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Restart a Cloud VPS / Lite VPS (including safe mode)

Update 03/17/2026

This guide explains how to restart an Infomaniak VPS Cloud / VPS Lite and what you can do if you no longer have access to the server.

 

Reboot VPS Cloud / VPS Lite

The classic mode allows you to restart your server normally. To access the VPS Cloud / VPS Lite:

  1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
  2. Click directly on the name assigned to the product in question.
  3. Click on the Manage button.
  4. Click on Restart (classic mode):
    Screenshot of the restart interface

 

Enable/disable safe mode

If you have lost your SSH key, or made a configuration error, etc.

You have the possibility to restart in rescue mode. This consists of restarting from a base image from which you can mount the partitions of your cloud. In this way, you will be able to modify/repair your configuration.

Warning: depending on the operating system installed, the system volume may be named /dev/sda, /dev/sda1 or /dev/vda; the same for the data volume /dev/sdb, /dev/sdb2 or /dev/vdb! It is therefore necessary to replace these indications with those corresponding to your situation.

To activate rescue mode:

  1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
  2. Click directly on the name assigned to the product in question.
  3. Click on the Manage button.
  4. Click on Restart (safe mode):
    Safe mode screenshot

Warning: Your data disk is not accessible when your VPS Cloud / VPS Lite is in safe mode. Only the system disk is accessible.

 

Perform operations

Once safe mode is active, access your Cloud via SSH, either with your ssh key, or with the temporary password available in the interface.

Once connected, switch to root user:

sudo -i

Then list the available partitions (replace ov-abcd with your hostname):

[root@ov-abcd ~]# lsblk
NAME    MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
vda     253:0    0    8G  0 disk 
└─vda1  253:1    0    8G  0 part /
vdb     253:16   0   20G  0 disk 
└─vdb1  253:17   0   20G  0 part

vdb corresponds to the disk of your cloud (your usual system to repair).

To access it in write mode, you must mount it:

[root@ov-abcd ~]# mount /dev/vdb1 /mnt/

You can then modify the files on your disk:

[root@ov-abcd ~]# ls /mnt/
bin  boot  dev  etc  home  lib  lib64  lost+found  media  mnt  opt  proc  root  run  sbin  srv  sys  tmp  usr  var

Depending on the operating system of your cloud, you can also perform a chroot to work directly in your usual environment:

[root@ov-abcd ~]# chroot /mnt/
root@ov-abcd:/# export PATH="$PATH:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/bin"
root@ov-abcd:/# ls

Once the necessary modifications have been made, deactivate safe mode from the Manager to restart your cloud on the original disk.


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