Set up an Ubuntu 26.04 VPS

Introduction

This guide establishes the Ubuntu 26.04 LTS baseline used by the VPS use cases. It creates a named administrator, tests key-based SSH access, and enables UFW without closing the active SSH path.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Access to your VPS credentials (sent via email)
• Ubuntu 26.04 LTS installed on the VPS
• An SSH client installed on your computer
• Basic knowledge of command-line operations

Note: Password and SSH keys for the root account can be set in the VPS Admin Panel at panel.shrp.no (login via billing.shrp.no).

Step 1: Connect to Your VPS

First, you need to connect to your VPS using SSH.

On Linux/macOS

Open your terminal and run:

ssh root@your-server-ip

Replace your-server-ip with the IP address provided in your welcome email.

On Windows

You can use PuTTY or Windows Terminal with OpenSSH:

ssh root@your-server-ip

On the first connection, compare the displayed host-key fingerprint with a trusted value from the provider or console before accepting it. A first-connection prompt alone does not prove the server identity.

Step 2: Update Your System

Once connected, update your system packages:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

This ensures you have the latest security patches and software versions.

Set Your Timezone

Configure the correct timezone to avoid confusion in server logs:

First, list available timezones:

timedatectl list-timezones

You can filter the list to find your region. For example, to find European timezones:

timedatectl list-timezones | grep Europe

Then set your timezone (example using Europe/Oslo):

timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Oslo

Or use the interactive tool:

dpkg-reconfigure tzdata

Verify the timezone:

timedatectl

Step 3: Create a New User

Running everything as root is not recommended. Let’s create a new user:

adduser yourusername

Follow the prompts to set a password and user information.

Grant Sudo Privileges

Add your new user to the sudo group:

usermod -aG sudo yourusername

Test Sudo Access

Before logging out of root, verify that sudo works for your new user:

su - yourusername
sudo whoami

This should return root. If it does, your sudo access is working correctly. Type exit to return to the root shell.

Step 4: Configure SSH Key Authentication

SSH keys are more secure than passwords. Here’s how to set them up:

Generate SSH Key (on your local machine)

Important: Open a new terminal window on your computer (do not run this inside the VPS).

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"

Copy the Key to Your Server

On Linux or macOS, copy the key with ssh-copy-id:

ssh-copy-id yourusername@your-server-ip

Windows OpenSSH does not normally include ssh-copy-id. In PowerShell, send the public key to SSH and append it with restrictive permissions:

Get-Content $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub | ssh yourusername@your-server-ip "umask 077; mkdir -p ~/.ssh; chmod 700 ~/.ssh; touch ~/.ssh/authorized_keys; chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys; cat >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys"

Now you can log in without a password!

Now that you have SSH keys configured, proceed to the Secure Your VPS guide to disable password authentication and root login for enhanced security!

Step 5: Configure Firewall

Enable the firewall to protect your server:

ufw allow OpenSSH
ufw enable

Check the status:

ufw status

Next Steps

Congratulations! Your VPS is now set up with basic security. Here are some recommended next steps:

• Secure Your VPS - Enhanced security configurations
• Installing NGINX - Set up a web server
• Installing Docker - Install and configure Docker for containerization
• Install your preferred applications and services

Troubleshooting

Cannot Connect via SSH

If you’re having trouble connecting:

1. Check that your server IP is correct
2. Verify your SSH service is running: systemctl status ssh
3. Check firewall rules: ufw status

Forgot Your Password

You have several options to regain access:

1. Reset via VPS Admin Panel: Login at billing.shrp.no and access the VPS Admin Panel at panel.shrp.no to reset your root password
2. Use Console Access: Access your VPS through the web-based console available in the VPS Admin Panel to login locally
3. Contact Support: Email our support team at shrp@shrp.no for assistance

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

• Join our Discord community
• Email us at shrp@shrp.no
• Check our other documentation guides