Not yet, but we're working on it. So, for now backups are your responsibility. You are protected against a hard drive failure on the host, as we utilize hardware RAID mirroring across multiple drives. However, this is not a substitute for proper backups.
If you have enough unallocated disk space on your account you can duplicate your disk images in the Linode Manager. It's also simple to clone images between multiple Linodes using the Linode Manager.
Current Distributions:
Older Distributions:
You can also roll your own distribution and upload it. The distributions above are i386 unless specified otherwise.
It's probably easier to tell you what you cannot do: Nothing illegal and nothing that interferes with other customers and services. Our Terms of Service document is located here: Terms of Service
Yes. You can upgrade from one plan to another by using our Linode resize facility. All your data, configuration profiles, and IP addresses move with you to the new server.
Without upgrading plans, you can still add "Extras" to your Linode. Extras are added instantly (some require reboots). Removing resources pro-rates the balance of the month back to your account so you only pay for the time you've used them.
If you're looking to learn, there is no better environment. Experiment with the different Linux flavors, redeploy from scratch in a matter of minutes. We have a growing collection of tutorials, how-tos and articles located in the Linode Library. Our community is a great place to get a helping hand. Also, the LPM makes it easy to deploy a fresh installation, so experimentation is encouraged.
We're not going to lie to you: server maintenance, upgrades, hardware and network issues, all affect a Linode in the same ways as any other provider. What we can boast about is our commitment to resolving these issues in the quickest fashion possible. Most customers will tell you the last time they rebooted was to take advantage of a plan upgrade. 99.9% uptime, or your lost time is refunded back to your account.
Yes, the Linode DNS Manager is free for all members. You are more than welcome to run your own DNS servers or outsource this service to another provider.
Yes. Our Atlanta facility does filter the common ports used by IRC, but you're free to use alternate ports. The other datacenters do not filter IRC.
No, not at all. We have set up default DNS entries for all our IPs. Of course, you're able to point domains to your Linode's IP as well.
Yes - via LISH (the Linode Shell). Lish provides out of band access to your Linode and is especially helpful if you locked yourself out or botched network settings. We also offer web-based console access from within the Linode Manager.
Transfer quotas are soft caps and if you go over by a few GB we usually won't invoice. We also send an e-mail when you reach 80% of your monthly quota. Transfer is pooled among all of the Linodes under your account. If you believe you will have overages consistently, you can purchase additional transfer or upgrade to the next plan level. Purchasing additional transfer ahead of time is $0.10/GB, otherwise overages are $0.15/GB.
We limit the number of Linodes placed on each host machine. We also only place one plan type on each host. In the worst-case scenario, you're splitting CPU time evenly with your fellow Linoders, but are still able to use the full potential of the host if others are idle.
Linodes of the same plan are grouped together onto a host. We adjust the number of slots on each host according to its resources and hardware specification. On average, a Linode 360 host has 40 Linodes on it. A Linode 540 host has on average 30. Linode 720 host: 20 Linodes; Linode 1080 host: 15; Linode 1440 host: 10; Linode 2880: 5.
Redundancy or load balancing. Distinct production and development environments. Linodes are automatically deployed on separate servers if available. If located within the same facility, you can take advantage of our private, back-end network, which does not count towards your monthly bandwidth quota.
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. We do not accept PayPal, however the PayPal credit card is branded by Mastercard and is accepted. We have month-to-month, 12-month, and 24-month terms available.
Yes. All new accounts include one IP and are permitted to add an additional IP via the Linode Manager for $1.00 per month. If you need more than two IPs, you can open a support ticket and provide proper justification (we abide by ARIN's regulations).
You can cancel your account at any time by logging into the Member's area, and clicking on the "Account" sub tab. From there, there's a cancel account link. If canceling within the first seven days, be sure to ask for a credit on the cancellation form. You can also remove all Linodes from your account via the "remove" link on the Linode Manager tab. This will issue a pro-rated credit to your account, which will be applied to any future invoices and effectively allows you to keep a Linode account open without incurring charges.
You can contact us at any time via our support ticket system.
The Linode Manager is custom software, written in house, and is not for sale (although others have tried to mimic it).
No, but you can obtain and install control panels on your Linode.
We currently offer monthly, annual, and 24-month billing cycles. If you are interested in pre-paying, open a support ticket and we can accommodate you. When you sign up, your first invoice is pro-rated until the end of the month. After that, your subscription is automatically renewed on the first of each month (for annual accounts, on the anniversary of your first full month).
Linode stands for Linux Node.
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