Which Python to Install on Ubuntu Server
Ubuntu's own tools run on /usr/bin/python3, so never replace it. Run a newer Python beside it with uv, the deadsnakes PPA or Docker. Here is which to pick.
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Ubuntu Pro on a server: what it covers
Ubuntu Pro explained for one rented server: what ESM actually extends, and how to check from the command line where your own box already stands.
Ubuntu kernel updates: the SRU cycle explained
Ubuntu kernels are moving to a weekly release. Learn how SRU pockets work, how to spot a pending reboot, when to reboot, and what Livepatch covers until then.
Rust rewrites in your Ubuntu base system
Find which base tools on your Ubuntu server are Rust rewrites, which package installed them, and what that changes for your shell scripts and cron jobs.
Fix NVML driver/library version mismatch
nvidia-smi fails with Driver/library version mismatch when an upgrade replaces the NVIDIA libraries under a loaded kernel module. Diagnose it, then fix it.
Control snap updates on Ubuntu Server
Snapd refreshes on its own schedule and ignores unattended-upgrades. Hold a snap, set a refresh window, read snap changes, and revert a bad revision.
Is init.d deprecated? What systemd 260 removed
systemd 260 removed the bridge that started init.d scripts and rc.local at boot. Audit your 26.04 server and convert each script to a native unit first.
Ubuntu 26.10 on a server: what changes
Ubuntu 26.10 splits OpenSSH, removes the OpenSSL engine, deprecates Postfix hash maps and moves MySQL to 9.7. What to check on a 26.04 VPS before the next LTS.
CLI tools a coding agent needs on a VPS
Install the command line tools a coding agent reaches for on a bare Ubuntu VPS, in three tiers, with the reason each one saves tokens and tool calls.
List the active firewall rules on Ubuntu
Three views of one ruleset on Ubuntu: nft list ruleset, iptables -L -n -v and ufw status. Find shadowed rules with counters and see why Docker skips ufw.
Fix the SSH post-quantum key exchange warning
Your ssh client warns that the connection is not using a post-quantum key exchange. Find which algorithm you negotiate, and fix the right side.
Ubuntu upgrade failed halfway: how to recover
Your 24.04 to 26.04 upgrade stopped: reattach the screen session, repair dpkg, fix half-flipped sources, and know when to restore the snapshot instead.
HWE or GA kernel on your Ubuntu server?
Ubuntu Server offers two kernel tracks, GA and HWE. See which one your VPS runs today, and whether the newer track is worth the extra reboots.
Fix NVIDIA driver not loading on Ubuntu Server
nvidia-smi cannot talk to the driver. Walk the ladder: lsmod, dmesg, dkms status, then fix missing headers, nouveau, a kernel update or Secure Boot.
Certbot wildcard certificates with DNS-01
Issue a wildcard certificate with Certbot using the DNS challenge. How the TXT record proof works, which plugin to install, and how renewal stays automatic.
Add Your Own CA to Ubuntu's Trust Store
Create a private CA with openssl, sign a leaf certificate, then install the root in /usr/local/share/ca-certificates so Ubuntu trusts your internal HTTPS.
Set the timezone on a Linux server
Change a Linux server's timezone with timedatectl on Ubuntu 24.04 and Rocky 9, see the one symlink it rewrites, and why cron and Docker may ignore it.
What the chown command actually does
chown sets which user and group own a file on Linux. Create the account first, use chown user:group and chown -R, and fix root owned files after sudo.
Pin which kernel your VPS boots next
GRUB_DEFAULT=1 on Ubuntu names a submenu, not your old kernel. Read the menu entries your server has, then pin the next boot without risking a rescue console.
Fix broken packages in apt: unmet dependencies
Broken packages in apt can mean two faults. Learn to tell an unconfigured .deb from a resolver refusal, then find the real blocker before you blame a hold.
Apache reverse proxy with mod_proxy on Ubuntu
Run Apache as a reverse proxy on Ubuntu, then read a backend log to see what ProxyPreserveHost, X-Forwarded-For and X-Forwarded-Proto really deliver.
Which Linux OS to pick for your VPS
Ubuntu, Debian, Rocky, AlmaLinux, CentOS Stream or Fedora: choose by support lifetime, package age, RHEL compatibility and whose docs you follow.
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.
VPS will not boot after a kernel update
Recover a headless server that fails to boot after a kernel upgrade: provider console, GRUB previous kernel, initramfs and LVM failures, and prevention.
Upgrade Ubuntu 22.04 to 26.04 (via 24.04)
There is no direct jump. Upgrade 22.04 to 24.04, verify and snapshot, then take the 26.04 hop. Covers the PPA, PHP, Python, database and netplan breaks.
Upgrade Ubuntu in place or reinstall?
Six checks that tell you whether do-release-upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04 is safe on your VPS, or whether a fresh server and a migration is the better call.
Host a Minecraft server on a VPS
Run a Paper Minecraft server on an Ubuntu 24.04 VPS: RAM sizing, Java 25, a systemd unit, firewalls on 25565, safe world backups, and the exact errors.
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.
Cockpit vs Webmin for server management
Cockpit or Webmin on your Ubuntu VPS: what each panel can change, how each logs you in, why neither belongs on a public port, and when to use neither.
Check your server for known CVEs
List every known CVE affecting the packages on your Debian or Ubuntu VPS with debsecan and debvulns, then alert only on the ones that are worth a reboot.
Change your VPS root password on Ubuntu
Change a VPS root or user password on Ubuntu with passwd, chpasswd and chage, verify it works, and get back in when SSH or the root password is lost.
authd: cloud logins on your Ubuntu server
How Canonical's authd logs Ubuntu server users in with Google or Entra ID, what the broker snaps cost you, and the break-glass account to build first.
Fix duplicate apt sources and deb822 files
apt update says a target is configured multiple times. Find the legacy .list and deb822 .sources pair, keep one, and get a clean update run back.
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.
Docker Compose basics for your VPS
Install Docker Engine and the Compose plugin on Ubuntu 24.04, write a real two-service compose.yml, dodge the ufw port-publishing trap, and back up volumes.
Live kernel patching vs rebooting your VPS
Live kernel patching swaps patched functions into the running kernel. What it covers on an unmanaged VPS, and why the reboot is only postponed.
Ubuntu LTS vs interim releases on a server
An interim Ubuntu release gives you nine months and a forced upgrade. An LTS gives you five years. Here is what each costs on a server you run.
Install Certbot for Apache on Ubuntu 24.04
One command gives Apache a free Let's Encrypt cert on Ubuntu 24.04. Skip snap: apt ships Certbot 2.9.0. Plus the ServerName trap that blocks issuance.
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.
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.
WSL vs a VPS for development
WSL and a VPS solve different halves of a dev setup: uptime, a public address, systemd, filesystem speed, backups, and the SSH bridge between them.
Upgrade Ubuntu 24.04 to 26.04 on a VPS
Since 29 September 2026, Ubuntu 24.04 servers are offered the 26.04.1 upgrade. Here is the safe upgrade order, and the server services that break.
Ubuntu point releases: what 26.04.1 is
A point release is your Ubuntu with every update rolled into new media. Why a patched server downloads nothing, and how 24.04 is now offered 26.04.1.
Fix Tailscale install errors on Ubuntu
Most Tailscale install errors on Ubuntu are apt errors. Read the status code apt printed, then fix the release codename or the signing keyring.
do-release-upgrade: no new release found
Your Ubuntu server reports no new release found. Work through the Prompt setting, the LTS point release gate, third party repos and held packages.
Clean up old kernels on Ubuntu and free /boot
When /boot fills with old linux-image packages, apt installs and upgrades start failing. Find the kernels you can remove safely, and keep the one you booted.
Ubuntu 26.04.1: what changed, when to upgrade
Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS shipped on 27 August 2026. What the point release contains, and how 24.04 servers can upgrade since the path opened on 29 September.
Why Debian and Ubuntu split
Ubuntu began as a snapshot of Debian unstable in 2004. What 22 years of shared packaging and quiet divergence mean when you pick a server OS.
Install Certbot for nginx on Ubuntu 24.04
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx, then one certbot --nginx run for a Let's Encrypt cert. Plus apt vs snap and the port 80 renewal timeout.
Ubuntu 20.04 end of life: your upgrade path
Ubuntu 20.04 lost standard support in May 2025. Attach Ubuntu Pro for patches until 2030, or upgrade through 22.04 to 24.04. Here is how to choose.
sudo-rs on Ubuntu: what changes for sudoers
Ubuntu 26.04 makes sudo-rs the default sudo. Here is the sudoers delta that matters: wildcard argument rules stop matching, and what to write instead.
What Ubuntu's 'New release available' means
Your Ubuntu login says a new release is available. Learn why 24.04 shows it only now, and how to defer the upgrade while security updates keep running.
Webmin default login and password reset
Webmin ships no default username or password. The login is a system account. Reset a forgotten password or clear a blocked host from the shell.