Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Guide

This guide describes how to install Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS on a server that will run OpenXDR KVM Installer.

This guide is based on the Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS series. For a new installation, use the latest 24.04 LTS point release provided by Canonical. As of September 23, 2026, the latest installation media is 24.04.5 LTS. The screenshots below were captured on a 24.04.3 environment, so some wording may differ on newer point releases.

Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS installation flow overview

1. Example Server Hardware

Item	Example specification
CPU	Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y × 2 (2.9 GHz, 24 cores / 48 threads, Hyper-Threading, 60 MB cache, 250 W, DDR5-5200 support)
Memory	256 GB (32 GB RDIMM × 8, 5600 MT/s, ECC)
OS disk	1 × 1.92 TB SATA SSD
Data Lake disks	23 TB total (3.84 TB SATA SSD × 6) — for DLm and AIO
NIC	Broadcom 5720 dual-port 1 GbE (onboard LOM)
NIC	Intel i350 quad-port 1 GbE
NIC	Intel E810-XXV dual-port 10/25 GbE SFP28

Example Disk Layout

1 × 1.92 TB
- Ubuntu 24.04
- DLm VM
- DAm VM
6 × 3.84 TB
- Data Lake

Example Ubuntu and Data Lake disk layout

2. BIOS Configuration (SR-IOV & Virtualization)

Verify these settings before installing the operating system.

Entering the BIOS

Power on the server.
Press F2 to enter the BIOS Setup Utility.

Required BIOS Settings

① CPU Virtualization

Path:

System BIOS
 └─ Processor Settings
     └─ Virtual Technology: Enabled

typical default: Enabled
verify that it remains Enabled

② IOMMU / Direct I/O

For deployments that use SR-IOV or PCI Passthrough, enable:

Intel platforms: VT-d / IOMMU
AMD platforms: AMD-Vi / IOMMU

Menu names and locations vary by server vendor and BIOS version. Follow the firmware documentation for the target platform.

③ SR-IOV (when using SR-IOV for a DP cluster)

On Dell servers with Intel X710/E810-family NICs, verify both the server BIOS Global/System SR-IOV setting and the NIC-level SR-IOV setting. A common Dell/Intel configuration flow is:

System BIOS
 └─ Global SR-IOV: Enabled

Device Settings
 └─ Select NIC (Intel X710 / E810)
     └─ Device Level Configuration
         └─ Virtualization Mode: SR-IOV

SR-IOV configuration varies by server model, NIC, and firmware version. Do not apply a blanket rule that Global SR-IOV must be Disabled. If you use an SR-IOV Cluster Interface with the DP Installer, enable SR-IOV according to the server/NIC vendor documentation. For simple Sensor PCI Passthrough, IOMMU/VT-d is more fundamental than SR-IOV itself.

Dell NIC Device Level Configuration SR-IOV setting

3. Prepare Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Media

Download the ISO:
- https://ubuntu.com/download/server
Create a UEFI-bootable USB device.
Connect the USB device to a rear USB port (USB 1 or 2 recommended).

4. Boot the Installer

Power on the server.
Press F11 → Boot Manager.
Select:

One-shot UEFI Boot Menu
 └─ Disk connected to rear USB 1 or 2

Selecting the Ubuntu installation USB in Dell Boot Manager

5. Choose the Ubuntu Installation Entry

When the GRUB menu appears, use the following option for the standard flow in this guide.

Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS uses the GA kernel by default for Server installation, while HWE is also a supported option. OpenXDR KVM Installer has a separate HWE Kernel installation step (STEP 02), so this guide recommends using the default Server installation path and allowing the installer to manage the later kernel transition.

If specific newer hardware requires the HWE kernel during OS installation, the HWE boot option can be used. Do not generalize a boot or live-filesystem problem seen on an older server/media combination to every Ubuntu 24.04 HWE installation. For hardware-specific problems, first verify the latest 24.04 LTS installation media and the server vendor’s support information.

6. Network Configuration During Installation

If DHCP is available and an address is assigned automatically:

verify the interface
select Done

No additional configuration is required at this stage.

Ubuntu Server network configuration during installation

7. Guided Storage

This is one of the most important steps. Select the disk carefully.

Disk selection matters for

DLm & DAm deployment
AIO & MDS deployment

Disk selection is less significant for

Sensor-only deployment
- the Ubuntu installation disk does not determine the Sensor data layout

Configuration

Select Use an entire disk.
Select only the 1.79 TB / 1.92 TB OS disk.
- Do not select Data Lake disks.
Enable:
- Set up this disk as an LVM group
Select Done.
Review and confirm the changes.

8. Profile Configuration (Example)

Item	Example value
Your name	`stellar`
Your server’s name	`m6000d`
Username	`stellar`
Password	Unique, strong temporary password
Confirm password	Same as above

Select Done after entering the values.

The account names shown in this documentation are examples only. Do not use or reuse a fixed password such as stellar. In production, use a unique password that meets your organization’s password policy and manage credentials securely after installation.

9. Complete Installation

continue through the remaining installation steps
reboot when installation completes
remove the USB device before the reboot

10. Basic Network Configuration After Installation

A static IP address is recommended for SSH access.

Edit the Netplan configuration

sudo vi /etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml

Example

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    eno8303:
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
        - 10.4.0.200/24
      routes:
        - to: default
          via: 10.4.0.254
      nameservers:
        addresses:
          - 8.8.8.8
          - 8.8.4.4

Apply

sudo netplan apply

11. Verify the Configuration

ip addr show
ip route
ping 8.8.8.8

If these commands work as expected, the host is ready for SSH access.

Start Here

Installer Guides

Operations

Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Guide

Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Guide

1. Example Server Hardware

Example Disk Layout

2. BIOS Configuration (SR-IOV & Virtualization)

Entering the BIOS

Required BIOS Settings

① CPU Virtualization

② IOMMU / Direct I/O

③ SR-IOV (when using SR-IOV for a DP cluster)

3. Prepare Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Media

4. Boot the Installer

5. Choose the Ubuntu Installation Entry

Recommended

6. Network Configuration During Installation

7. Guided Storage

Disk selection matters for

Disk selection is less significant for

Configuration

8. Profile Configuration (Example)

9. Complete Installation

10. Basic Network Configuration After Installation

Edit the Netplan configuration

Example

Apply

11. Verify the Configuration

​Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Guide

​1. Example Server Hardware

​Example Disk Layout

​2. BIOS Configuration (SR-IOV & Virtualization)

​Entering the BIOS

​Required BIOS Settings

​① CPU Virtualization

​② IOMMU / Direct I/O

​③ SR-IOV (when using SR-IOV for a DP cluster)

​3. Prepare Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Media

​4. Boot the Installer

​5. Choose the Ubuntu Installation Entry

​Recommended

​6. Network Configuration During Installation

​7. Guided Storage

​Disk selection matters for

​Disk selection is less significant for

​Configuration

​8. Profile Configuration (Example)

​9. Complete Installation

​10. Basic Network Configuration After Installation

​Edit the Netplan configuration

​Example

​Apply

​11. Verify the Configuration

Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Guide

1. Example Server Hardware

Example Disk Layout

2. BIOS Configuration (SR-IOV & Virtualization)

Entering the BIOS

Required BIOS Settings

① CPU Virtualization

② IOMMU / Direct I/O

③ SR-IOV (when using SR-IOV for a DP cluster)

3. Prepare Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Media

4. Boot the Installer

5. Choose the Ubuntu Installation Entry

Recommended

6. Network Configuration During Installation

7. Guided Storage

Disk selection matters for

Disk selection is less significant for

Configuration

8. Profile Configuration (Example)

9. Complete Installation

10. Basic Network Configuration After Installation

Edit the Netplan configuration

Example

Apply

11. Verify the Configuration