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How to Set Up a Linux VPS for Beginners

Published April 16, 2026  ·  10 min read  ·  Galaxy Cloud Solutions

Getting your first VPS can feel intimidating. You have a blank Linux server and a terminal and now you are wondering what to do next. This guide walks you through everything you need to get your VPS set up, secured, and ready to use.

Step 1: Connect via SSH

After your VPS is provisioned you will receive an email with your server IP address, username, and password. Open a terminal and run:

ssh username@your-server-ip

The first time you connect you will see a message asking you to confirm the server fingerprint. Type yes and press Enter.

Step 2: Update Your Server

Always update all packages first to get the latest security patches:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 3: Create a New User

Running everything as root is a security risk. Create a new user with sudo privileges:

adduser yourname
usermod -aG sudo yourname

Step 4: Set Up SSH Keys

On your local machine, generate an SSH key pair:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

Then copy your public key to the server:

ssh-copy-id yourname@your-server-ip

Step 5: Configure the Firewall

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 80
sudo ufw allow 443
sudo ufw enable

Step 6: Disable Root Login

Edit the SSH config:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Change PermitRootLogin yes to PermitRootLogin no, then restart SSH:

sudo systemctl restart ssh

Step 7: Install What You Need

Nginx Web Server

sudo apt install nginx -y
sudo systemctl enable nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx

Node.js

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install nodejs -y

Docker

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo sh

Step 8: Install SSL with Let's Encrypt

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

• Running everything as root
• Leaving the firewall disabled
• Using weak passwords instead of SSH keys
• Not taking backups
• Ignoring security updates