Ubuntu Server Baseline¶

This page prepares a fresh Ubuntu Server for course labs. It follows the same basic direction as DigitalOcean's Initial Server Setup with Ubuntu: create a non-root user, enable sudo, configure SSH access, and turn on a firewall safely.

Goal

Finish with a non-root administrative account, working SSH access, updated packages, and a basic firewall that allows SSH.

1. Confirm the Server Version¶

lsb_release -a
uname -a

Recommended: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

2. Update Packages¶

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt autoremove -y

If this is a brand-new server and you are logged in as root, omit sudo until you create the regular user.

3. Create a Non-Root User¶

Replace student with your username:

adduser student
usermod -aG sudo student

Verify the user is in the sudo group:

groups student

Expected: the output includes sudo.

4. Test the New User¶

Open a second terminal and connect as the new user:

ssh student@SERVER_IP_ADDRESS

Then test administrative access:

sudo whoami

Expected output:

root

Keep the original session open

Do not close the root or existing working session until the new user can log in and run sudo.

5. Install Core Utilities¶

sudo apt install -y curl wget ca-certificates gnupg lsb-release unzip zip nano vim tree htop ufw

These tools support later setup pages and common lab workflows.

6. Enable a Basic Firewall¶

Allow SSH first:

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH

Enable UFW:

sudo ufw enable

Check status:

sudo ufw status verbose

Expected: OpenSSH is allowed and the firewall status is active.

Avoid lockout

If you use a custom SSH port, allow that port before enabling UFW. Example: sudo ufw allow 2222/tcp.

7. Set the Time Zone Optional¶

List time zones:

timedatectl list-timezones | grep America

Set a time zone:

sudo timedatectl set-timezone America/New_York

Verify:

timedatectl

8. Classroom Checkpoint¶

Record these outputs:

lsb_release -a
groups $USER
sudo ufw status verbose

Troubleshooting¶

Problem	Check
`sudo: command not found`	Confirm you are on Ubuntu Server and install `sudo` as root.
User cannot run sudo	Run `usermod -aG sudo USERNAME` as root, then log out/in.
SSH stops working after firewall changes	Use the provider console and allow `OpenSSH` or the custom SSH port.

Next Step¶

Continue to SSH and Terminal Workflow.