Complete Guide to Setting Up a Linux Server

Introduction

Setting up a Linux server from scratch can seem daunting, but with this comprehensive guide, you'll have your server up and running in no time.

Prerequisites

• Basic command line knowledge
• SSH access to your server
• Root or sudo privileges

Step 1: Initial Server Setup

First, let's update the system packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Create a New User

Never use root for daily operations. Let's create a new user:

adduser newuser usermod -aG sudo newuser

Step 3: Configure SSH

Secure your SSH configuration:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Make these changes:

• PermitRootLogin no
• PasswordAuthentication no (if using SSH keys)
• Port 2222 (change from default 22)

Step 4: Setup Firewall

Configure UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall):

sudo ufw default deny incoming sudo ufw default allow outgoing sudo ufw allow 2222/tcp sudo ufw enable

Step 5: Install Essential Software

Install commonly needed packages:

sudo apt install curl wget git htop unzip software-properties-common

Conclusion

Your Linux server is now ready for use. In the next tutorial, we'll cover installing and configuring a web server.