This article explains what GreenGeeks support covers for Self-Managed VPS plans and what you are responsible for. Read it before you order a Self-Managed VPS or before you open a support ticket about one.
Table of Contents
- What Self-Managed Means
- What GreenGeeks Support Covers
- What GreenGeeks Support Does Not Cover
- One-Click Apps: Where Support Ends
- Features Not Currently Available
- Your Data and Backups
- How to Get Help
- Self-Help Tools in Your Dashboard
What Self-Managed Means
A Self-Managed VPS is a KVM virtual server with full root access. GreenGeeks delivers a working server built from a standard template and keeps the server and its network online. Everything you install, configure, or change inside the server is yours to manage.
If you want GreenGeeks to manage the server software for you, choose a Managed VPS instead. See Self-Managed VPS vs. Managed VPS for a side-by-side comparison.
What GreenGeeks Support Covers
- Server availability: keeping your VPS powered and reachable at the hardware and network level.
- Hardware failures: problems with the physical host your VPS runs on.
- Upstream network problems: outages or routing issues outside your server, up to your server’s network connection.
- Provisioning and rebuilds: a new server, OS reinstall, or one-click app deployment from the GreenGeeks dashboard that fails or does not finish.
- Dashboard tools: Power controls, Terminal, Console (VNC), Firewall, SSH Keys, Rebuild, and root password reset not working as described.
- One-click app delivery: a one-click app that does not reach its default first screen (for example, the WordPress setup page) after deployment.
What GreenGeeks Support Does Not Cover
- Changes you make inside the server: troubleshooting errors caused by edits to the operating system, packages, or settings.
- Boot problems after changes: a server that stops booting after a kernel, bootloader, or disk change.
- Network configuration inside the server: broken netplan files, interface settings, DNS resolver settings, or firewall software such as ufw or iptables.
- Software installation and setup: web servers, PHP, databases, mail servers, control panels, and similar software.
- Websites and application code: building, debugging, or migrating websites and apps.
- Security hardening: OS updates, patching, malware cleanup, and access control.
- Apps after delivery: configuring, updating, or troubleshooting a one-click app once it is running.
Support agents can share links to official documentation for these tasks, but they do not perform or troubleshoot them.
One-Click Apps: Where Support Ends
One-click apps, such as Docker Host and the apps in the Docker app catalog, are supported until the app is delivered and working in its default state.
| Situation | Covered by GreenGeeks Support |
|---|---|
| Deployment fails or never finishes | Yes |
| App does not reach its default first screen after deployment | Yes |
Free ggsvm.net subdomain or HTTPS certificate is not issued for a new app | Yes |
| App settings, plugins, themes, or content | No |
| App stops working after you change it, update it, or edit its compose file | No |
| Custom apps deployed from your own docker-compose file | No |
| Containers you run yourself | No |
Features Not Currently Available
| Feature | Status | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Backups and snapshots | Not available | Keep your own off-server backups. See Your Data and Backups. |
| Plan upgrades or resizing | Not available | Order a larger plan and move your data to it. |
| Reverse DNS (PTR records) | Coming soon | No workaround at this time. |
| Additional IP addresses | Not available | Each server includes one IPv4 address. |
| IPv6 | Not available | Use the included IPv4 address. |
| ISO mounting or rescue mode | Not available | Use the Terminal or Console (VNC) to recover, or rebuild the server. |
| Outbound email on ports 25, 465, and 587 | Blocked permanently | Send mail through an external email service that accepts connections on another port, such as 2525. |
Your Data and Backups
GreenGeeks does not provide backups or snapshots for Self-Managed VPS plans, and support cannot restore your data. A rebuild permanently erases the server’s disk.
- Back up your files and databases to a location outside the server.
- Test your backups by restoring them somewhere else.
- Take a backup before major changes, such as OS upgrades or firewall changes.
How to Get Help
Self-Managed VPS support is available by support ticket only; live chat and phone agents cannot troubleshoot Self-Managed VPS services.
Include these details in your ticket to speed up the response:
- The server name or primary IP address shown in the dashboard.
- What you were doing when the problem started.
- What you see in the Terminal or Console (VNC), if the server is not reachable over SSH.
- Whether the issue started after a change you made.
Self-Help Tools in Your Dashboard
Your dashboard includes tools that solve most access problems without a ticket:
- Terminal and Console (VNC): access your server when SSH does not work. See How to Use the Terminal and Console.
- Change root password: reset a forgotten root password. See How to Connect to Your Self-Managed VPS.
- Firewall: fix rules that block your own access. See How to Manage the Self-Managed VPS Firewall.
- Rebuild: start over with a fresh OS or app. See How to Rebuild Your Self-Managed VPS.
For help with Ubuntu itself, see the official Ubuntu Server documentation. For Docker, see the official Docker documentation.