How to Install Ubuntu LTS on an ExColo VPS

Why Ubuntu LTS on a VPS?

DistroFight scores Ubuntu 10/10 for server use — every vendor tests against it, every cloud tutorial assumes it, and LTS releases get five years of security updates out of the box (ten with Ubuntu Pro, free for personal use). If you’d rather run the leanest stable base with freedom-first defaults, use Debian on ExColo instead — the trade-offs are covered in Ubuntu vs Debian.

This guide targets Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble) on an ExColo VPS with root SSH access.

1. Initial access

ssh root@your-server-ip

Create a sudo user:

adduser deploy
usermod -aG sudo deploy

Install your SSH key:

mkdir -p /home/deploy/.ssh
nano /home/deploy/.ssh/authorized_keys   # paste your public key
chown -R deploy:deploy /home/deploy/.ssh
chmod 700 /home/deploy/.ssh
chmod 600 /home/deploy/.ssh/authorized_keys

2. System update

apt update && apt full-upgrade -y
apt install -y curl git vim ufw fail2ban

Reboot if the kernel changed:

reboot

3. Harden SSH

Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config:

PermitRootLogin no
PasswordAuthentication no

Ubuntu 24.04 also reads drop-ins from /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/ — check that directory for a cloud-init file re-enabling password auth before you trust your changes:

grep -r PasswordAuthentication /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/
systemctl restart ssh

Test ssh deploy@your-server-ip in a second terminal before closing root.

4. Firewall with UFW

ufw default deny incoming
ufw default allow outgoing
ufw allow OpenSSH
ufw allow 80/tcp
ufw allow 443/tcp
ufw enable

Add database or mail ports only when required — and prefer IP allowlists.

5. Automatic security updates

Ubuntu ships unattended-upgrades preinstalled and enabled for the security pocket. Verify and tune:

apt install -y unattended-upgrades
dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades

6. Optional: Ubuntu Pro

Free for up to five machines on a personal account — extends LTS security coverage to ten years and adds esm-apps patches for universe packages:

pro attach YOUR-TOKEN     # token from ubuntu.com/pro
pro enable esm-apps esm-infra

For a VPS you plan to set up once and touch rarely, this is the cheapest insurance in Linux.

7. Optional: Docker

apt install -y docker.io docker-compose-v2
usermod -aG docker deploy
systemctl enable --now docker

Ubuntu vs Debian on the same VPS

Both score 10/10 for server in DistroFight. Choose Ubuntu when vendors ship .deb packages tested against Ubuntu LTS first, you want ten-year coverage via Pro, or your team already lives in Ubuntu-based CI images. Choose Debian for the leaner base and slower, quieter update rhythm.

Read the full debate: Ubuntu vs Debian.

Next steps

• Run the server wizard path
• Compare Debian vs Ubuntu side-by-side
• Order VPS hosting at excolo.pl