Linux on Bare Metal
Linux Dedicated Server Hosting: Choose Your Distribution
Full root access, no hypervisor overhead: pick the distribution your team knows and run it on hardware that is entirely yours.
Supported Linux Distributions
Each distribution has a different focus. Choose the one that matches your workload and support requirements.
Ubuntu
22.04 LTS · 24.04 LTS · 26.04 LTS
Best for: Development, AI/ML, General Workloads
Ubuntu is the most widely deployed Linux distribution for server workloads. LTS releases (Long-Term Support, 5 years of security updates) provide a stable production base with access to a large, actively maintained package ecosystem.
Deploy Ubuntu ServerKey characteristics
- ✓Largest community and documentation base of any Linux distribution
- ✓Broad hardware support and up-to-date drivers out of the box
- ✓Native NVIDIA CUDA support, ideal for AI/ML workloads
- ✓5-year LTS security support with optional Extended Security Maintenance
- ✓Three versions available: 22.04 LTS (Jammy), 24.04 LTS (Noble), 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon)
Best suited for
Web applications, AI/ML workloads, developer environments, containerized infrastructure, and teams already familiar with the Debian/Ubuntu ecosystem.
Debian
12 (Bookworm) · 13 (Trixie)
Best for: Production Stability, Minimal Footprint
Debian is the foundation that Ubuntu and many other distributions are built on. It prioritizes stability above all else: packages are tested extensively before inclusion, making Debian one of the most reliable choices for long-running production servers.
Deploy Debian ServerKey characteristics
- ✓Extremely conservative release cycle: packages are stable before they ship
- ✓Minimal default installation: no unnecessary services or daemons running
- ✓One of the longest security support windows in the Linux ecosystem
- ✓No commercial entity controlling the project, purely community-driven
- ✓Available in two versions: Debian 12 (oldstable) and Debian 13 (stable)
Best suited for
Database servers, mail servers, long-running production workloads, and teams that prioritize stability and a minimal attack surface over access to the latest package versions.
AlmaLinux
9 · 10
Best for: RHEL Compatibility, Enterprise Software
AlmaLinux is a binary-compatible rebuild of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), maintained by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation. It was created specifically to fill the gap left by CentOS Linux's end-of-life and provides a stable, enterprise-grade platform with long-term support.
Deploy AlmaLinux ServerKey characteristics
- ✓1:1 binary compatibility with RHEL: commercial software certified for RHEL runs unmodified
- ✓10-year support lifecycle matching RHEL release cycles
- ✓Backed by CloudLinux: commercially supported and financially stable
- ✓AlmaLinux 9 tracks RHEL 9, AlmaLinux 10 tracks RHEL 10
- ✓Strong compatibility with Oracle, SAP, and other enterprise software stacks
Best suited for
Enterprise applications certified for RHEL, SAP workloads, Oracle Database deployments, teams migrating from CentOS 7 or CentOS Linux, and environments requiring long-term OS stability with commercial software support.
Rocky Linux
8 · 9
Best for: RHEL Compatibility, Community-Driven
Rocky Linux is a community-driven, RHEL-compatible distribution founded by Gregory Kurtzer, the original co-founder of CentOS. It is a direct successor to CentOS Linux and provides a free, enterprise-grade platform with full RHEL binary compatibility.
Deploy Rocky Linux ServerKey characteristics
- ✓1:1 binary compatibility with RHEL 8 and RHEL 9 respectively
- ✓Strong community governance: no single corporate controller
- ✓10-year support lifecycle per major release
- ✓Rocky 8 for teams needing RHEL 8 compatibility, Rocky 9 for current RHEL 9 workloads
- ✓Active development with regular point releases
Best suited for
HPC clusters, academic and research computing, teams that prefer community governance over corporate backing, and workloads previously running on CentOS Linux 7 or 8.
CentOS Stream
10
Best for: RHEL Preview, RPM Ecosystem
CentOS Stream 10 is a rolling-release distribution that tracks just ahead of RHEL 10, receiving updates before they land in the official RHEL release. This makes it the closest view of where RHEL is heading, useful for teams that want to stay current with the RPM ecosystem.
Key characteristics
- ✓Receives updates before RHEL: preview of upcoming enterprise Linux changes
- ✓Full access to the Red Hat ecosystem of packages and tooling
- ✓Supported and maintained by Red Hat
- ✓Good fit for CI/CD pipelines targeting RHEL 10 environments
- ✓Current kernel and package versions for RHEL-ecosystem teams
Best suited for
Teams building software that will run on RHEL 10, development and staging environments for RHEL-targeted workloads, and operators who want RPM-based packages with a current kernel.
Why Run Linux on Dedicated Bare Metal?
Full kernel control: no hypervisor restrictions
On bare metal, you load the kernel your workload requires. Run custom kernel parameters, kernel modules, real-time patches, or any Linux kernel version, without hitting hypervisor limitations that block certain syscalls or restrict kernel configuration.
Predictable CPU and memory performance
Shared cloud VMs compete for CPU time on the same physical host. On dedicated bare metal, your Linux instance has exclusive access to all CPU cores and all installed RAM: no memory ballooning, no CPU steal time, no performance variance from neighboring tenants.
Direct storage and hardware access
Linux on bare metal gives you direct POSIX access to your storage, whether NVMe, SSD, or HDD, without a virtualization layer adding latency. Performance-critical applications (databases, analytics engines, validator nodes) operate at the hardware's actual throughput, while HDD-based storage servers deliver dense, cost-efficient capacity for backups and archival workloads.
No licensing overhead
Every listed distribution (Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, and CentOS Stream) is freely licensed. You pay for the server hardware and network, not for OS licensing fees on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Debian and Ubuntu LTS are both strong choices for web servers. Debian prioritizes stability with a conservative release cycle, ideal if you want a minimal, long-running server with few surprises. Ubuntu LTS offers a larger package ecosystem and broader community documentation. Both receive 5+ years of security updates per release.
Both are binary-compatible rebuilds of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) with 10-year support lifecycles, and both are suitable production alternatives to CentOS Linux. The main difference is governance: AlmaLinux is backed by CloudLinux Inc., while Rocky Linux is community-governed. Either is a valid choice: the decision typically comes down to support preference and team familiarity.
CentOS Stream 10 is supported by Red Hat and receives regular updates, but it is a rolling release that tracks ahead of RHEL, not a fixed-point release. For long-running production servers where OS stability is the primary concern, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux are typically the better choice. CentOS Stream is well-suited for CI/CD pipelines, staging environments, and teams building software targeted at RHEL.
Yes. With full root access and IPMI/KVM remote console, you can reinstall any supported distribution at any time without contacting support. Our team can also assist with OS reinstallation if needed.
Our servers are unmanaged: you have full root access and are responsible for OS configuration and software installation. Our support team handles hardware-level issues: hardware failures, network connectivity, and data center infrastructure. For complex OS-level configurations, our engineers are available to advise.
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is the most common choice for AI and ML workloads due to native NVIDIA CUDA support, frequent driver updates, and the largest ecosystem of ML tooling (PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX). AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are also viable with manual CUDA driver installation for teams already in the RHEL ecosystem.
Deploy Your Linux Server Today
Choose your distribution, configure your hardware, and get started. No setup fees, no annual contracts: dedicated bare metal with full root access from day one.
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