Linux Server Setup Checklist
Make the new Linux server manageable and recoverable before installing the application. Test access changes step by step without losing your existing connection.
Verify access and find out the recovery path
Verify server IP, operating system and SSH key fingerprint. Find out where the provider offers console or recovery access. It is important to know before installation how to regain access if the management connection is lost.
Create separate user for daily tasks, define required administrative authority and test key-based login. Do not close the old running session until the new session is successfully opened.
Update and firewall
Apply updates via the distribution's official package sources. Check the reboot requirement. Do not open services you do not use; allow only required ports.
Allow the actual SSH port before enabling the firewall. Also consider the HTTP/HTTPS traffic required for the web server. Do not unnecessarily expose the database to an external network if the application is on the same server.
Run services regularly
Manually launching the application in the terminal and closing the connection is not a permanent operating method. Define startup, restart and logging behavior using system services or an appropriate process manager.
Separate application secrets from the source code repository and public directories. Give file permissions according to the application's needs. Although granting broad write permissions may seem like a quick solution to the permission problem, it creates unnecessary access.
Monitor and restore
Monitor disk fullness, memory usage, service status and error logs. Determine to whom the warning will be sent and through which channel. Limiting the growth of logs helps prevent outages caused by a full disk.
Backups should contain application files, database and necessary configurations; The copy should be kept independent of the server. Try restoring in a separate environment. Once the initial installation is complete, add the update and backup check to the regular maintenance schedule.
Resources and further reading
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