4abhinavjain · February 24, 2025 22:59 · romor001 · Dec 10, 2023 · nepto · Feb 20, 2024
diff --git a/reinstall_VPS_from_inside.txt b/reinstall_VPS_from_inside.txt
 # should works on any cloud-init enabled hypervisor (openstack.. )

 # start from a normal ubuntu 20.04 install as minimal was not available for ARM64
 # Since ARM64 machines has higher RAM, Shrinking is desired but not necessary. Instead we will increase tmpfs to 1700MB

 # Getting root (if sudo -i doesn't work then set a root password beforehand using 'sudo passwd root'

 sudo -i

 # make sure we are on the highest kernel, so we can delete all the others ...
 sudo apt update && sudo apt dist-upgrade -y && sudo apt install lsof && sudo reboot

 # snap removal didn't work so proceed without it.
 sudo snap remove --purge  oracle-cloud-agent && sudo snap remove --purge core18
 sudo apt purge -y $(dpkg-query -Wf '${Package}\n' | grep header)  $(apt list --installed | grep -oP "^linux.*\d\d\d\d-oracle" | grep -v "$(uname -r)") linux-modules-extra-$(uname -r) lxc* lxd* vim* && sudo apt -y autoremove && sudo apt -y autoclean && sudo apt -y clean  
 sudo rm -rf /var/log/* /var/lib/apt/lists/*


 # use df to check the size. It should be now ~1100MB. If it is higher than 1700 MB then increase the size below
 # make sure you have root here


 cd /
 mount -t tmpfs -o size=1700m tmpfs mnt
 tar --one-file-system -c . | tar -C /mnt -x
 mount --make-private -o remount,rw /
 mount --move dev mnt/dev
 mount --move proc mnt/proc
 mount --move run mnt/run
 mount --move sys mnt/sys
 sed -i '/^[^#]/d;' mnt/etc/fstab
 echo 'tmpfs / tmpfs defaults 0 0' >> mnt/etc/fstab
 cd mnt
 mkdir old_root
 mount --make-private /
 unshare -m
 pivot_root . old_root

 # commands below open 1022 port a ssh port. Please ensure the port you select is open under Oracle's VNIC 

 /usr/sbin/sshd -D -p 1022 &

 iptables -I INPUT -p tcp -m state --state NEW -m tcp --dport 1022 -j ACCEPT

 # reconnect on port 1022: I kept the old putty session (on port 22) open and it didn't disconnect

 # now the root storage is the RAM 

 pkill agetty
 pkill dbus-daemon
 pkill atd
 pkill iscsid
 pkill rpcbind
 pkill unattended-upgrades
 kill 1 

 # check with "lsof /old_root" that there is no remaining process 

 umount -l /dev/sda1

 # check :

 df -h 
 lsblk 

 # the disk should be unmount ; for me lsblk showed a /dev/sda1 partiion but it went well.
 # now, just copy the debian cloud image on the disk.

 # I wanted an ARM64 image and Debian 10 , therefore I used this one https://cloud.debian.org/cdimage/cloud/buster/latest/debian-10-generic-arm64.tar.xz

 curl -L https://cloud.debian.org/cdimage/cloud/buster/latest/debian-10-generic-arm64.tar.xz | tar -OJxvf - disk.raw | dd of=/dev/sda bs=1M

 sync

 reboot

 # reboot command didn't work and returned an error "running in chroot, ignoring request" ;  I tried exiting as they told here (https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=184076) but it was of no use
 # I forced rebooted it from the Oracle instances' GUI and it seemed stuck on "STOPPING." But after an hour I noticed that the VM was rebooted and running.
 # I was able to login with the same public key as original ubuntu, but the username that worked was debian
 # SUCCESS!! I checked with lsb_release -a and it showed Debian 10 (earlier it was showing ubuntu)

 # Additional things: You may want to reinstall the Oracle cloud agent that was removed in the beginning.
	# should works on any cloud-init enabled hypervisor (openstack.. )

	# start from a normal ubuntu 20.04 install as minimal was not available for ARM64
	# Since ARM64 machines has higher RAM, Shrinking is desired but not necessary. Instead we will increase tmpfs to 1700MB

	# Getting root (if sudo -i doesn't work then set a root password beforehand using 'sudo passwd root'

	sudo -i

	# make sure we are on the highest kernel, so we can delete all the others ...
	sudo apt update && sudo apt dist-upgrade -y && sudo apt install lsof && sudo reboot

	# snap removal didn't work so proceed without it.
	sudo snap remove --purge oracle-cloud-agent && sudo snap remove --purge core18
	sudo apt purge -y $(dpkg-query -Wf '${Package}\n' \| grep header) $(apt list --installed \| grep -oP "^linux.\d\d\d\d-oracle" \| grep -v "$(uname -r)") linux-modules-extra-$(uname -r) lxc lxd* vim* && sudo apt -y autoremove && sudo apt -y autoclean && sudo apt -y clean
	sudo rm -rf /var/log/* /var/lib/apt/lists/*


	# use df to check the size. It should be now ~1100MB. If it is higher than 1700 MB then increase the size below
	# make sure you have root here


	cd /
	mount -t tmpfs -o size=1700m tmpfs mnt
	tar --one-file-system -c . \| tar -C /mnt -x
	mount --make-private -o remount,rw /
	mount --move dev mnt/dev
	mount --move proc mnt/proc
	mount --move run mnt/run
	mount --move sys mnt/sys
	sed -i '/^[^#]/d;' mnt/etc/fstab
	echo 'tmpfs / tmpfs defaults 0 0' >> mnt/etc/fstab
	cd mnt
	mkdir old_root
	mount --make-private /
	unshare -m
	pivot_root . old_root

	# commands below open 1022 port a ssh port. Please ensure the port you select is open under Oracle's VNIC

	/usr/sbin/sshd -D -p 1022 &

	iptables -I INPUT -p tcp -m state --state NEW -m tcp --dport 1022 -j ACCEPT

	# reconnect on port 1022: I kept the old putty session (on port 22) open and it didn't disconnect

	# now the root storage is the RAM

	pkill agetty
	pkill dbus-daemon
	pkill atd
	pkill iscsid
	pkill rpcbind
	pkill unattended-upgrades
	kill 1

	# check with "lsof /old_root" that there is no remaining process

	umount -l /dev/sda1

	# check :

	df -h
	lsblk

	# the disk should be unmount ; for me lsblk showed a /dev/sda1 partiion but it went well.
	# now, just copy the debian cloud image on the disk.

	# I wanted an ARM64 image and Debian 10 , therefore I used this one https://cloud.debian.org/cdimage/cloud/buster/latest/debian-10-generic-arm64.tar.xz

	curl -L https://cloud.debian.org/cdimage/cloud/buster/latest/debian-10-generic-arm64.tar.xz \| tar -OJxvf - disk.raw \| dd of=/dev/sda bs=1M

	sync

	reboot

	# reboot command didn't work and returned an error "running in chroot, ignoring request" ; I tried exiting as they told here (https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=184076) but it was of no use
	# I forced rebooted it from the Oracle instances' GUI and it seemed stuck on "STOPPING." But after an hour I noticed that the VM was rebooted and running.
	# I was able to login with the same public key as original ubuntu, but the username that worked was debian
	# SUCCESS!! I checked with lsb_release -a and it showed Debian 10 (earlier it was showing ubuntu)

	# Additional things: You may want to reinstall the Oracle cloud agent that was removed in the beginning.