and configure it correctly.
How to install your new operating system step by step
To get an unsupported operating system up and running on your Dedicated Server, follow the steps below. We've written this guide assuming your server already has a Linux system installed – and you'll need access to your Fasthosts Control Panel to get started.
Step 1
If you’re already a Bare Metal customer, you can log into your Control Panel and launch the Rescue Mode for your Linux server. If you’ve got a Dedicated Server, you’ll need to get in touch with our support team to boot your server into recovery mode.
Next, log into your server via SSH. You can technically access the server via the VNC console, but you won't be able to copy and paste the commands below into the command line.
Step 2
Create some space on your hard disk and install the QEMU emulator. It's also a great idea to install ca-certificates so you can use HTTPS when downloading your ISO file later. You can knock out all these actions with a single command:
apt-get -y purge chkrootkit duplicity memtester smartmontools tcpdump bonnie++ samba-common samba-libs reiserfsprogs linux-libc-dev && apt-get -y autoremove && apt-get update ; apt-get -y install ca-certificates qemu-system-x86 && apt-get -y clean
Step 3
To save your ISO file, you need to create a directory in your RAM. You can check how much RAM is available using free -h – then adjust the size as you need. Run this to create the directory:
mount -t tmpfs -o size=4G tmpfs /mnt
Step 4
Navigate to your new directory:
cd /mnt/
Step 5
Now download the ISO file for your chosen operating system. Just paste the correct URL into this command:
wget 'INSERT_URL_HERE'
Step 6
Next up is creating a virtual machine to launch the ISO file. If your operating system doesn't need a graphical user interface (GUI) to install, you can use the command below. Just swap in the correct name of your ISO file. We've assumed you're using two drives for this tutorial, but you might need to tweak the number. We're also giving the virtual machine 2GB of memory – feel free to adjust this too.
qemu-system-x86_64 -boot d -display curses -cdrom YOUR_OS.iso -drive file=/dev/sda,format=raw -drive file=/dev/sdb,format=raw -m 2G
Step 7
If your new operating system does need a GUI for the installation, you'll want to take a slightly different approach to creating your virtual machine. Connect to your server via SSH using your IP address:
ssh -L localhost:5900:localhost:5900 root@[YOUR SERVER IP]
Navigate back to your directory with cd /mnt, then create the virtual machine using the -vnc parameter instead:
qemu-system-x86_64 -boot d -vnc :0 -cdrom YOUR_OS.iso -drive file=/dev/sda,format=raw -drive file=/dev/sdb,format=raw -m 2G
Once that's sorted, connect via VNC via your local browser using http://localhost:5900/ so you can view the interface.
Step 8
Now it's time to install the operating system. Follow the setup guide provided by your chosen OS. Once it's all finished, shut down the virtual machine. If you're using QEMU, press [Alt] + [2] and enter system_powerdown in the console. If your system doesn't support ACPI, simply terminate the emulator by hitting q.
Step 9
To wrap things up, close your SSH connection and head back to the Control Panel. Restart the server, but make sure you boot it in local mode. Your Dedicated Server should now fire up with your brand new operating system ready to go.
Your server, your rules
And there you have it. You've successfully bypassed the standard options and set up a completely custom operating system on your Dedicated Server. While it takes a little extra legwork to get things moving, this route gives you the ultimate freedom to build your environment exactly how you want it.
Just remember that because it's a custom installation, it falls outside our usual support. That means it's over to you to keep things running smoothly, configured correctly, and totally secure.
Ready to take complete control of your hosting? Take a look at our range of Dedicated Servers and find the perfect powerhouse for your next big project.
