Ubuntu

Ubuntu is Debian with a fixed calendar and a longer support promise. It is the distribution most third-party install guides are written against, which makes it the pragmatic choice when the software you are deploying documents Ubuntu and nothing else.

Install it from the panel ​

In the client area, open your server, then Reinstall the server. Pick the Ubuntu tile, open its version list and choose the one you want, then fill in the partitioning, the software RAID, the hostname and the password below the grid. The form itself is described in reinstalling your OS.

Take an LTS version, the ones numbered in even years with an 04 month. The interim releases are supported for nine months, which is short for a server you are not planning to touch.

First steps ​

apt update && apt full-upgrade
apt install -y sudo curl

Then your own user and no more password logins, per first connection.

The firewall ​

ufw is present and is the expected front-end on Ubuntu. It is inactive until you enable it, and enabling it without allowing SSH first will lock you out of your own machine:

ufw allow OpenSSH
ufw enable
ufw status verbose

If you do lock yourself out, the console is the way back in.

Networking ​

Ubuntu Server configures its interfaces with netplan, in /etc/netplan/. That is also where the additional addresses go: the file and the netplan try safety net are in IP addresses.

What LTS covers ​

An LTS release carries five years of standard security maintenance for the main package set. Universe packages are covered on a best-effort basis unless you attach an Ubuntu Pro subscription, which is between you and Canonical.

Where to go next ​

• First connection: your own user, SSH keys, password logins off.
• IP addresses: configuring the additional addresses on the fresh system.
• The console: watching the install, and getting in when the network does not answer.