Are you looking to learn how to set up and manage an Ubuntu Server 16.04? If yes, then you are in the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know about Ubuntu Server 16.04, including its benefits, limitations, and how to get started.
Introduction
Before we dive into the world of Ubuntu Server 16.04, let’s get an overview of what it entails and the fundamental questions surrounding it.
What is Ubuntu Server 16.04?
Ubuntu Server 16.04 is a version of the Ubuntu operating system intended to run on servers. It is a free, open-source platform that offers a secure, scalable, and customizable environment for hosting applications, websites, and other services.
Why use Ubuntu Server 16.04?
There are several reasons why you might choose Ubuntu Server 16.04 over other server operating systems:
- It is free and open-source
- It is backed by a large and active community
- It is secure and reliable
- It has a vast selection of software packages and tools available
- It is easy to customize and manage
What You Will Learn in This Guide
This guide aims to give you a complete understanding of Ubuntu Server 16.04 by covering the following topics:
- Installation
- Basic Configuration
- User Management
- Network Management
- Package Management
- Security
- Backups and Disaster Recovery
Prerequisites
To follow along with this guide, you will need:
- A computer running Ubuntu Desktop 16.04 or later
- A server or virtual machine running Ubuntu Server 16.04 or later
- A basic understanding of the Linux command line
Let’s get started!
Now that we have covered the basics let’s dive into the core of this guide.
Ubuntu Server 16.04 Tutorial
1. Installation
The first step to setting up an Ubuntu Server 16.04 is to install it. There are two ways to install Ubuntu Server 16.04:
- Using the Graphical Installer
- Using the Text-Based Installer
Regardless of the installation method you choose, you will need to download the Ubuntu Server 16.04 ISO file from the official Ubuntu website and burn it to a DVD or USB drive.
Using the Graphical Installer:
The graphical installer is a user-friendly interface that guides you through the installation process step-by-step:
- Insert your DVD or USB drive into your computer and boot from it.
- Select ‘Install Ubuntu Server’ from the boot menu.
- Select your language and click ‘Continue.’
- Select your location and click ‘Continue.’
- Select your keyboard layout and click ‘Continue.’
- Enter your server’s hostname and click ‘Continue.’
- Create a user account and click ‘Continue.’
- Select how you want to partition your hard drive and click ‘Continue.’
- Review your choices and click ‘Install’ to begin the installation process.
- Wait for the installation process to complete, then reboot your server.
Using the Text-Based Installer:
The text-based installer is a command-line interface that requires a basic understanding of the Linux command line:
- Insert your DVD or USB drive into your computer and boot from it.
- Select ‘Install Ubuntu Server’ from the boot menu.
- Select your language and click ‘Continue.’
- Select your location and click ‘Continue.’
- Select your keyboard layout and click ‘Continue.’
- Enter your server’s hostname and click ‘Continue.’
- Create a user account and click ‘Continue.’
- Select how you want to partition your hard drive and click ‘Continue.’
- Review your choices and click ‘Install’ to begin the installation process.
- Wait for the installation process to complete, then reboot your server.
2. Basic Configuration
Once you have installed Ubuntu Server 16.04, you will need to perform some basic configuration tasks to get it up and running.
2.1 Update System Packages
Before doing anything else, it’s essential to ensure that your server’s software packages are up to date. To do this, run the following command:
“`sudo apt-get updatesudo apt-get upgrade“`
2.2 Set Timezone
Ubuntu Server 16.04 is configured to use Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by default. However, you can change the timezone to your location by running the following command:
“`sudo timedatectl set-timezone [timezone]“`
2.3 Configure Firewall
Ubuntu Server 16.04 comes with a firewall called UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall). By default, UFW is set to deny all incoming traffic and allow all outgoing traffic. However, you will need to configure it to allow traffic to your server.
To allow traffic to your server, you will need to open the necessary ports, such as port 80 for HTTP traffic and port 443 for HTTPS traffic. For example, to allow HTTP traffic, run the following command:
“`sudo ufw allow http“`
2.4 Configure SSH
SSH (Secure Shell) is a secure network protocol that allows you to access your server remotely. However, it’s essential to ensure that only authorized users can access your server via SSH.
To do this, you will need to edit the SSH configuration file by running the following command:
“`sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config“`
Then, find the ‘PermitRootLogin’ line and change its value to ‘no.’ Also, find the ‘PasswordAuthentication’ line and set its value to ‘no.’ Finally, save and exit the file by pressing ‘Ctrl+X,’ ‘Y,’ and ‘Enter.’
2.5 Create a New User
It’s essential to create a new user account that has limited access to your server. To do this, run the following command:
“`sudo adduser [username]“`
Replace ‘[username]’ with the name of the new user. Then, set a strong password for the new user by running the following command:
“`sudo passwd [username]“`
2.6 Grant Sudo Privileges
Sudo (Superuser Do) is a program that allows you to execute commands with the privileges of another user (usually the root user). It’s essential to grant sudo privileges to your new user account so that you can perform administrative tasks.
To do this, run the following command:
“`sudo usermod -aG sudo [username]“`
Replace ‘[username]’ with the name of your new user account.
2.7 Reboot the Server
Finally, reboot your server to apply the changes by running the following command:
“`sudo reboot“`
3. User Management
Now that you have set up your server and performed basic configuration tasks let’s dive into user management.
3.1 Add New User
Adding a new user is relatively simple:
To add a new user to your server, run the following command:
“`sudo adduser [username]“`
Replace ‘[username]’ with the name of the new user. Then, set a strong password for the new user by running the following command:
“`sudo passwd [username]“`
3.2 Delete User
To delete a user, run the following command:
“`sudo deluser [username]“`
Replace ‘[username]’ with the name of the user you want to delete. You can also choose to delete the user’s home directory by adding the ‘–remove-home’ option:
“`sudo deluser –remove-home [username]“`
3.3 Modify User
To modify a user’s account, run the following command:
“`sudo usermod [options] [username]“`
Replace ‘[username]’ with the name of the user you want to modify. You can use the following options to modify the user account:
- -a: Add the user to the specified group(s)
- -d: Change the user’s home directory
- -e: Set the user’s account expiration date
- -g: Change the user’s primary group
- -l: Change the user’s login name
- -s: Change the user’s default shell
3.4 Create User Groups
Creating a user group is relatively simple:
To create a new group, run the following command:
“`sudo addgroup [groupname]“`
Replace ‘[groupname]’ with the name of the new group. You can then add users to the group by running the following command:
“`sudo adduser [username] [groupname]“`
Replace ‘[username]’ with the name of the user, and ‘[groupname]’ with the name of the group.
3.5 Modify Group
To modify a group, run the following command:
“`sudo groupmod [options] [groupname]“`
Replace ‘[groupname]’ with the name of the group you want to modify. You can use the following options to modify the group:
- -g: Change the group ID
- -n: Change the group name
3.6 Delete Group
To delete a group, run the following command:
“`sudo delgroup [groupname]“`
Replace ‘[groupname]’ with the name of the group you want to delete. You can also choose to delete the group’s home directory by adding the ‘–remove-home’ option:
“`sudo delgroup –remove-home [groupname]“`
3.7 View User and Group Information
To view information about users and groups on your system, you can use the following commands:
“`sudo cat /etc/passwdsudo cat /etc/group“`
4. Network Management
Networking is an essential component of any server. In this section, we will cover some basic networking tasks that you may need to perform on your Ubuntu Server 16.04.
4.1 Configure Network Interfaces
Ubuntu Server 16.04 uses the Netplan utility to configure network interfaces. The Netplan configuration file is located in the ‘/etc/netplan’ directory.
To configure a network interface, create a new configuration file in the ‘/etc/netplan’ directory. For example, to configure the ‘eth0′ interface, create a new file called ’01-netcfg.yaml’ with the following contents:
“`network:version: 2renderer: networkdethernets:eth0:dhcp4: yes“`
This configuration file enables DHCP on the ‘eth0’ interface. To apply the changes, run the following command:
“`sudo netplan apply“`
4.2 Configure DNS
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a system that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses. Ubuntu Server 16.04 uses the ‘/etc/resolv.conf’ file to configure DNS settings.
To configure DNS, edit the ‘/etc/resolv.conf’ file and add the necessary nameservers. For example, to use Google’s DNS servers, add the following lines:
“`nameserver 8.8.8.8nameserver 8.8.4.4“`
4.3 Configure Hostname
The hostname is the name of your server. To change the hostname, edit the ‘/etc/hostname’ file and replace the current hostname with the new one. Then, edit the ‘/etc/hosts’ file and replace the old hostname with the new one.
4.4 Configure Static IP Address
To configure a static IP address, you will need to modify the Netplan configuration file. For example, to configure a static IP address for the ‘eth0′ interface, create a new file called ’01-netcfg.yaml’ with the following contents:
“`network:version: 2renderer: networkdethernets:eth0:addresses: [192.168.1.100/24]gateway4: 192.168.1.1nameservers:addresses: [8.8.8.8,8.8.4.4]“`
This configuration file sets a static IP address of ‘192.168.1.100’ with a netmask of ’24’, a default gateway of ‘192.168.1.1,’ and DNS servers of ‘8.8.8.8 and ‘8.8.4.4.’
4.5 Enable SSH
SSH is a secure network protocol that allows you to access your server remotely. Ubuntu Server 16.04 comes with SSH pre-installed, but it may not be enabled by default.
To enable SSH, run the following command:
“`sudo systemctl enable ssh“`
4.6 View Network Information
To view information about your network interfaces and IP addresses, you can use the following commands:
“`ip addr show“`
4.7 Configure Firewall
As we have already discussed, Ubuntu Server 16.04 comes with a firewall called UFW. You will need to configure it to allow traffic to your server.
To allow traffic to your server, you will need to open the necessary ports, such as port 80 for HTTP traffic and port 443 for HTTPS traffic. For example, to allow HTTP traffic, run the following command:
“`sudo ufw allow http“`
5. Package Management
Ubuntu Server 16.04 has a vast selection of software packages and tools available, thanks to the Advanced Package Tool (APT). In this section, we will cover some basic package management tasks that you may need to perform on your server.
5.1 Install Packages
To install a package, run the following command:
“`sudo apt-get install [package]“`
Replace ‘[package]’ with the name of the package you want to install.
5.2 Remove Packages
To remove a package and its configuration files, run the following command:
“`sudo apt-get remove [package]“`
Replace ‘[package]’ with the name of the package you want to remove.
5.3 Update Packages
To update your server’s software packages, run the following command:
“`sudo apt-get updatesudo apt-get upgrade“`
5.4 Search for Packages
To search for a package, run the following command:
“`sudo apt-cache search [package]“`
Replace ‘[package]’ with the name of the package you want to search for.
5.5 View Package Information
To view information about a package, run the following command:
“`sudo apt-cache show [package]“`
Replace ‘[package]’ with the name of the package you want to view information about.
5.6 Upgrade to a New Release
To upgrade your Ubuntu Server 16.04 to a new release