Help Running your server
Linux
Running your server
Your server is yours to run. These guides cover the jobs almost every server needs, with commands you can copy and paste, for Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 12 and AlmaLinux 9. Where the systems differ, each step has a tab for each, and the site remembers which one you picked.
New to all this? Start with Connect with SSH, then Secure a new server.
First steps
Connect with SSH Open a terminal on your own computer, log in to your server, and know what the first-connection question means.Make an SSH key and use it Make a key on your computer, put it on your server and in the portal, and give your server a short name so you can type ssh web-01.Secure a new server The first half hour on a new server: updates, your own user, key-only SSH, a firewall, fail2ban and automatic security updates.Move files to and from your server Copy files with scp, keep folders in step with rsync, or drag and drop with an SFTP app such as WinSCP, FileZilla or Cyberduck.Websites and domains
Point a domain at your server Add A records at your DNS provider, check they've arrived, and set the server's hostname and reverse DNS to match.Host a website with HTTPS using Caddy Install Caddy from its own repository, serve a site or an app from a short Caddyfile, and get certificates that renew themselves.Docker and apps
Install Docker and Docker Compose Install Docker from its official repository, run an app from a compose file, and keep its ports from slipping past your firewall.Run something on boot with systemd Write a service file so your app starts at boot, restarts if it crashes, and logs to the journal, then read those logs.Run a Node.js app or Discord bot Install a current Node.js, copy your app up, and run it under systemd so it starts at boot and comes back after a crash.Care and troubleshooting
Keep your server updated Update by hand, install security fixes automatically, tell when a reboot is needed, and reboot at a time that suits you.Back up your server Decide what to keep, back it up every night with restic to S3-compatible storage, and prove you can restore it.My server is slow, out of memory or out of disk Find what's using the CPU, memory or disk, read the logs for what went wrong, clear space safely, and know when it's time to upgrade.Add a swap file Give the server a cushion of disk-backed memory, so a short spike slows it down instead of stopping a program.Can't find it?
Open a ticket from the portal. A person who can see your servers answers it.