Updated: 8 October 2026 · Applies to: Supermicro BMC (IPMI) web interface on X11, X12, H12, X13 and H13 boards, from Supermicro manuals and FAQs (not run on hardware)

To install an operating system through Supermicro IPMI, log in to the BMC web interface, open Remote Control › Remote Console, choose HTML5 and click Launch Console. In the console, mount your ISO from the Virtual Media menu (or from a network share on Configuration › Virtual Media), reset the server, press F11 and pick the virtual CD. For Dell iDRAC and HPE iLO, see reload the OS of your server using IPMI, and to prepare your own image see install your own OS from a custom ISO.

Before you start

  • Back up. Installing erases the target disks.
  • Check the ISO (checksum and boot mode) as described in the custom ISO guide, or Fedora ISO checksum check for Fedora.
  • No Java needed. The HTML5 console runs in your browser. According to Supermicro, HTML5 is the default on X13, while X12 and H12 default to the Java plug-in, so select HTML5 there.

1. Log in to the BMC web interface

Open https://IPMI-IP in your browser, with your server’s IPMI address, and log in with the BMC user name and password from your server details.

2. Open the HTML5 iKVM console

  1. Go to Remote Control › Remote Console.
  2. Select HTML5 and click Launch Console. The console opens in a new browser window, so allow pop-ups for the IPMI address.
  3. If the mouse pointer drifts, change the mouse mode: Supermicro recommends Absolute for Windows, Ubuntu and Red Hat 6 and later, and Relative for other Linux and Unix systems.

Supermicro allows at most four console sessions at a time.

3. Mount the ISO

From your computer (iKVM console)

  1. In the HTML5 console, open the Virtual Media menu.
  2. Under ISO Image, click Select File and choose the ISO on your computer.
  3. Click Mount, and keep the console window open while the installer reads from the ISO.

Licence note: Supermicro’s X12/H12 and X13/H13 BMC manuals say HTML5 iKVM virtual media needs an activated Supermicro software licence; the X13 feature table lists it under SFT-DCMS-Single. For X11, Supermicro FAQ 32766 says an HTML5 ISO mount needs an SFT-DCMS-SINGLE licence key, while the Java console mounts one without a key (Virtual Media › Virtual Storage, select the ISO, Open Image, Plug in). Ucartz Supermicro dedicated servers are deployed with this BMC licence activated, so use HTML5 virtual media, the recommended method above. On boards elsewhere without a licence, use the network share method below where it is free.

From a network share (web interface)

Here the BMC fetches the image itself, so the share must be reachable from the IPMI network.

  1. Go to Configuration › Virtual Media and click the pencil icon of a device.
  2. Enter the file server, the path to the image and, if the share needs them, a user name and password.
  3. Click the Click to Connect icon. The Status field then shows the connected image.

Supermicro lists HTTP, HTTPS, Samba and Windows CIFS sources. The BMC rejects spaces and most special characters, and the path must start with / and end in .iso, so use a simple path such as /iso/debian-13.iso. On X13 and H13, Samba and CIFS mounts are in the standard package and HTTP or HTTPS needs a licence. The X12/H12 manual lists the SFT-OOB-LIC licence for these mounts on X12.

4. Boot from the virtual CD

  1. In the console, use Power Control › Power Reset (or Power On).
  2. Press F11 while the server starts: Supermicro’s X12 and X13 board manuals use F11 for the boot device list.
  3. Choose the virtual CD-ROM entry and run the installer. The ISO must support the server’s boot mode (UEFI or legacy); see boot order in BIOS or UEFI.

5. Unmount the ISO

When the installer asks you to remove the media, unmount the image where you mounted it: according to Supermicro, the web interface cannot unmount an image mounted from the iKVM console, and the other way round. Then boot from the disk.

Keep IPMI secure

  • No default passwords. Since 1 January 2020, new Supermicro boards ship with a unique BMC password printed on labels on the board (because of California Senate Bill 327). Older boards used a well-known default password: if yours still has it, change it at once.
  • Keep IPMI off the public internet. Supermicro’s security best practices say to block direct inbound internet traffic to BMCs, manage them from a management network, use IP Access Control rules (off by default) and keep BMC firmware updated. Do not change the BMC network settings unless you know the new values are right: a wrong address can cut off the console completely.

On a Ucartz dedicated server

  • Your IPMI address and login come with your server details.
  • Unmanaged dedicated servers include full root access and a free IPMI KVM console: you can reinstall the OS or mount a custom ISO yourself at any time, without opening a support ticket.
  • Our Supermicro servers are deployed with the BMC licence for HTML5 virtual media already activated, so mounting an ISO from the browser console works with no extra licence.
  • Open a support ticket if you cannot log in, the console does not open or virtual media is unavailable. Free Basic Managed Support covers quick tasks such as OS reinstalls and IPMI/KVM help, best effort.

Official documentation: Supermicro BMC User’s Manual for X13, H13 and B13 (rev 1.0b), BMC User’s Manual for X12 and H12 (rev 1.0a), Supermicro FAQ 32766 and “Security Best Practices for managing servers with BMC features enabled in Datacenters”, all on supermicro.com.

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