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
Filtering by topic #ubuntu · clear
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.
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.
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.
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 why 24.04 waits for 26.04.1.
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.
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.
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.
Pin which kernel your VPS boots next
GRUB_DEFAULT does nothing on an Ubuntu cloud image. Read the menu entries your server really has, then pin the next boot without risking a rescue console.
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.
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.
Clean up old kernels on Ubuntu and free /boot
When /boot fills with old linux-image packages, apt stops configuring anything. Find the kernels you can remove safely, and keep the one you booted.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Upgrade Ubuntu 24.04 to 26.04 on a VPS
Ubuntu 24.04 does not offer 26.04 until the 26.04.1 point release lands. Here is the safe upgrade order, and the server services that break.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.