2. Ubuntu 24.04 Server Installation

Use this page when you are building a new Mirror Server. If Ubuntu 24.04 is already installed and validated, continue to Mirror Server Setup.

What you are building

Use a clean Ubuntu 24.04 LTS amd64 server. The current validated minimum/baseline is:

Resource	Requirement
CPU	2 vCPU minimum; 4 vCPU recommended
Memory	4 GB minimum; 8 GB recommended
Disk	100 GB total for the current artifact set
Network	Stable IPv4 reachable by every target DP
DP → Mirror Server	TCP 80
Administration	SSH access recommended

The screenshots below use a 100 GB VM with 6 vCPU and 6 GB RAM. Those values are an example, not a replacement for the current requirements above.

Step 1 — Create the VM and attach Ubuntu 24.04 ISO

Create the VM, attach an Ubuntu 24.04 Server ISO, and make sure the disk is at least 100 GB.

Example Mirror Server VM hardware configuration

Step 2 — Start the Ubuntu Server installer

Boot the VM and select Try or Install Ubuntu Server.

Complete the normal language, keyboard, and network screens for the customer environment.

Step 3 — Use the full disk and LVM

On Guided storage configuration, select the installation disk and LVM.

Ubuntu may initially create a root logical volume that uses only part of the available volume group. Do not leave approximately half of a 100 GB disk unused.

Initial root logical volume using only part of the disk

Select the root logical volume, choose Edit, and increase it to use almost all available space.

Confirm that the root filesystem now uses the available disk capacity.

Then select Done and confirm the destructive disk action.

Confirm Ubuntu installation disk formatting

Step 4 — Create the administrator account

Create the local administrator account. The screenshots use aella as an example.

Use the hostname, password, and account policy approved for the deployment. Do not copy example passwords from documentation.

Step 5 — Install OpenSSH Server

Select Install OpenSSH server so the server can be managed remotely after installation.

Ubuntu OpenSSH server installation selection

Step 6 — Reboot after installation

When installation completes, select Reboot Now and remove/detach the installation ISO if the hypervisor requires it.

Step 7 — Verify the installed server

After reboot, log in and run:

cat /etc/os-release
df -h /
ip -br addr
sudo systemctl status ssh --no-pager

Confirm:

Ubuntu reports 24.04
the root filesystem has the expected capacity and enough free space
the intended IPv4 address is active
SSH is active
the IP address is stable and reachable from the target DP network

Step 8 — Configure SSH client keepalive

Long preparation and upgrade operations can leave an SSH terminal idle for extended periods. Configure keepalive on the SSH client used to connect to the Mirror Server and DP hosts so an intermediate firewall, NAT device, or idle-session policy is less likely to drop the session. For OpenSSH, add a host-specific entry to the operator workstation’s ~/.ssh/config:

Host <mirror-or-dp-host>
    ServerAliveInterval 60
    ServerAliveCountMax 5

Or use the equivalent options for a one-time connection:

ssh -o ServerAliveInterval=60 -o ServerAliveCountMax=5 <user>@<host>

SSH keepalive helps with idle-session timeouts. It does not prevent the expected disconnect when a DP reboots during an Ubuntu release hop. After an expected reboot, reconnect and continue from the next instruction printed by the current upgrade procedure.

Network note

During preparation, the Mirror Server needs outbound HTTPS access to the current GitHub, Cloudflare R2, ACPS, and Ubuntu bootstrap destinations. During the DP upgrade, target DP hosts retrieve prepared material from the Mirror Server over HTTP/TCP 80.

Next step

Continue with 3. Mirror Server Setup.

Start Here

Runbook

Help & Recovery

2. Ubuntu 24.04 Server Installation

2. Ubuntu 24.04 Server Installation

What you are building

Step 1 — Create the VM and attach Ubuntu 24.04 ISO

Step 2 — Start the Ubuntu Server installer

Step 3 — Use the full disk and LVM

Step 4 — Create the administrator account

Step 5 — Install OpenSSH Server

Step 6 — Reboot after installation

Step 7 — Verify the installed server

Step 8 — Configure SSH client keepalive

Network note

Next step

​2. Ubuntu 24.04 Server Installation

​What you are building

​Step 1 — Create the VM and attach Ubuntu 24.04 ISO

​Step 2 — Start the Ubuntu Server installer

​Step 3 — Use the full disk and LVM

​Step 4 — Create the administrator account

​Step 5 — Install OpenSSH Server

​Step 6 — Reboot after installation

​Step 7 — Verify the installed server

​Step 8 — Configure SSH client keepalive

​Network note

​Next step

2. Ubuntu 24.04 Server Installation

What you are building

Step 1 — Create the VM and attach Ubuntu 24.04 ISO

Step 2 — Start the Ubuntu Server installer

Step 3 — Use the full disk and LVM

Step 4 — Create the administrator account

Step 5 — Install OpenSSH Server

Step 6 — Reboot after installation

Step 7 — Verify the installed server

Step 8 — Configure SSH client keepalive

Network note

Next step