Power actions explained
| Action | What it does | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Powers on a stopped VPS | After intentionally stopping your server |
| Stop | Graceful shutdown (ACPI signal) | Routine maintenance, before resizing |
| Restart | Graceful reboot | After software updates, config changes |
| Power Off | Hard stop (like pulling the power) | VPS is frozen / unresponsive |
⚠️ Power Off does not flush disk write caches. Use it only as a last resort when the guest OS is unresponsive, as it can cause filesystem corruption. Run
fsckon next boot if in doubt.
How to perform a power action
- Navigate to Instances → click Manage on the server.
- The top-right header shows Start / Stop / Restart / Power Off buttons.
- The status badge updates live after the action completes (typically within 30 seconds).
Scheduled reboots
For routine maintenance, schedule a cron job inside the VPS to reboot at a convenient time:
# Reboot every Sunday at 04:00
echo "0 4 * * 0 root /sbin/reboot" >> /etc/crontabRebooting after kernel updates
When running apt upgrade or dnf update, a kernel update may be included. The system will not use the new kernel until you reboot. Check if a reboot is needed:
# Debian/Ubuntu
[ -f /var/run/reboot-required ] && echo "Reboot required"
# AlmaLinux/Rocky
needs-restarting -r