If it's your first time using a cloud server (like Alibaba Cloud, AWS, or any other
cloud provider), here is a step-by-step guide on setting up and configuring the
server, especially when you're using a user account for the first time. This guide
includes creating a user, setting up basic configurations, securing the server, and
deploying your application.
Step-by-Step Guide for Setting Up Your Server
1. Access the Server (First Time Login)
Access the server via SSH:
Use an SSH client (like ssh on Linux or macOS, or an SSH client like PuTTY on
Windows) to connect to your cloud server.
You will typically use the public IP of the server and the private SSH key (if
you've set up SSH key-based authentication during server creation).
Example SSH command:
bash
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ssh -i /path/to/your/private-key.pem root@your-server-ip
Initial login:
You’ll log in as the root user for the first time.
You will see a prompt and, after connecting, be logged into the server as root by
default.
2. Create a New User
It’s recommended not to use the root account for day-to-day tasks. Instead, create
a new user account with administrative privileges (via sudo).
Create a new user:
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adduser myusername # Replace 'myusername' with the name you want for the user
Set a password for the new user:
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passwd myusername # You will be prompted to enter and confirm a password
Grant the new user sudo access: Add the new user to the sudo group so they can
perform administrative tasks.
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usermod -aG sudo myusername
Test the new user: Switch to the new user account to ensure everything works as
expected:
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su - myusername
Exit back to root:
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exit
3. Set Up SSH Access for the New User (Optional)
If you want to use SSH keys for authentication, follow these steps to configure SSH
access for the new user:
Create a .ssh directory for the new user:
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mkdir /home/myusername/.ssh
chmod 700 /home/myusername/.ssh
Add your SSH public key: Copy your SSH public key (typically located in
~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub on your local machine) and paste it into the authorized_keys
file.
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echo "your-ssh-public-key" > /home/myusername/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 600 /home/myusername/.ssh/authorized_keys
chown -R myusername:myusername /home/myusername/.ssh
Disable root login via SSH (optional but recommended): To secure your server, it’s
good practice to disable root login via SSH. Edit the SSH configuration file:
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nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
Change the line:
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PermitRootLogin yes
to:
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PermitRootLogin no
Restart SSH:
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systemctl restart sshd
4. Update and Install Basic Software
Update your system: Run an update to make sure the system is up to date.
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sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y # For Ubuntu/Debian-based systems
sudo dnf update -y # For Fedora/RHEL-based systems
Install basic software: Install essential utilities like git, curl, vim, and others
that you might need:
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sudo apt install git curl vim -y # For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf install git curl vim -y # For Fedora/RHEL
5. Set Up a Firewall
Configuring a firewall is crucial for securing your server.
Enable UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall):
Check UFW status:
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sudo ufw status
Allow SSH and HTTP traffic:
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sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow http
sudo ufw allow https
Enable UFW:
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sudo ufw enable
6. Install Nginx/Apache for Web Server (If needed)
If you are deploying a web application and need a reverse proxy for your Node.js or
other apps, you’ll likely use Nginx or Apache.
Install Nginx (for example):
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sudo apt install nginx -y # For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf install nginx -y # For Fedora/RHEL
Start and enable Nginx:
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sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx
Verify Nginx is running: Open your server’s public IP in a browser and check if you
see the Nginx welcome page.
7. Set Up a Node.js Environment (if applicable)
Install Node.js: Use Node Version Manager (NVM) for flexibility.
Install NVM:
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curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
Install Node.js via NVM:
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nvm install node # This installs the latest version
Check Node.js installation:
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node -v
npm -v
8. Set Up Git for Version Control
Install Git:
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sudo apt install git -y # For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf install git -y # For Fedora/RHEL
Configure Git:
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git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
9. Deploy Your Application
Clone your app from a Git repository or upload files directly.
Example (if using Git):
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git clone https://github.com/your-repo.git /home/myusername/myapp
Install dependencies: Navigate to your app directory and install necessary
dependencies:
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cd /home/myusername/myapp
npm install
Start your application: You can use PM2 to manage your Node.js application.
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npm install pm2 -g
pm2 start app.js
pm2 save
10. Set Up a Reverse Proxy with Nginx
Configure Nginx to reverse proxy to your Node.js app (e.g., running on port 3000):
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sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/myapp.conf
Example Nginx config:
nginx
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server {
listen 80;
server_name myapp.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:3000; # Change to your app's port
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
}
}
Enable your configuration:
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sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/myapp.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx
11. Monitor and Secure Your Server
Install Fail2ban (to protect against brute-force attacks):
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sudo apt install fail2ban -y # For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf install fail2ban -y # For Fedora/RHEL
Set up monitoring tools (optional, e.g., htop or glances):
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sudo apt install htop # For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf install htop # For Fedora/RHEL
Conclusion
Following these steps will set you up with a well-secured, multi-user environment
for deploying applications on your cloud server. You'll have:
A dedicated user for each application or task.
A secure server with an SSH key and firewall in place.
The tools needed to deploy, manage, and monitor your applications.
