Quick answer
How do I reboot or reinstall a Gloamport VPS?
Gloamport handles power and system changes from the server page, under Power and system: Reboot keeps your data and takes the VPS offline for a minute or two; Reinstall erases the whole disk and installs one of 5 Linux images. A person carries out each request, which shows as requested until it is done.
In brief
- Reboot: data stays; the VPS is offline for a minute or two.
- Reinstall: the disk is erased and a fresh image installed; you can give a new SSH key or get a new temporary root password.
- Delete: the VPS, its disk and its remaining days are gone; you type its name to confirm.
- Who does it: a person on the team, at the datacenter; the request shows as requested until done.
- When: reboot and reinstall are possible once the VPS is running.
Which action should you use?
| Action | Your data | Access afterwards | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reboot | Kept | Unchanged | SSH stops answering or a kernel update needs a restart you cannot do yourself |
| Reinstall | Erased: the whole disk | Your new key, the order's key, or a new temporary root password | You want a clean system or a different image |
| Delete | Erased, with the days left | None | You no longer need the server and accept losing its paid days |
When should you reboot from the dashboard?
Use the dashboard reboot only when you cannot reboot from inside the VPS, for example when SSH no longer answers. If you can log in, sudo reboot or systemctl reboot is faster, because no request has to be carried out by the team.
In the dashboard, open the server, select Reboot and confirm. The page shows Reboot requested, then the timeline records Rebooted by the team. Your files, your keys and your IP addresses stay the same. Reboots and reinstalls are requested from the dashboard and carried out by the team; a reinstall erases the disk.
How do you reinstall a VPS step by step?
Save what you need
Copy every file, database and configuration you want to keep: after a reinstall nobody can get them back. No plan includes backups: keep your own copy of anything you cannot lose.
Open Power and system
On the server page, select Reinstall.
Choose the image
Pick one of Debian 13, Debian 12, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, AlmaLinux 10, Rocky Linux 10.
Decide on access
Paste a new SSH public key, or leave the field empty: with an empty field the key from your order is kept, or, if the order had none, the team sets a new temporary root password.
Confirm
Select Erase and reinstall. The page shows Reinstall requested until the team has finished; the timeline then records the new image.
Is reinstalling better than ordering a second VPS?
For a clean start on the same plan, a reinstall costs nothing and keeps the paid days of the plan. A second VPS is a second order at full price. According to Gloamport's survey of 10 November 2026, the median 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 80 GB plan across 29 no-KYC crypto hosts cost $31.29 a month, against $16.50 for Gloam on one month: either way, a free reinstall beats a new order when the old system is simply broken.
If you want the old data overwritten by your own commands before the new image goes on, wipe the disk first with How do I wipe my VPS before cancelling it?.
What should you do right after a reinstall?
Treat the reinstalled VPS as a new server: log in, change any temporary password and lock SSH down again. If the team set a temporary root password, the dashboard shows it once the reinstall is done; run passwd at your first login, and the one shown stops working.
Then repeat the first-login hardening from How do I harden SSH on a new VPS?. The login steps themselves are in How long until my Gloamport VPS is ready, and how do I log in?.
Reboot and reinstall: common questions
Does a Gloamport reinstall cost anything?
No. A reinstall is free and does not touch the paid days of the VPS; only the disk is erased.
How long does a reinstall take?
A person carries it out, and the dashboard shows Reinstall requested until it is done. Gloamport does not publish a separate time for reinstalls.
Can I install Windows?
No. Gloamport offers Linux only: Debian 13, Debian 12, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, AlmaLinux 10, Rocky Linux 10.
Is there a rescue console?
The server page shows a control panel with console and rescue mode only when the team has given panel details for that VPS; otherwise, open a ticket.
Does deleting a VPS refund its days?
No. Gloamport deletes the remaining days with the VPS; turn auto-renew off and let the term end instead.
Verdict
- Reboot from inside the VPS when you can, and from the Gloamport dashboard when SSH no longer answers.
- Reinstall instead of reordering for a clean system on the same plan: it is free and keeps the paid days, but erases the whole disk.
Sources (1)
- sshd_config(5) manual page — Debian (checked 2026-11-10)
Need a second server instead?
Night: 4 vCPU, 8 GB, 160 GB NVMe, $13.50 a month on 12 months.