[rudra]

HI,

 P4V has multiple KVM VPSs without control panel. So the VPS owners are forced to contact staff/admin when they lock themselves out of SSH somehow or want a reinstall of OS.

Now here is what I propose to enable you guys to restore SSH and reinstall OS on your own in all of the scenarios except one [ tell you at the bottom ].

1) restore SSH -

setup a github public account and fix a specific file over there that will be used as our flag.

Now we make a script that periodically checks that flag for some predetermined sign and when it gets that sign, it just uninstalls and reinstalls SSH, restores your sshd settings and makes sure that the designated port is accessible from outside though firewall.

The sign can be a simple 'yes' or anything you like.

You can incorporate network checks and reset option in the script too !!

2) Reinstall OS -

This will be almost similar.. almost

Here you use a preseed file with basic netboot iso install image that is loaded and run through grub to prepare a basic system automatically [ unattended ] and ssh is enabled which you can use to login to complete the steps.

Here also we use another script that periodically checks a flag.

I can help you guys with the preseed file for ubuntu and how to set that up. For other OS, you will have to experiment I guess.

So we mainly use cron to run a script that checks say every hour for our two flags. So even if we lose access to the system, It can do a sort of reset to let us back in or reinstall OS for us.

The big plus i see is more freedom for both staff and VPS owners.

What do you guys say ?


NOTE. - If you nuke the system so hard that nothing is working inside and even the cron, base system is corrupted, then I guess you will have to contact the staff. But let me hazard a guess, you guys rarely end up in that kind of scenario. It is mostly wanting to start fresh with an OS. isn't it?

Edit2: also check
https://post4vps.com/Thread-default-OS-r...4#pid37904