Install SolusVM

Updated: 22 October 2026 · Applies to: SolusVM (historical reference; Virtualizor is this project's current VPS platform)

SolusVM is no longer this project's VPS platform. VPS hosting here now runs on Virtualizor. This article is kept as historical reference for anyone still operating an older SolusVM-based node; it is not something a current VPS order goes through.

Partition layout used on a SolusVM slave node

• /: 120GB on Xen/HVM, 120GB on KVM, 10GB on OpenVZ.
• /swap: 4GB on Xen/HVM, 8GB on KVM, RAM × 2 on OpenVZ.
• /boot: 2GB on all three.
• Others: an empty LVM group on Xen/HVM and KVM, /vz on OpenVZ.
• PE size (physical extent size): 32GB on Xen/HVM and KVM.

1. Install NTP and update the timezone

yum install ntp
chkconfig ntpd on
/etc/init.d/ntpd start

2. Update all server software

yum update

3. Change the root password

passwd

4. Change the SSH port

cd /etc/ssh/
vi sshd_config

Change Port 22 to a non-default port, for example Port 22222.

5. Configure the node's bridges

Set up the external and internal network bridges on the node, following the node bridge setup article.

6. Run the SolusVM installer

mkdir /root/download
mkdir /root/download/solusvm
cd /root/download/solusvm
wget http://soluslabs.com/installers/solusvm/install
chmod 755 install
./install

7. After installation: Xen kernel setup

Take note of the ID key and password the installer prints. Then, for a Xen node, edit the bootloader config:

nano /etc/grub.conf

Change the default boot entry to the Xen kernel, add the matching module /initramfs-<kernel-version>.el6.x86_64.img line under the module /vmlinuz-<kernel-version>.xen line, and disable SELinux in /etc/selinux/config. Reboot the server afterward.

8. Apply the lighttpd hotfix

cd /usr/local/solusvm/tmp/
wget http://files.soluslabs.com/solusvm/patch/fixlighttpd.sh
chmod 755 fixlighttpd.sh
./fixlighttpd.sh

9. After the reboot (Xen only, skip for KVM)

php -f /usr/local/solusvm/includes/xenkernel.php

Post-installation checklist

1. Keep the ID key and password from step 7 somewhere safe; they are also stored in /usr/local/solusvm/data/solusvm.conf on the node if you lose them. The license needs activating and the node needs adding into the SolusVM master before it can provision VPSs.
2. Mount the SolusVM ISO and template NFS share:

   yum install nfs-utils nfs-utils-lib
   vi /etc/fstab

   Add a line like this at the end, replacing the IP and path with your own shared-storage server's address:

   203.0.113.10:/mnt/shared-storage/solusvm  /home/solusvm  nfs  bg,intr,soft 0 0

   Then:

   chkconfig rpcbind on
   /etc/init.d/rpcbind restart
   cd /home
   mv -vi solusvm solusvm.orig
   mkdir solusvm
   mount /home/solusvm

   Confirm it mounted:

   df -h

   You should see the NFS share listed alongside the node's own filesystems, for example:

   Filesystem                                   Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
   /dev/mapper/vg_node1-LogVol01                118G  1.5G  111G   2% /
   tmpfs                                         16G    0   16G   0% /dev/shm
   /dev/sda1                                    1.9G   47M  1.8G   3% /boot
   203.0.113.10:/mnt/shared-storage/solusvm     5.4T  2.8T  2.6T  53% /home/solusvm

3. Have the node added into the SolusVM master.
4. Configure automatic FTP backup under Node > Auto FTP Backup: IP/hostname, username, password and directory for your backup target, enabled, weekly, a chosen off-peak runtime (for example 22:00), a chosen day, with both OpenVZ and KVM/Xen backup type set to Online. Click Update to save.

Appendix: installing the SolusVM DNS option

1. Create a VPS with SolusVM.
2. Install NTP and set the date and time.
3. Install glibc:

   yum install glibc

4. Update all server software:

   yum update

5. Run the installer again and choose the DNS option when prompted:

   mkdir /root/download
   mkdir /root/download/solusvm
   cd /root/download/solusvm
   wget http://soluslabs.com/installers/solusvm/install
   chmod 755 install
   ./install

6. Apply the lighttpd hotfix, the same as for a slave node:

   cd /usr/local/solusvm/tmp/
   wget http://files.soluslabs.com/solusvm/patch/fixlighttpd.sh
   chmod 755 fixlighttpd.sh
   ./fixlighttpd.sh