Set Up Your Very Own Ubuntu Home Server
(A Step-by-Step Guide)¶

Update system packages and install the LAMP stack:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install lamp-server^

Mind the trailing caret in the command sudo apt install lamp-server^. It indicates that lamp-server is a meta package, which installs Apache, MySQL, and PHP along with other packages and dependencies.

Verify that Apache has been successfully installed (the latest version number should appear), automatically start Apache after each reboot, and check Apache's current status (which should be Active):

apachectl -V
sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl status apache2

Same procedure for MySQL:

mysql -V
sudo systemctl enable mysql
sudo systemctl status mysql

Make sure PHP has been successfully installed (the latest version number should appear):

php -v

Finally, some clean up:

sudo apt autoremove && sudo apt clean

Network interface¶

First, let's find out the name of the server's network interface:

ip link show

A list of all network interfaces should be displayed:

• The first entry is most likely labelled lo, the loopback interface
• The Ethernet interface should be labelled something like enpXsY, for example enp0s1 or enp1s3
• The WiFi interface should be labelled something like wlpXsY, for example wlp0s1 or wlp2s3

For the purpose of this tutorial, let's assume that the server's network interface is labelled enp0s3 (adjust accordingly).

Default gateway¶

Time to find out the name of the default gateway:

ip route show

The terminal should display a line containing the IP address of the default gateway, something similar to default via 192.168.1.1 dev enp0s3 proto dhcp. For the purpose of this tutorial, let's assume that the address of the standard gateway is 192.168.1.1 (adjust accordingly).

Backup¶

Back up the current network configuration file. In case something goes wrong, you can always restore the default configuration:

sudo cp --archive /etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml /etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml-COPY-$(date +"%Y%m%d%H%M%S")

Network configuration¶

Open the network configuration file:

sudo vi /etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml

The file's content should look something like:

network:
  ethernets:
    enp0s3:
      dhcp4: true
  version: 2

The entry dhcp4: true tells us that the server is assigned a dynamic IP address. Modify the file's content:

• specify the correct network interface: in this case enp0s3 (adjust accordingly)
• attribute a static IP address to the server: in this case 192.168.1.100 (adjust accordingly)
• specify the default gateway: in this case 192.168.1.1 (adjust accordingly)
• select a DNS provider: in this case UncensoredDNS (select the DNS provider of your choice)

Pay attention to the correct indentation of each line in the network configuration file. Also, make sure to adjust all settings according to your own setup. For example:

• your Ethernet interface might be called enp0s1 instead of enp0s3
• or you might use a WiFi interface, let's say wlp0s1: in this case you need to replace the line ethernets: with wifis and the line enp0s3 with wlp0s1
• your default gateway might be labelled 192.168.0.1 instead of 192.168.1.1
• you might also want to choose another static IP address or DNS provider

network:
  ethernets:
    enp0s3:
      dhcp4: false
      addresses: [192.168.1.100/24]
      routes:
        - to: default
          via: 192.168.1.1
      nameservers:
        addresses: [89.233.43.71, 91.239.100.100]
  version: 2

Save and close the file by hitting ESC and typing :wq. Finally, apply and verify all changes:

sudo netplan apply
ip add

Server setup¶

Let's start with the server. Run the following commands to install OpenSSH, to automatically start it after each boot, and to verify its current status (which should be Active):

sudo apt install openssh-server
sudo systemctl enable ssh
sudo systemctl status ssh

Create an administrator user with privileges to remotely connect to the server. For the purpose of this tutorial, we'll call this user gofossadmin. Any other name will do, just make sure to adjust the relevant commands accordingly. When prompted, provide a strong, unique password:

sudo adduser gofossadmin
sudo usermod -a -G sudo gofossadmin

Switch to the new account and test its sudo powers by updating the system:

su - gofossadmin
sudo apt update

Client setup¶

Now, let's set up the client. For the purpose of this tutorial, we assume the client machine runs a GNU/Linux distribution, for example Ubuntu. If your client runs Windows or macOS, use available system tools or install a SSH client such as PuTTY.

Open a terminal on the Linux client machine with the CTRL + ALT + T shortcut, or click on the Activities button on the top left and search for Terminal. Now create the same administrator user gofossadmin as on the server (adjust the name according to your own setup). Provide a strong, unique password when prompted:

sudo adduser gofossadmin

Log into the new administrator account, create a hidden directory where SSL keys will be stored and provide this directory with the right permissions:

su - gofossadmin
mkdir /home/gofossadmin/.ssh
chmod 755 /home/gofossadmin/.ssh

Generate a public/private key pair which secures the remote login to the server. Run below commands, follow the on-screen instructions and, when prompted, provide a strong, unique passphrase:

cd /home/gofossadmin/.ssh
ssh-keygen -t RSA -b 4096

The output should look something like this:

Generating public/private RSA key pair.
Enter file in which to save the key (/home/gofossadmin/.ssh/id_rsa):
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase): *******
Enter same passphrase again: ********
Your identification has been saved in /home/gofossadmin/.ssh/id_rsa.
Your public key has been saved in /home/gofossadmin/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.
The key fingerprint is:
SHA256:erdBxn9i/ORLIJ4596DvfUIIPOyfFnSMQ4SieLIbSuxI gofossadmin@gofossclient
The key's randomart image is:
+---[RSA 4096]----+
|   .+.+=     o   |
|       ..oo.+ o  |
| .S+..     %..   |
|         o+o. o  |
|        So*o o = |
|   ..oo.+     A +|
| ..+ooo       .oo|
|  .o...+  .E..   |
|         .. o==.%|
+----[SHA256]-----+

Transfer the public key from the client to the server. Make sure to replace the administrator name and IP address according to your own setup:

ssh-copy-id gofossadmin@192.168.1.100

That's it! From now on you can remotely log into the server from the client machine. Just open a terminal, switch to the administrator account and connect to the server using your passphrase. Don't forget to adjust the administrator name and IP address as required:

su - gofossadmin
ssh gofossadmin@192.168.1.100