Docker Compose basics for your VPS
Install Docker Engine and Compose v2 on Ubuntu 24.04, write a real two-service compose.yml, dodge the ufw port-publishing trap, and back up volumes.
Guides
Step-by-step guides to running a Linux server. Exact commands in the order you run them, including the errors you will hit on the way.
Self-signed certificates on Ubuntu, done right
Mint a self-signed TLS cert Chrome actually accepts on Ubuntu 24.04: one openssl command with SAN, nginx/Apache wiring, and trusting it without curl -k.
Host a Minecraft server on a VPS
Run a Paper Minecraft server on an Ubuntu 24.04 VPS: RAM sizing, Java 21, a systemd unit, both firewalls on 25565, safe world backups, and the exact errors.
Manage multiple Linux servers: tools that work
SSH config, tmux, Ansible, Uptime Kuma, Zabbix and Webmin, ranked by how many servers you have: what each replaces, setup cost in minutes, the one gotcha.
Ansible tutorial: your first playbook on a VPS
Install Ansible with pipx on Ubuntu 24.04, write an inventory and a first playbook that hardens a fresh VPS, plus fixes for Permission denied and sudo errors.
Certbot on Ubuntu 24.04: Apache + Let's Encrypt
Get a Let's Encrypt cert for Apache on Ubuntu 24.04 with Certbot: snap vs apt, the ServerName trap, auto-renewal, and the exact errors that block issuance.
The world's least efficient datacenter: a guide
A strictly hypothetical guide to the least efficient datacenter possible: one beloved server, RAID 0, heat as a strategy, and a monitor that watches itself.
Claude API tutorial: your first app on a VPS
Get a Claude API key, secure it on Ubuntu 24.04, ship a Python log-explainer with streaming, typed error handling, and real cost control.
Claude Code token usage, explained
What actually burns tokens in Claude Code: the full-history resend on every turn, billed-but-hidden thinking, cache math, and the levers that cut cost.
Claude + n8n: build AI workflows on a VPS
Wire the Claude API into self-hosted n8n: credentials, model choice per node, three worked AI workflows, per-run cost math, and the errors that bite.
Claude plans in 2026: which one do you need?
Free, Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise? A decision guide to Claude's 2026 plan lineup: what each tier gates, where Claude Code is included, and when the API wins.
Cloudron vs CasaOS vs Coolify on a VPS
Cloudron vs CasaOS vs Coolify on a VPS: install commands, TLS, backups, cost, and resource overhead compared, so you pick the right self-hosting panel.
Uptime Kuma: self-hosted status monitoring
Run Uptime Kuma in Docker to monitor websites, ports, DNS and cron jobs, alert via email or Telegram, and publish a status page from a separate VPS.
Jellyfin on a VPS: stream your own media
Run Jellyfin in Docker on a VPS to stream your own library: block storage, media permissions, direct play vs CPU transcoding, and safe remote access.
Self-host Immich: your own Google Photos
Self-host Immich on a VPS with the official Docker Compose: server, ML search, Postgres and Redis, mobile backup, HTTPS, safe upgrades and backups.
Vaultwarden on a VPS: self-host passwords
Self-host a Bitwarden-compatible password manager with Vaultwarden and Docker on a VPS: HTTPS-first, admin token, Fail2ban, tested backups.
What to self-host in 2026: 25 apps
A curated list of 25 self-hosted apps worth running in 2026, grouped by job, with what each one replaces, honest RAM and disk needs, and the gotcha to know.
MCP servers on a VPS for AI coding agents
Run Model Context Protocol servers on your own VPS so AI agents get real tools: stdio and remote HTTP transports, systemd, TLS, auth, and every failure mode.
Run Gemini CLI on a headless VPS
Run Google's Gemini CLI on a headless VPS: a current Node, a no-sudo global install, browserless API-key auth, and tmux so long tasks survive SSH drops.
Run Ollama on a VPS: self-host an LLM
Self-host an open LLM with Ollama on a VPS: honest CPU sizing, install, systemd, why never to expose port 11434, and Open WebUI behind TLS.
Zabbix monitoring on Ubuntu 24.04
Install Zabbix 7.0 LTS on Ubuntu 24.04: add the repo, import the MySQL schema, wire up the nginx frontend and agent2, then fix every error the setup throws.
Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04: install and secure
Install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04, then lock it down: SSH tunnel or IP allowlist, a real Let's Encrypt cert, two-factor, and Fail2ban on port 10000.
LAMP stack on Ubuntu 24.04 with PHP-FPM
Build a full LAMP stack on Ubuntu 24.04: Apache, MariaDB with unix_socket auth, PHP 8.3 with PHP-FPM, a name-based vhost, and free HTTPS via Certbot.
Fail2ban on Ubuntu 24.04: stop SSH attacks
Install and configure Fail2ban on Ubuntu 24.04 to ban brute-force SSH attackers at the firewall: verify the stock jail, tune bans, recover from lockout.
Self-host email with Mailcow on a VPS
Self-host a full mail server with mailcow on a VPS: open port 25, set MX/SPF/DKIM/DMARC/PTR DNS, reach 10/10 on mail-tester, and fix every delivery failure.
Self-host n8n on a VPS: Docker + HTTPS
Run n8n on a VPS with Docker Compose, Postgres, and HTTPS behind a reverse proxy: the WEBHOOK_URL and encryption-key traps, plus every error string.
Self-host Rocket.Chat with Docker Compose
Self-host Rocket.Chat on a VPS with Docker Compose: the single-node MongoDB replica set it requires, TLS, backups, and every failure mode fixed.
Traefik + Docker Compose: 5 apps, auto TLS
Run five apps behind one IP with Traefik v3 on Docker Compose: routing by Host rule, automatic Let's Encrypt TLS, and the acme.json trap that blocks startup.
Self-host a WireGuard VPN on your VPS
Set up WireGuard on your own Linux VPS: key generation, wg0.conf, IP forwarding, NAT, AllowedIPs semantics, DNS, and the handshake failures that bite.
Run Nextcloud on a VPS: Docker, TLS, backups
Run Nextcloud on your own VPS with Docker Compose, Postgres, Redis and a TLS reverse proxy, plus the backup and upgrade steps that keep your data recoverable.
Nested virtualization on a VPS: KVM & Proxmox
Check whether your VPS exposes VT-x or AMD-V, enable nested KVM, and run Proxmox or Windows in a guest hypervisor. Includes the errors you will actually hit.
Run Claude Code on a remote VPS with tmux
Run Claude Code on an always-on Linux VPS inside tmux so agent sessions survive a dropped SSH connection. Install, harden, and the failure modes to expect.
Certbot on Ubuntu 24.04: Let's Encrypt + nginx
Install Certbot on Ubuntu 24.04 with apt or snap, get a Let's Encrypt cert for nginx, and fix the port 80 failures that break HTTP-01 renewal on a live box.