Install Ubuntu Server on Dedicated via IPMI: Complete Guide
Learn how to install Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS on a dedicated server using remote IPMI/KVM console, virtual ISO mounting, and manual partitioning.
Installing an operating system on a fresh dedicated server is different from provisioning a VPS. You do not have an auto-install panel at the same level, you have no snapshot for an easy rollback, and any low-level configuration — software RAID, custom partitioning, LUKS — depends on the server’s own remote console. The standard tool for this is IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface), embedded in the BMC (Baseboard Management Controller) of most enterprise servers from Supermicro, Dell iDRAC, HPE iLO, and ASRock Rack.
This tutorial shows how to install Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS on a dedicated server from scratch — connecting to IPMI, mounting the official ISO as virtual media, completing the interactive installer through the KVM console, and configuring networking after boot. Total execution time is 40-60 minutes, depending on your connection speed (the virtual ISO transfer is the main bottleneck).
The target persona is a sysadmin who has just received a fresh dedicated server, has IPMI credentials in the provider’s email, and needs Ubuntu installed before the server goes into production. We do not cover automated provisioning via PXE/iPXE — that is a topic for fleet management, not for a single server.
Prerequisites
Before starting, confirm that you have the required access and tools. Most of the frustration with IPMI comes from not having the right credentials or trying to use the Java viewer without the runtime installed.
IPMI credentials (IP, username, password) sent by the provider. Server with a functional BMC firmware. The official Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS ISO downloaded locally (~2.5 GB). An up-to-date browser and, depending on the BMC, Java Runtime Environment 8+ for the legacy KVM viewer.
Provider panel admin / ADMIN / root 443 ubuntu-24.04.1-live-server-amd64.iso The official Ubuntu ISO lives at releases.ubuntu.com — always download directly from Canonical’s site, never from random mirrors. The SHA256 hash is published in the same directory and is worth verifying before uploading to the BMC, especially if your connection is unstable.
Connecting to the IPMI console
The first hurdle is the BMC web interface. Each vendor has its own version, but the flow is equivalent: you access it over HTTPS, log in, and open the remote console (called “iKVM”, “Remote Console”, “Virtual Console”, or “HTML5 Console” depending on the brand).
Open the BMC web interface in your browser, using the IP provided by your provider:
https://10.x.x.xThe certificate is self-signed — accept the warning and proceed. In corporate environments with a proxy/firewall, confirm that port 443 to the management IP is open. Some providers expose IPMI through a dedicated VPN instead of a public IP; in that case, connect to the VPN first.
Log in with the credentials provided. If you have never accessed it before, change the password immediately — factory default credentials (ADMIN/ADMIN, root/root) are constantly scanned for on the internet.
Locate the “Remote Console”, “iKVM/HTML5”, or “Virtual Console” item in the menu. On iDRAC (Dell) it is under “Virtual Console” in the header. On iLO (HPE) it is under “Remote Console & Media”. On Supermicro IPMI it is under “Remote Control” → “iKVM/HTML5”.
Open the console. On modern BMCs (Supermicro X11+, iDRAC 9+, iLO 5+), the HTML5 viewer works directly in the browser. On older versions, the viewer runs on Java (JNLP) or ActiveX — in that case install Java Runtime Environment 8 and use Firefox ESR.
You should see the server’s current video output — probably a boot screen, BIOS/UEFI, or GRUB from a previous install.
If the console freezes, goes black, or loses keyboard input, switch to SOL (Serial Over LAN) as a fallback. It works in text mode via ipmitool: ipmitool -I lanplus -H IP -U user -P pass sol activate. The Ubuntu installer supports a serial interface — you pass console=ttyS0,115200 on the initial GRUB kernel cmdline.
Mounting the ISO as virtual media
The next step is to have the BMC present the Ubuntu ISO as if it were a physical DVD inserted into the server. There are two paths: direct upload to the BMC or sharing via samba/CIFS from a machine on the same management network.
In the console menu, look for “Virtual Media”, “Virtual Storage”, or “CD/DVD Media”. The location varies: on iDRAC it is under “Virtual Media” → “Connect Virtual Media” → “Map CD/DVD”. On Supermicro it is in the console window menu under “Virtual Storage” → “CDROM&ISO”.
Click “Browse” or “Open Image” and select the ubuntu-24.04.1-live-server-amd64.iso file from your local disk.
Confirm the mount. The upload starts — on modern BMCs it reaches 50-100 MB/s on the local network; on remote WAN connections it can drop to 5-10 MB/s. Wait for the bar to complete before continuing. Do not close the console window or the browser during the upload.
When it finishes, the BMC reports “Connected” or “Device mapped” in the virtual media status.
Reboot the server so it boots from the virtual media. Use “Power” → “Power Cycle” or “Reset” in the BMC menu. Immediately enter the BIOS/UEFI (usually F2, F11, or Delete on POST) and set the boot order to prioritize “Virtual CD/DVD” or “BMC Virtual Media”.
Save and exit BIOS. The server now boots straight into the Ubuntu installer.
Instead of permanently changing the BIOS boot order, use the one-time boot menu (F11 or F12 on most servers). It selects virtual media for that boot only, and on subsequent boots the server goes back to disk. Prevents forgetting and getting stuck in an installer loop.
Running the Ubuntu installer
With the server booting from the virtual ISO, you land in the interactive Ubuntu Server installer (Subiquity). It is a text-mode installer navigated by keyboard — Tab moves between fields, Enter confirms, Space toggles checkboxes.
On the first screen (“Welcome”), confirm the language (English is the default and has the most consistent support — you can change the system locale later). Advance to “Installer update available?” and choose “Continue without updating” if your install network has no internet access, or “Update to the new installer” if it does.
Configure the keyboard layout. If you are connecting through a US KVM, keep “English (US)”. For a Brazilian ABNT2 keyboard, select “Portuguese (Brazil)” → “Portuguese (Brazil)”.
On the next screen (“Choose type of install”), pick “Ubuntu Server” (not “Ubuntu Server (minimized)” — the minimal version excludes useful tools like editor, manpages, and snap).
Configure networking. The installer detects interfaces (eno1, eno2, enp1s0f0, etc). If the provider delivers an IP via DHCP on the primary link, the configuration is already populated. Otherwise, select the interface → “Edit IPv4” → “Manual” and fill in:
Subnet: 45.x.x.0/24
Address: 45.x.x.10
Gateway: 45.x.x.1
Name servers: 1.1.1.1,8.8.8.8
Search domains: (leave empty)Confirm with “Save”. Test with “Done” — the installer validates DNS resolution before advancing.
Partitioning. For a standard install on a single disk, choose “Use an entire disk” and select the target disk (/dev/sda or /dev/nvme0n1). Check “Set up this disk as an LVM group” if you want flexibility to resize volumes later.
For custom setups — software RAID 1, LUKS on root, separate /boot partition — choose “Custom storage layout” and configure manually. The installer supports mdadm RAID, LVM, and LUKS natively.
Dedicated servers usually have 2+ disks. Confirm the size and model before proceeding — the installer wipes EVERYTHING on the selected disk without further confirmation. Use the disk ID (usually printed in the BMC header or via lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,MODEL,SERIAL in a previous live boot) to be sure.
Configure user and hostname:
Your name: Admin
Server name: web-01
Pick a username: ubuntu
Choose a password: <strong password, 16+ chars>Advance to “SSH Setup” and tick “Install OpenSSH server” — without it you lose access as soon as you disconnect from IPMI. If you have a public SSH key, paste it into “Import SSH identity” to disable password login from the first session.
On the “Featured server snaps” screen, skip it (do not tick anything) — install what you need later with apt, with more control. The installer now copies files, configures GRUB, and installs the system. Typical time: 10-15 minutes.
When it finishes, choose “Reboot Now”. Before the reboot completes, go back to the BMC and unmount the virtual media (“Disconnect” in the Virtual Media menu) — otherwise the server may come back into the installer.
Post-install verification
After the reboot, the server should come up and be reachable over SSH on the configured IP. The first check is to connect and validate the basic state.
ssh [email protected]
# Inside the server:
lsb_release -a # confirms Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
ip addr show # confirms correct IP on the interface
df -h # confirms partitioning
systemctl status ssh # confirms SSH is activeIf SSH works and the commands return the expected output, the install succeeded. Run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y to pull security updates released after the ISO was published.
Troubleshooting
Boot does not pick up the virtual media
If after the reboot the server goes straight to “No bootable device” or tries PXE, the BIOS is not prioritizing virtual media. Go back into the BIOS (F2/Del), confirm that “Virtual CD/DVD” or “BMC Virtual Storage” is enabled under Boot Options, and move it to the first position. On UEFI, check that “CSM/Legacy Boot” is aligned with the ISO mode (the Ubuntu 24.04 ISO is a hybrid UEFI+BIOS).
Installer does not detect the disk
Servers with a RAID controller in HBA passthrough mode usually expose disks individually. If the disk does not show up, enter the controller configuration (Ctrl+R on POST for MegaRAID, F8 for HPE Smart Array) and configure the disks as “Non-RAID” or create an explicit RAID 1 volume before returning to the installer.
Networking works in the installer but not after boot
Ubuntu Server 24.04 uses netplan for network configuration. If you configured a static IP in the installer but lost networking after reboot, check /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml — it may have the wrong interface name. Compare with the output of ip link show and adjust the YAML, then run sudo netplan apply.
Next steps
With Ubuntu installed, the server is ready to receive your stack. Some common directions from here:
- Basic hardening: configure UFW, fail2ban, and disable root login over SSH
- Install Docker Engine for containerized workloads
- Configure disk monitoring (smartctl, mdadm —monitor for RAID)
- Set up automated backups (restic, borgbackup, or LVM snapshots)
- Configure IPv6 if the provider hands you a /64 or /48 block
If you are evaluating dedicated servers with redundant IPMI and 10 Gbps networking in Brazil, Hostini dedicated servers ship with IPMI pre-configured, common ISOs pre-staged, and 24/7 support in case the remote console fails.
Frequently asked questions
Why use IPMI instead of the provider's automated installer?
Automated installers cover the common cases, but they restrict partitioning, filesystem choice, and kernel versions. Through IPMI you control the installer as if you were physically in front of the server — useful for custom software RAID, LUKS on the root partition, or a specific Ubuntu LTS the provider does not offer.
Does the virtual ISO count as server traffic?
No. Virtual media mounting via IPMI runs over the dedicated management network (BMC), separate from the server's primary interface. Uploading the ISO from your computer to the BMC can be slow (typically 10-50 MB/s), but it does not consume production NIC bandwidth.
Can I install without disabling Secure Boot?
Yes. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS has a valid shim signature and works with Secure Boot enabled on most Intel and AMD servers. If the install hangs at the initial ISO boot, temporarily disabling Secure Boot is the first diagnostic step.
The KVM console freezes or goes black during installation. What can I do?
Usually it is a Java/HTML5 BMC viewer issue or an incompatible resolution. Try a different browser (Firefox tends to be more stable than Chrome for Java applets), force 1024x768 resolution in the installer GRUB, or fall back to SOL (Serial Over LAN) — it works in text mode without depending on the graphical viewer.
How do I configure static networking if the installer does not detect DHCP?
On the Ubuntu installer's 'Network connections' screen, select the interface (e.g. eno1), choose 'Edit IPv4' → 'Manual' and fill in CIDR address, gateway, nameservers, and search domains. The provider sends these details by email or makes them available in the server panel.
Do I need special drivers for the server hardware?
Rarely. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS ships with kernel 6.8+ and has broad support for Intel/Broadcom NICs, HPE/Dell/Supermicro RAID controllers, and common GPUs. If a specific piece of hardware does not work, install the linux-generic-hwe-24.04 package after installation to pull a newer kernel.