Set Up Your Ubuntu Home Server¶

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 start apache2
sudo systemctl status apache2

Same procedure for MySQL:

mysql -V
sudo systemctl enable mysql
sudo systemctl start 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).

Network configuration¶

Modify the network configuration file:

sudo mv /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml
sudo vi /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml

Add the following content, while paying attention to the correct indentation and making sure to adjust each line according to your setup:

• Specify the correct network interface. In this example we use enp0s3, but your Ethernet interface might be called enp0s1 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.
• The entry dhcp4: no tells us that the server is assigned a static IP address. In this example we use 192.168.1.100, but you can choose another static IP address.
• Specify the default gateway. In this example we use 192.168.1.1, but your default gateway might be labelled 192.168.0.1 or something else.
• Select a DNS provider. In this example we use DNS4EU, but you can select the DNS provider of your choice.

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    enp0s3:
      dhcp4: false
      addresses: [192.168.1.100/24]
      routes:
      - to: default
        via: 192.168.1.1
      nameservers:
         addresses: [86.54.11.1, 86.54.11.201]

Save and close the file by hitting ESC and typing :wq!.

Restrict access rights to the network configuration file:

sudo chmod 600 /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml

Desactivate cloud-init to ensure your network configuration is not overridden upon reboot:

sudo touch /etc/cloud/cloud-init.disabled

Finally, apply all changes and reboot:

sudo netplan apply
sudo reboot

Verify the IP address:

ip add

Server setup¶

Let's start with the server. Run the following commands to install OpenSSH:

sudo apt install openssh-server

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 SSH 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, and provide the gofossadmin password when prompted (not the SSH passphrase!):

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 SSH passphrase. Don't forget to adjust the administrator name and IP address as required:

su - gofossadmin
ssh gofossadmin@192.168.1.100