Step-by-Step VPS Setup for Web Server A Beginner-Friendly Complete Guide

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Your First VPS Feels Empty… Let’s Fix That

So, you just bought a VPS.

You log in using SSH, and suddenly you’re staring at a black screen with a blinking cursor. No control panel, no website, no interface just a terminal.

If this is your first time, don’t panic.
This is exactly how a real server looks at the beginning.

In this guide, we’ll walk through step-by-step VPS installation for a web server, starting from a fresh VPS all the way to a working website that can serve real users.

We’ll use:

  • Linux VPS
  • Ubuntu Server
  • Nginx (recommended)

No shortcuts, no magic scripts just a clean and understandable setup.

What You’ll Learn in This Guide

By the end of this article, you will know how to:

  • Access a VPS securely
  • Prepare Linux for production use
  • Install a web server
  • Install PHP and database
  • Secure your VPS
  • Host your first website

This is a real-world workflow, not a demo.

Step 0: What You Need Before Starting

Before touching the VPS, make sure you have:

  • A VPS (any provider is fine)
  • Ubuntu Server installed (20.04 / 22.04 LTS recommended)
  • VPS IP address
  • SSH access (root or sudo user)
  • Basic terminal knowledge

This guide assumes a fresh VPS installation.

Step 1: Connect to Your VPS via SSH

From your local machine, open a terminal and connect:

ssh root@your-server-ip

If this is your first connection, type yes to accept the fingerprint.

You are now inside your VPS.

Step 2: Update the VPS System (Always First)

Never skip this step.

apt update && apt upgrade -y

Why this matters:

  • Security patches
  • Bug fixes
  • Stable package versions

A clean, updated system is your foundation.

Step 3: Set Timezone and Basic System Settings

Check timezone:

timedatectl

Set correct timezone (example):

timedatectl set-timezone Asia/Jakarta

Correct time is important for:

  • Logs
  • SSL certificates
  • Cron jobs

Step 4: Create a Non-Root User (Very Important)

Running everything as root is risky.

Create a new user:

adduser webadmin

Give sudo access:

usermod -aG sudo webadmin

Now log in as the new user:

su - webadmin

This is a best practice, even for small servers.

Step 5: Secure SSH Access

Change SSH Configuration

Edit SSH config:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Recommended changes:

PermitRootLogin no
PasswordAuthentication yes

Restart SSH:

sudo systemctl restart ssh

Now SSH is:

  • Safer
  • Less exposed to brute-force attacks

Step 6: Enable Firewall (UFW)

Check firewall status:

sudo ufw status

Allow essential services:

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 80
sudo ufw allow 443

Enable firewall:

sudo ufw enable

Your VPS now blocks unnecessary traffic.

Step 7: Install Web Server (Nginx)

Now the fun part.

Install Nginx:

sudo apt install nginx -y

Start and enable it:

sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx

Test Web Server

Open your browser and visit:

http://your-server-ip

If you see “Welcome to nginx!”, your VPS is officially a web server 🎉

Step 8: Install Database Server (MySQL)

Install MySQL:

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

Secure MySQL:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Recommended answers:

  • Set root password
  • Remove anonymous users → YES
  • Disable remote root login → YES
  • Remove test database → YES

Step 9: Install PHP and Extensions

Install PHP-FPM and common extensions:

sudo apt install php-fpm php-mysql php-cli php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-zip -y

Check PHP version:

php -v

PHP is now ready.

Step 10: Configure Nginx to Use PHP

Open default site config:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/default

Make sure PHP block exists:

location ~ \.php$ {
    include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
    fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;
}

Test and reload Nginx:

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 11: Test PHP Integration

Create test file:

sudo nano /var/www/html/info.php

Add:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Visit:

http://your-server-ip/info.php

If PHP info page appears, everything works.

Delete the file for security:

sudo rm /var/www/html/info.php

Step 12: Create a Database for Your Website

Login to MySQL:

sudo mysql

Create database and user:

CREATE DATABASE webdb;
CREATE USER 'webuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strongpassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON webdb.* TO 'webuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Your database is ready.

Step 13: Prepare Website Directory

Create directory:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/mywebsite

Set permissions:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/mywebsite
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/mywebsite

This is where your website files will live.

Step 14: Create Nginx Server Block

Create config file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/mywebsite

Add:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;

    root /var/www/mywebsite;
    index index.php index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;
    }
}

Enable site:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/mywebsite /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 15: Upload Website Files

Create a simple test site:

sudo nano /var/www/mywebsite/index.php

Add:

<?php echo "Hello, my VPS web server is working!"; ?>

Visit your domain or IP to test.

Step 16: (Optional) Install WordPress

Most VPS web servers are built for WordPress.

Steps overview:

  • Download WordPress
  • Extract files
  • Configure wp-config.php
  • Run installation wizard

Your VPS is now WordPress-ready.

Step 17: Enable HTTPS (Strongly Recommended)

Never leave a VPS web server without HTTPS.

Options:

  • Let’s Encrypt
  • Cloudflare

HTTPS:

  • Encrypts traffic
  • Improves SEO
  • Builds trust

Step 18: Basic VPS Security Hardening

Minimum steps:

  • Strong passwords
  • SSH key authentication
  • Regular updates
  • Firewall enabled
  • Remove unused services

Security is ongoing not one-time.

Step 19: Monitoring and Maintenance

Useful commands:

  • htop → CPU & RAM
  • df -h → Disk usage
  • systemctl status nginx

Check logs regularly.

Common VPS Beginner Mistakes

  • No firewall
  • Root login enabled
  • No backups
  • Leaving test files
  • Overcomplicating setup

Simple setups are easier to secure.

VPS vs Shared Hosting (Quick Reminder)

VPS gives you:

  • Full control
  • Better performance
  • Learning opportunity

But it also requires:

  • Responsibility
  • Maintenance
  • Attention

Is This VPS Setup Production-Ready?

Yes, for:

  • Personal websites
  • Blogs
  • Small business sites
  • Learning projects

For high traffic:

  • Add caching
  • Optimize PHP-FPM
  • Use CDN (Cloudflare)

Why This Step-by-Step Approach Matters

Many tutorials skip steps.

This guide:

  • Builds a strong foundation
  • Avoids security mistakes
  • Teaches real-world skills

Understanding beats copy-paste every time.

Conclusion: Your VPS Is Now a Real Web Server

You’ve successfully turned an empty VPS into a working Linux web server.

You now have:

  • A secured VPS
  • Nginx web server
  • PHP processing
  • MySQL database
  • A structure ready for real websites

From here, you can:

  • Install WordPress
  • Optimize performance
  • Add HTTPS
  • Scale your setup

Your journey into server administration has officially begun

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