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Day 0 - Get Your Own Server

Help maintain the course by purchasing the reference card for this lesson.

Requirements

First, you need a server. You can’t learn about administering a remote Linux server without having one of your own - so today we’re going to get one.

Through the magic of Linux and virtualization, it’s now possible to get a small Internet server setup almost instantly - and at a very low cost. Technically, what you’ll be doing is creating and renting a VPS (Virtual Private Server). In a data center somewhere, a single physical server running Linux will be split into a dozen or more virtual machines, using the KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) feature that’s been part of Linux since early 2007. You’ll just be renting a fraction of that hardware power to run your own little server.

In summary, you’ll be creating a Virtual Machine (VM) inside a physical computer somewhere. That “somewhere” ideally will be inside a cloud provider datacenter but you are free to use your own personal computer or other available hardware, as long as it has a network connection that enables it to:

  • make software updates and installation
  • be remotely accessible via SSH

Most of the commands covered by the course will work exactly the same, regardless of where your VM is running.

In addition to a hosting provider, we also need to choose which “flavor” of Linux to install on our server. If you’re new to Linux then the range of “distributions” available can be confusing - but the latest LTS (Long Term Support) version of Ubuntu Server is a popular choice, and that is what you will use for this course.

But… do you have a free server I can use instead?

Well, not quite.

SadServers has a beta scenario - “Resumable Server”: Linux Upskill Challenge

This is a blank Debian 11 server; it’s for you to do as you please. Please be mindful that it still has some limitations (there’s still no outgoing Internet access) and there can be some issues. If you are somewhat familiar with Linux and prefer to work on scenarios instead of building your server, SadServers is a great place to practice your troubleshooting skills.

There are other options to simply practice linux commands in an online environment, like distrosea and vfsync, but some critical sysadmin privileges will be missing in these types of VM (being by emulation or system restrictions).

So, how do I choose?

In the Cloud (with providers like AWS, Azure and Google Cloud): check if the big players are a good deal for you, specially if you are a student. Educational packs and the longest free-tier deals will be found in this category. It’s also where most of the “cloud horror stories” happen. However, people forget to tell you the products and setup that blown up their invoice; spoiler alert, it’s not a single minimal server.

In the Cloud (with providers like DigitalOcean, Linode and Vultr): less bloated and less bureaucratic than the big ones, you get a great deal of control over your server and you will be making more decisions on how your server should behave. That’s the preferred choice of many people that finish the Linux Upskill Challenge.

In a local Server or local VM: a valid pick if dealing with a cloud provider is completely out of question. WSL made it easy to a lot of people to get to know Linux for the first time and VirtualBox is well established as a virtualization software. It is the OG method to get into Linux, anyway. At least you won’t get asked to dual boot.

Check your options, see what fits you best. Take some time to watch the complimentary video, it will answer most of your questions.

What can be expected from the Day 0 documents?

  • More information about the recommended cloud providers
  • How to sign-up to a cloud provider
  • How to create your first VM
  • How to install Ubuntu
  • How to remote access your server
  • First housekeeping commands (basic security practices, user id creation, software updates)
  • How to reboot, logout and shutdown your server

NOTE: it’s ok to spend more time on this lesson, you don’t have to jump to the challenge right away. This is not a sprint, the material will be here when you’re ready to proceed.

See you on Day 1!

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