Ubuntu VDS — Linux Server Hosting

Why rent a Linux server?

There are three concrete reasons to choose Linux. First, usable resources: because the operating system makes do with 0.5-1 GB, the rest of the plan belongs to your application — a difference you feel on smaller plans. Second, compatibility: the documentation for Node.js, PHP, Python, PostgreSQL, MySQL and Docker is written against Linux, and when you search for an error the fix you find assumes the same environment. Third, attack surface: on a server with no desktop session the only management door left open is SSH, and SSH is easy to protect with a key.

Recommended resources

These values match the VDS plan tiers in our catalogue; the exact price is calculated in the configurator.

Prices exclude VAT (20%).

Which release: LTS, interim versions and out-of-support templates

On a server there is one rule: choose an LTS. Ubuntu's interim releases, published in April and October, get only nine months of support — far less than the life of a server — so a machine installed from something like 25.04 turns into a machine that receives no updates within a year. The choice between the two LTS releases comes down to the package versions your application expects: for a new installation 24.04 is the right default (PHP 8.3, Python 3.12, a newer kernel), but if your application is tied to a specific older library version, 22.04 is still a supported harbour until April 2027. Watch out for the older entries sitting in the template list: standard support for Ubuntu 18.04 and 20.04 has closed, CentOS 8 received its last update in December 2021 and CentOS 7 in June 2024. Choosing one of those for a new installation means an unpatched system from day one. Moving from one LTS to the next is possible with do-release-upgrade, but a clean install from the newer template and migrating the application usually gives a more predictable result.

SSH, updates and where memory really ends

The first job on a Linux server is switching SSH to key-based access: upload your key, actually verify that you can log in with it, and only then turn password logins off. The order matters — reversed, you lock yourself out, and the reinstall you would then run from the panel erases everything on the disk. Keep only the ports you need open in the firewall, typically 22, 80 and 443, and narrowing SSH to your own address with a panel rule adds one more layer. On updates, unattended-upgrades applies security patches on its own, but a kernel update needs a reboot: check whether /var/run/reboot-required exists and restart during a maintenance window, otherwise you keep running the old kernel while the patched one merely sits installed. The detail most often missed in memory planning is swap: server templates usually carry little of it or none, and without swap, processes do not slow down when RAM fills up — the kernel kills whichever one holds the most memory. Check what you have with free -h after setup, and size RAM against the sum of your application, database and background jobs; if you use PHP-FPM, budgeting 50-100 MB per worker is a realistic starting point.

Setup steps

1. 1Pick the Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or 24.04 LTS template in the configurator; do not run interim releases on a server.
2. 2Take the IP address and credentials from the panel and connect with ssh.
3. 3Make apt update && apt full-upgrade your first command, and reboot if the kernel was updated.
4. 4Upload your SSH key, verify that you can log in with it, and only then disable password logins.
5. 5Leave only the ports you need open in the firewall, and narrow SSH to your own address with a panel rule.
6. 6Define your application as a systemd service so it comes back on its own after a reboot.
7. 7Set the time zone with timedatectl and schedule daily backups from the panel.

Common mistakes

• Disabling password logins before you have verified that your key works. You lock yourself out, and the reinstall from the panel erases everything on the disk.
• Choosing an interim release with nine months of support, or a template whose support window has closed. Being listed does not mean it still receives updates.
• Starting the application by hand instead of defining a service. The process does not come back when the session ends or the server reboots.
• Not checking whether there is any swap. Without it, a process is not slowed down when memory fills up — it is killed by the kernel.
• Skipping the reboot after a kernel update. The new kernel is installed but the system keeps running on the old one.

What is included at Datafex

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I choose Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04?

For a new installation 24.04 LTS is the right default: its support window runs to April 2029 and its repositories carry PHP 8.3 and Python 3.12. If your application depends on an older package version, 22.04 LTS remains an option supported until April 2027.

Should I install Ubuntu or Debian?

The catalogue also carries Debian templates, and both use the same package management. The practical test is this: choose whichever distribution your application's installation documentation uses in its examples. Ubuntu LTS is newer in package versions, Debian more conservative.

How much RAM does a Linux server need?

The operating system takes 0.5-1 GB. For a single site or service 2 GB is enough, with a separate database process 4 GB, and for running several containers 8 GB. What decides is the combined memory need of your application and database.

Do I need to install a graphical desktop?

You do not. Server management happens over SSH, and installing a desktop environment multiplies the baseline memory use while widening the attack surface. If you genuinely need a graphical interface, the right answer is a Windows Server template rather than a desktop on Linux.

Can I automate updates?

Yes — unattended-upgrades applies security updates on its own. Because kernel updates require a reboot, set yourself a maintenance window; if /var/run/reboot-required exists, the system only moves to the new kernel after a restart.

What do I do when LTS support ends?

Once the support window closes no more security updates arrive from the repository, so the move has to be planned before the release runs out. There are two paths: upgrade to the next LTS with do-release-upgrade, or reinstall cleanly from the newer template in the panel and migrate the application. The second path wipes the disk, so take a backup first.