revert everything back to the base install remotely

["Mark Jayson Alvarez" <mjalvarez@fastmail.fm>]

Hi,

Our server is in a far away remote location.
I messed up with the kernel, some libraries and installed application. I
have an ssh access right now
but I'm not sure if I'm gonna get locked down once I reboot the machine.
I tried firing up another console and tried ssh'ing to the machine but
the server now refuses the connection (probably because
of the application that I messed with, which I think have mentioned
about pam or something).
Fortunately, I still have 1 terminal left which is already ssh'd to the
machine.

Questions:
1. What is the safest way of reverting back the server to a fresh debian
installation aside from being
in front of the console and then using the cd installer???
I just want the base install, no additional third party apps.. I just
wanted to repeat what I was previously doing
which includes rebuilding the kernel, but I was unable to continue
because of some libc errors during the compilation.

2. I already have a custom kernel (which I used for OpenVZ). Now I tried
installing another application which requires the latest 
version of perl. However, using apt-get update, the process replaces my
custom kernel.. I'm guessing that this particular perl version
is tied up to that particular kernel. Now, my OpenVZ kernel is gone. If
I put it back, will the new version of perl won't work anymore??
Any other way of upgrading perl without replacing the kernel?


Thanks..

-- 
  Mark Jayson Alvarez
  mjalvarez@fastmail.fm

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