Operating system options
IllusionCloud servers support a wide range of operating systems so you can choose the environment that best fits your workload.
## Available Linux distributions
- **Ubuntu LTS** – Ubuntu Long-Term Support releases (e.g., 24.04) are popular general-purpose server OSes with huge repositories and predictable release cycles. They are a great choice for developers, container workloads and modern stacks like Node.js, Python and PHP. Ubuntu offers fast security updates and strong isolation with AppArmor. It includes many packages out of the box so it’s slightly heavier than minimalist distributions.
- **Debian** – Debian focuses on stability and has a minimal package set, making it ideal for lean web servers, APIs and mail servers. It uses very little CPU and RAM by default. Debian adopts new packages slowly, so it’s a good fit when you prioritise reliability over cutting-edge features.
- **AlmaLinux & Rocky Linux** – These community-driven rebuilds of Red Hat Enterprise Linux replaced CentOS in many hosting stacks. They provide a long support lifecycle, SELinux enforcement and predictable updates. AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are the preferred choices for cPanel/WHM servers, enterprise PHP workloads and reseller hosting because they are fully compatible with most hosting panels.
- **CentOS** – CentOS was the classic RHEL clone. Each version is maintained for many years and is lightweight compared to feature-rich distributions. It’s suitable for simple websites and applications requiring long-term stability, but it has fewer built-in features than AlmaLinux or Ubuntu. CentOS is no longer updated upstream; new deployments should consider AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux.
- **Other distros** – Specialised options such as Alpine Linux and CoreOS are available for container-oriented environments. These distributions are not recommended for beginners but can be useful for advanced use cases.
## Windows Server
IllusionCloud offers Windows Server 2022/2025 images for workloads that require the Microsoft ecosystem. Windows Server is the right choice for .NET applications, Microsoft SQL databases, Remote Desktop services and Active Directory. It provides familiar tools such as IIS and PowerShell and integrates with Plesk. However, Windows has higher hardware requirements and incurs additional licensing fees, so plan accordingly.
## FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a BSD-based system known for its robust TCP/IP stack, jail isolation and ZFS file system. It is popular for networking appliances, firewalls, reverse proxies and storage servers. FreeBSD has a smaller ecosystem and steeper learning curve than Linux, so it’s best suited for specialised deployments rather than general web hosting.
## Selecting the right OS
When deciding which operating system to deploy, consider:
- **Support lifecycle** – Choose Long-Term Support versions that will receive security updates for at least five years.
- **Security features** – Look for distributions with mandatory access control (SELinux/AppArmor) and timely kernel patches.
- **Panel compatibility** – Ensure your control panel (cPanel/WHM, Plesk or DirectAdmin) supports the chosen OS. RHEL-based distros work best with cPanel/WHM, while Plesk supports Ubuntu, Debian and Windows Server.
- **Software ecosystem** – Verify that the packages you need (PHP, Node.js, databases, Docker) are available in the distribution’s repositories.
- **Resource footprint** – Minimalist distros like Debian and AlmaLinux use fewer resources than Ubuntu, which includes more features by default.
- **Licensing and cost** – Linux distributions are free; Windows requires a licence and uses more CPU and RAM.
## Custom ISOs and reinstalling
If you need a custom operating system that isn’t offered by default (e.g., a specialised firewall or virtualization distribution), you can upload your own ISO and install it via the remote console. IllusionCloud’s panel lets you boot from the ISO and perform a manual installation. Note that support for custom images is limited; if you run into issues, consider reinstalling a supported image.
You can reinstall your server at any time using the **Reinstall** button in the control panel. This process wipes the existing disk and deploys a fresh image. Always take backups of important data before reinstalling.