Linux Server Basics

SSH, commands, permissions, packages, systemd and disks — the essentials to get started on a Linux server

• Connecting to Your Server over SSH: Passwords, Keys, and Common Errors

  Log in to your VPS from your local machine with a password or an SSH key, and fix the usual "can't connect" problems

• Essential Linux Commands: Files, Directories, Viewing, and Searching

  The handful of commands you'll reach for right after logging into your server: move around, manage files, read contents, and find things fast.

• Users, Groups, and File Permissions: chmod, chown, and sudo

  Decode rwx and 755/644, then use chmod to set permissions, chown to change ownership, and sudo to escalate safely.

• Package Management: Installing, Updating, and Removing with apt / yum / dnf

  Install software, patch the system, and clean up cruft with a single command—once you know which distro family your server belongs to.

• Managing Services with systemd: Start, Auto-Start on Boot, and Read Logs

  Use systemctl and journalctl to run services on your server: start and stop them, enable auto-start on boot, troubleshoot with logs, and write a minimal service unit.

• Disks and Partitions: Check Space, Mount a Data Disk, Auto-Mount at Boot

  From reading disk usage to partitioning, formatting, and permanently mounting a new data disk — step by step.

• Watching Processes and Resources: top / htop / ps to Track Down High Load

  Server feeling sluggish? Learn to read CPU, memory, and load, then spot and stop the process eating your resources.

• Scheduling Tasks with crontab: Automatic Backups and Scripts

  Use crontab to run scripts on a fixed schedule, so your server handles daily database backups and log cleanup on its own.

• Getting Started with Text Editors: Vim and Nano Basics

  Editing config files on your server starts with nano's save/exit shortcuts, then a grasp of vim's modes when you need it.

• Choosing a Server Distro: Ubuntu vs. Debian vs. CentOS Stream vs. Rocky vs. AlmaLinux

  For websites and general use, pick Ubuntu LTS or Debian; if you need the RHEL ecosystem, choose Rocky or AlmaLinux.