Linux VPS
SSH, packages, services and everyday Linux administration.
265 guides · page 2 of 14
Back up and restore a Linux VPS: rsync, tar, mysqldump and snapshots
A practical Linux VPS backup and restore plan: provider snapshots, tar archives, mysqldump, rsync to off-site storage, automation with cron and test restores.
Back up and restore VMs and containers in Proxmox VE
Schedule backups of Proxmox VE VMs and LXC containers with vzdump, choose snapshot, suspend or stop mode, set retention, store backups off-host and restore them from the GUI or CLI.
Back up and sync files with rsync on Linux
Use rsync to copy, mirror and back up files between folders and servers over SSH, with dry runs, excludes, deletes and a scheduled backup example.
Back up running KVM VMs with virsh and a simple script
Back up live KVM virtual machines without downtime using external snapshots and blockcommit, save the XML definition, compress and copy off-host, schedule with cron and restore.
Back up your Linux VPS with rsync, restic and cron
Decide what to back up, dump your databases, copy files off the server with rsync or encrypted restic snapshots, schedule it with cron and prove restores work.
Benchmark a Linux server: CPU, disk and network tests
Measure a new VPS or dedicated server with sysbench for CPU and memory, fio for disk IOPS, iperf3 for network throughput and simple HTTP load tests, and read the results sensibly.
Benchmark and monitor disk performance with fio and iostat
Measure real disk speed on a Linux VPS with fio (IOPS, throughput, latency), avoid misleading dd tests, and find I/O bottlenecks live with iostat and iotop.
Build a home lab for virtualization: hardware and software choices
Plan a home lab for learning virtualization: choosing CPU, RAM, storage and networking, mini PCs vs used servers, power and noise, and which hypervisor and first projects to start with.
Caddy vs Nginx: which web server should you use?
Compare Caddy and Nginx on automatic HTTPS, configuration, performance, PHP hosting, reverse proxying, ecosystem and operations, with clear recommendations for common projects.
Caddyfile examples: reverse proxy, PHP-FPM, redirects and headers
Practical Caddyfile recipes beyond the basics: multiple sites, reverse proxy with load balancing and health checks, PHP sites with php_fastcgi, redirects, headers, compression and logging.
Ceph storage for virtualization: RBD, clusters and planning
Learn how Ceph provides distributed block storage (RBD) for KVM and Proxmox VMs: monitors, OSDs, replication, hardware and network planning, and when Ceph is worth the complexity.
Change Linux kernel boot parameters in GRUB on a VPS
View and change Linux kernel command-line parameters on a VPS or VM: edit /etc/default/grub, regenerate the config on Debian or RHEL, use grubby, test temporary changes and recover safely.
Check disk usage on Linux with df, du and ncdu
Find out how full your Linux VPS disk is with df, see which folders use the space with du, and browse it interactively with ncdu before cleaning up.
Check server disk health with SMART and smartctl
Use smartmontools to read SMART data on SATA and NVMe drives, understand the attributes that predict failure, run self-tests and set up smartd email alerts on a Linux server.
chmod: change file permissions in Linux (with examples)
Use chmod to change who can read, write and run files on your Linux server, with numeric and symbolic modes, recursive changes, and a quick way to check the result.
chown: change file owner and group in Linux
Use chown and chgrp to change who owns files on your Linux server, fix web root ownership after an upload, work recursively and understand how symbolic links are handled.
Cloud and VPS cost optimisation: right-sizing and saving money
Cut cloud and VPS bills without hurting performance: measure real usage, right-size servers, remove idle resources, use reserved or long-term pricing, optimise storage and bandwidth.
Cloud egress and bandwidth costs explained
Why outbound data transfer (egress) often dominates cloud bills, how ingress, inter-zone and CDN traffic are charged, how VPS bandwidth allowances differ, and practical ways to cut costs.
Cloud vendor lock-in: what it is and how to stay portable
Understand cloud vendor lock-in: proprietary services, data gravity, egress fees and skills, how to assess the risk, and practical ways to keep your infrastructure portable without overengineering.
Confidential computing explained: AMD SEV and Intel TDX VMs
What confidential VMs are, how AMD SEV-SNP and Intel TDX encrypt guest memory so even the host cannot read it, remote attestation, performance costs and when it is worth using.
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