Boot from ISO on VPS: rescue disc and manual installation now available

We just added a pretty useful feature to our portal. You can now reboot your VPS and boot from an ISO instead. This comes in handy when you need to use an ISO as a rescue disc or do a manual installation.

How it works

Head over to portal.colossuscloud.com and you’ll find the option to reboot your VM and boot from an ISO. Simple as that. This is great for recovery situations, manual OS installations, or when you need to boot into a specific tool.

What’s available

We maintain a library of over 40 ISOs covering a wide range of use cases:

• Linux distributions: Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Fedora, Arch Linux, and more
• BSD systems: FreeBSD, OpenBSD
• Virtualization: Proxmox VE for nested virtualization
• Network appliances: OPNsense, VyOS, FreePBX

For the complete list with version numbers and technical details, see our ISO library documentation.

Use cases

This ISO boot feature is perfect for:

• Rescue operations: Boot into a rescue disc to fix issues or recover data
• Manual installations: Install an OS manually when you need custom partitioning or full-disk encryption
• Testing environments: Try out different distributions before committing
• Network appliances: Deploy OPNsense firewalls or VyOS routers on VPS

The feature is live in the portal right now, so you can start using it with your VPS hosting services whenever you need it. It’s one of those features that might not seem critical until you really need it, and when you do, you’ll be glad it’s there.

Questions about the ISO boot feature or how to use it? Feel free to reach out and we’re here to help.