Setup Checklist

If you setup a new server for the first time for serving web content, this is a checklist for what to do.

Prerequisite

• A server with an OS installed (I use Hetzner Cloud with Debian)
• A domain (I use Porkbun)
• Basic Linux terminal knowledge (e.g. how to SSH to the server)

Setup

• Update the system

  # apt update && apt upgrade
  

• Install a firewall

  # apt install ufw
  

• Setup firewall:
  • Default: deny incoming, allow outgoing (default configuration for ufw)
  • Allow: port 443 (HTTPS)
  • Limit: port 22 (SSH, to help with brute-force attack)

  # ufw allow https
  # ufw limit ssh
  

• Enable firewall
• Install web server, log analyzer, and ACME client (for SSL)

  # apt install nginx goaccess acme.sh
  

• Configure nginx via this entry
• Setup SSL certificate using your ACME client (see this entry for acme.sh example)
• Deploy your web content to the server