First Server Access

Just activated your server? Here are the first operations to secure and properly configure system.

1. Update System

First thing to do is update all packages to latest available version.

Debian / Ubuntu:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

CentOS / AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux:

dnf update -y

Don't use email password long-term. Change it immediately:

passwd

timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Rome

Verify with:

timedatectl

hostnamectl set-hostname server-name

Working always as root is risky. Create dedicated user:

adduser deploy
usermod -aG sudo deploy   # on Debian/Ubuntu

Then add user to wheel group on CentOS/AlmaLinux:

usermod -aG wheel deploy

Access with SSH keys is much more secure than passwords. Guide: SSH Keys

Open only SSH port and those you need:

# UFW (Debian/Ubuntu)
ufw allow 22/tcp
ufw enable
ufw status

Full guide: Firewall

Operation	Command
Update system	`apt update && apt upgrade -y`
Change root password	`passwd`
Set timezone	`timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Rome`
Set hostname	`hostnamectl set-hostname name`
Enable firewall	`ufw enable`