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Ubuntu Server Setup & CLI Walkthrough

1. Introduction

Section titled “1. Introduction”

This walkthrough will guide you through installing Ubuntu Server 22.04 in a local virtual machine and preparing the sever with essential command-line tools. By the end, you will have a basic but working Linux server environment with a simple web service running.

This guide is written for developers, students, or sysadmins new to Linux who want hands-on experience with the server edition of Ubuntu in a safe, local environment. No prior Linux administration experience is required, though some familiarity with the command line will help.

2. Prerequisites

Section titled “2. Prerequisites”

Before starting, make sure you have:

  • A virtualization tool such as VirtualBox, VMware, or WSL2. This allows you to run Ubuntu in a contained environment without affecting your main operating system.

  • Ubuntu Server 22.04 ISO image, downloadable from the Ubuntu website.

  • Basic command-line knowledge (navigating directories, running commands with sudo).

3. Install Ubuntu Server

Section titled “3. Install Ubuntu Server”

  1. Open your virtualization tool and create a new virtual machine. Allocate at least 2 CPU cores, 2 GB of RAM, and 20 GB of disk space.

  2. Mount the Ubuntu Server ISO as the VM’s boot device.

  3. Start the VM and follow the on-screen installer prompts:

    • Select your language and region/timezone.

    • Create a user account with a strong password.

    • Choose default options unless you have specific requirements.

  4. After installation completes, reboot the VM. You should see a login prompt for your new Ubuntu system.

    VM settings
    VirtualBox VM setup wizard showing CPU/RAM settings.

4. Update the System

Section titled “4. Update the System”

Keeping your system up to date ensures you have the latest security patches and software.

  1. Log in with the username you created.

  2. Update package lists:

    Terminal window
    sudo apt update

  3. Upgrade installed packages:

    Terminal window
    sudo apt upgrade

  4. Verify the update by checking OS version and kernel:

    Terminal window
    lsb_release -a
    uname -r
    apt upgrade
    Terminal showing successful apt upgrade with updated packages.

5. Install Essential Tools

Section titled “5. Install Essential Tools”

Ubuntu Server starts with a minimal set of packages. Let’s add some common tools:

  • Git (for source code version control):

    Terminal window
    sudo apt install git

  • curl (for testing APIs and fetching data over HTTP):

    Terminal window
    sudo apt install curl

  • htop (optional; real-time process monitor):

    Terminal window
    sudo apt install htop

After installation, you can test:

Terminal window
git --version
curl --version
htop --version
htop running
htop running in terminal.

6. Set Up a Simple Web Service

Section titled “6. Set Up a Simple Web Service”

To confirm our environment works, we’ll install nginx, a lightweight web server.

  1. Install nginx:

    Terminal window
    sudo apt install nginx

  2. Start the service:

    Terminal window
    sudo systemctl start nginx

  3. Check status:

    Terminal window
    sudo systemctl status nginx

    Look for Active: active (running) in the output.

    nginx service status
    nginx service status showing active.

7. Test the Service

Section titled “7. Test the Service”
  1. From inside the VM, run:
    Terminal window
    curl http://localhost

You should see HTML output starting with <html><head><title>Welcome to nginx!</title></head>.

  1. If your VM uses a bridged or NAT network, open a browser on your host machine and visit http://127.0.0.1 or the VM’s assigned IP.

  2. You should see the default “Welcome to nginx!” page.

    nginx welcome page
    nginx welcome page in browser.

8. Next Steps

Section titled “8. Next Steps”

Congratulations! You now have a basic Ubuntu Server VM with tools and a running web service.

From here you can:

  • Secure the server with a firewall:

    Terminal window
    sudo ufw allow 'Nginx HTTP'
    sudo ufw enable

  • Add HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt using certbot.

  • Explore the Ubuntu Server documentation for advanced configuration and best practices.

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”