Documentation

Install Applications

Complete guide to installing and configuring applications on your VPS. Learn package management, deployment best practices, and security considerations.

Prerequisites

Active VPS with root or sudo access
Basic understanding of Linux command line
SSH client installed on your local machine
Stable internet connection

Package Manager Overview

Most Linux distributions come with package managers that simplify software installation and management. Understanding your package manager is crucial for efficient application deployment.

Common Package Managers:

apt - Debian/Ubuntu based systems
yum/dnf - Red Hat/CentOS/Fedora based systems
pacman - Arch Linux based systems
zypper - SUSE/openSUSE based systems

# Check your package manager
# Ubuntu/Debian
apt update && apt upgrade -y

# CentOS/RHEL/Fedora
dnf update -y

# Arch Linux
pacman -Syu

# SUSE/openSUSE
zypper update

Installing Common Applications

Here's how to install popular applications across different Linux distributions. These commands will help you get started with essential software.

Web Servers:

Apache/Nginx - Web server software
PHP/Node.js - Runtime environments
MySQL/PostgreSQL - Database servers

# Ubuntu/Debian - Install LAMP stack
sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql -y

# CentOS/RHEL - Install LAMP stack
sudo dnf install httpd mariadb-server php php-mysqlnd -y
sudo systemctl enable httpd mariadb
sudo systemctl start httpd mariadb

# Install Node.js (works on most systems)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

# Install Python pip and virtualenv
sudo apt install python3-pip python3-venv -y

Application Configuration

After installation, most applications require configuration. Here are common configuration patterns and best practices.

Configuration Best Practices:

Always backup configuration files before modifying
Use environment variables for sensitive data
Test configurations in development first
Document your changes for future reference

# Apache configuration example
sudo cp /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/my-site.conf
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/my-site.conf

# Enable the site
sudo a2ensite my-site.conf
sudo systemctl reload apache2

# Nginx configuration example
sudo cp /etc/nginx/sites-available/default /etc/nginx/sites-available/my-site
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/my-site

# Enable the site
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/my-site /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Security Considerations

Security should be a priority when installing and configuring applications. Follow these essential security practices.

Essential Security Steps:

Keep software updated regularly
Use strong passwords and SSH keys
Configure firewalls properly
Limit user privileges
Monitor logs for suspicious activity

# Install and configure UFW firewall
sudo apt install ufw -y
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw allow 80
sudo ufw allow 443
sudo ufw enable

# Install fail2ban for SSH protection
sudo apt install fail2ban -y
sudo systemctl enable fail2ban
sudo systemctl start fail2ban

# Generate SSH key pair (on your local machine)
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your-email@example.com"

# Copy public key to server
ssh-copy-id user@your-server-ip

Monitoring and Maintenance

Regular monitoring and maintenance are crucial for keeping your applications running smoothly and securely.

Monitoring Tools:

htop/top - Process monitoring
journalctl - System logs
df/du - Disk usage monitoring
netstat/ss - Network connections

# Install monitoring tools
sudo apt install htop ncdu -y

# Check system resources
htop

# Monitor disk usage
df -h
du -sh /var/www/*  # Check web directory sizes

# Check system logs
sudo journalctl -u apache2 -f  # Follow Apache logs
sudo journalctl -u nginx -f   # Follow Nginx logs

# Monitor network connections
sudo netstat -tlnp | grep :80
sudo ss -tlnp | grep :443

Contents

Related Docs

Connect via SSH

Learn how to securely connect to your VPS using SSH

Firewall Setup

Configure firewall rules to secure your applications

System Updates

Keep your system and applications up to date

Need Help?

Can't find what you're looking for? Our support team is here to help.

# Ubuntu/Debian - Install LAMP stack sudo apt update sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql -y # CentOS/RHEL - Install LAMP stack sudo dnf install httpd mariadb-server php php-mysqlnd -y sudo systemctl enable httpd mariadb sudo systemctl start httpd mariadb # Install Node.js (works on most systems) curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash - sudo apt-get install -y nodejs # Install Python pip and virtualenv sudo apt install python3-pip python3-venv -y

# Apache configuration example sudo cp /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/my-site.conf sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/my-site.conf # Enable the site sudo a2ensite my-site.conf sudo systemctl reload apache2 # Nginx configuration example sudo cp /etc/nginx/sites-available/default /etc/nginx/sites-available/my-site sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/my-site # Enable the site sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/my-site /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ sudo systemctl reload nginx

# Install and configure UFW firewall sudo apt install ufw -y sudo ufw allow ssh sudo ufw allow 80 sudo ufw allow 443 sudo ufw enable # Install fail2ban for SSH protection sudo apt install fail2ban -y sudo systemctl enable fail2ban sudo systemctl start fail2ban # Generate SSH key pair (on your local machine) ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your-email@example.com" # Copy public key to server ssh-copy-id user@your-server-ip

# Install monitoring tools sudo apt install htop ncdu -y # Check system resources htop # Monitor disk usage df -h du -sh /var/www/* # Check web directory sizes # Check system logs sudo journalctl -u apache2 -f # Follow Apache logs sudo journalctl -u nginx -f # Follow Nginx logs # Monitor network connections sudo netstat -tlnp | grep :80 sudo ss -tlnp | grep :443