Dedicated Hardware Using the RingQ Debian Installer
Debian-based Installer | Bare-metal
This guide explains how to install RingQ on a dedicated hardware device. It's ideal for on-premises deployments where you need complete control over your communications environment while benefiting from RingQ's full feature set and reliability.
The guide is split into four parts:
Note: Before starting the installation, make sure the server has a stable network connection and that the required firewall or network ports are allowed, to avoid service connection issues during setup.
Navigate to the RingQ website and locate the “Get Started” button in the top-right corner of the page. This takes you to the download options for all supported deployment methods.
On the “Get Started With RingQ Today” page, find the On-Premise card and click DOWNLOAD ISO. This downloads the Debian-based ISO (version 9.1 at the time of writing) that will be used to install RingQ on your own server.
Figure 1 — Get Started page: On-Premise card with the Download ISO button highlighted
Convert the USB drive containing the RingQ ISO into a bootable installation device using Rufus. Download Rufus from the official Rufus website (rufus.ie) if you don't already have it installed.
Figure 2 — Using Rufus to create a bootable RingQ installation USB drive
Note: Writing the image erases everything currently on the USB drive. Once complete, boot the target server from this USB drive to begin installation.
When the server boots from the RingQ installation media, the RingQ Debian installer menu appears in BIOS mode with “Install RingQ” pre-selected. Leave it selected and either press Enter or wait — the installer boots automatically after a short countdown.
Figure 3 — RingQ Debian installer boot menu
If the server has multiple network interfaces, the installer asks you to choose which one to use as the primary interface for the installation. The first connected interface found is selected by default (for example, enp3s0) — confirm it, or select a different interface if your network cable is connected elsewhere, then continue.
Figure 4 — Configure the network: selecting the primary network interface
Enter a strong root password for the system administrative account. Use a mix of letters, numbers, and punctuation, and avoid dictionary words or anything easily associated with you. Leaving this field empty disables the root account and instead grants the initial user account sudo privileges.
Figure 5 — Set up users and passwords: entering the root password
Re-enter the same root password to verify that it was typed correctly, then continue.
Figure 6 — Set up users and passwords: confirming the root password
Select a disk partitioning method. “Guided — use the largest continuous free space” is selected by default and is recommended for a standard installation, as it automatically lays out the ESP, root, and swap partitions. Choose “Manual” only if you need a custom partition layout.
Figure 7 — Partition disks: selecting the partitioning method
Choose the disk that RingQ will be installed on. In this example, SCSI4 (sda), a 1.0 TB RAID volume, is selected as the installation target — SCSI12 (sdb) is the USB installer drive itself and should not be selected. Note that all data on the selected disk will be erased, so double-check you are choosing the correct disk before continuing.
Figure 8 — Partition disks: selecting the disk to partition
The installer displays an overview of the configured partitions — typically an EFI system partition (ESP), an ext4 root partition, and a swap partition. Review the layout and select “Finish partitioning and write changes to disk” to proceed.
Figure 9 — Partition disks: reviewing the partition layout
Confirm that you want to write the new partition table to disk by selecting “Yes.” This step is irreversible — once confirmed, the installer formats the listed partitions, copies the base system, installs the bootloader, and reboots automatically into the newly installed system.
Figure 10 — Partition disks: confirming changes to write to disk
On first boot, the RingQ CloudApp Installer runs automatically and prompts you to confirm that the required ports are open on your firewall / security groups before it proceeds:
The full port list is available at https://www.ringq.com/guides/port-forwarding. Once the required ports are open, type y to continue.
Figure 11 — RingQ CloudApp Installer: firewall and security group check
Once the installation is complete, the installer confirms that RingQ has been installed successfully and displays the URL that you will use to activate your license (for example: https://<your-server-ip>:8443/license).
Figure 12 — Installation completed successfully
Open the activation URL from the previous step in a browser. Enter your license key — if you don't have one yet, you can obtain it from cap.ringq.com. Once the key is verified, the installation type and linked FQDN are displayed. Click “Continue Activate.”
Figure 13 — Activate System: entering the license key
Once activation completes, RingQ confirms the system is provisioned and ready to use. This screen shows your instance access URL, registered email, and security key.
Figure 14 — System Activated: RingQ is provisioned and ready to use
Note: Keep your license key in a safe place — you'll need it if you ever have to reactivate or reconfigure your RingQ instance.
