---
name: bare-metal-introduction-no-os
title: No OS option
description: '**No OS** is an option to order IBM Cloud® Bare Metal Servers without an operating system.'
last-updated: 2024-10-15
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/bare-metal?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# No OS option
{: #bm-no-os}

**No OS** is an option to order IBM Cloud® Bare Metal Servers without an operating system.

## Ordering Bare Metal Servers with no OS
{: #ordering-no-os}

Use the following steps to order a bare metal server without an operating system.

1. Use the steps that are outlined in [Building a Custom Bare Metal Server](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/bare-metal?topic=bare-metal-ordering-baremetal-server&format=markdown) to order your server.

   Because of compatibility issues, you can't select NMVe drives if you're going to install Windows®.
   {: important}

2. Select **No OS** under **Image**.
3. Complete your server order.

## Reloading to no OS
{: #reloading-to-no-os}

If you ordered your server without an OS you want to reset it to a like-new configuration without an OS again, this reconfiguration is done through an OS Reload. For more information, see [Reloading the OS](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/bare-metal?topic=bare-metal-reloading-the-os&format=markdown).

1. Click **Devices** > **Device List**.
2. Select the server that you want to reconfigure with no OS.
3. Click **OS Reload** and enter the applicable information.

If you ordered a server with an operating system that is licensed through IBM Cloud®, or if you reloaded your no OS server to have an operating system from IBM Cloud®, the "no OS" option is no longer available. To revert to a no OS server, you need to cancel the existing server and order it again with the no OS option.
   {: important}

## Installing an operating system on a no OS server
{: #installing-os-on-no-os-server}

You have two methods to install operating systems on Bare Metal Servers when you select the no OS option.

### Option 1: PXE Server
{: #option-1}

You can set up Bare Metal Servers with no operating system to boot and load an OS from a PXE setup. Deployment of Bare Metal Servers in a network environment with a PXE setup (this process usually involves running a DHCP and TFTP daemon) and configure the new server BIOS to boot from the network adapter. For the no OS option to work properly, you need to set up PXE in the same VLAN as the Bare Metal Servers, or you need to use DHCP forwarding.

It might be necessary to open a support case to request that the switch ports be regrouped in basic mode for this option to work. This request is necessary because the PXE protocol doesn't require compatibility with link aggregation (LACP), which is now a standard capability to provide redundancy. Another option is to order the server with unbonded uplinks (no link aggregation) and then change them to redundant uplinks after the OS is installed.
{: note}

### Option 2: IPMI device
{: #option-2}

You can install an operating system on Bare Metal Servers by booting from an ISO with the included IPMI device. For more information about booting from an ISO, see [Mounting an ISO on a bare metal server](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/bare-metal?topic=bare-metal-bm-mount-iso&format=markdown).

## Customer-installed operating system responsibilities
{: #customer-installed-os-responsibilities}

If you installed your own operating system, you are responsible for its maintenance and updates. Which includes making sure that security updates, software updates, and necessary configurations are applied promptly. The IBM Cloud® support team is available to assist with issues that are related to hardware and preinstalled software. However, any issues that arise from the installation, maintenance, or functions of an operating system that aren't provided by IBM Cloud®, you are responsible for. For any such issues, you must contact the operating system vendor directly. For more information, see [FAQs: Bare metal servers](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/bare-metal?topic=bare-metal-bm-faq&format=markdown#what-os-tasks-are-my-responsibility).