Prepare a server step by step

Steps

1. On your computer, open Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows) and create your key: it replaces the password for signing in to the server. At the file path question, press Enter. Choose a passphrase and enter it twice; nothing appears as you type. Store it in a password manager: it cannot be recovered.
   bash

   ssh-keygen -t ed25519

2. Display your public key and copy the whole line, which starts with ssh-ed25519. It is the only file to give your provider; the one without .pub is private and must never be shared. On Windows, the command is: type $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub
   bash

   cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

3. With the provider of your choice, create a VPS: x86-64 (AMD64) processor, not ARM; Ubuntu 24.04 LTS; at least 2 GB of memory, 4 GB recommended; at least 20 GB of disk, 40 GB recommended. Paste your public key into the SSH key field. Then note the server’s IP address and the name of the initial account, often root or ubuntu.
4. Connect to the server, replacing USER with the account name and SERVER_IP with the address. The first time, a question ends with (yes/no/[fingerprint])?: if your provider shows the server fingerprint, check that it is identical, then type yes and press Enter. Then enter your passphrase. On an older Windows 10 PC where ssh is not found, install “OpenSSH Client” in Settings > Apps > Optional features.
   bash

   ssh USER@SERVER_IP

5. Update the server and let it run until the prompt comes back; this takes a few minutes.
   bash

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

6. Create your account. Choose a long, unique password and enter it twice (nothing appears), press Enter at the next five questions, then answer Y.
   bash

   sudo adduser libris

7. Give this account the right to administer the server, then your key.
   bash

   sudo usermod -aG sudo libris
   sudo rsync --archive --chown=libris:libris ~/.ssh /home/libris

8. Turn on the firewall, allowing only SSH. At the question “Proceed with operation (y|n)?”, answer y.
   bash

   sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
   sudo ufw enable

9. Check the firewall: you must read “Status: active” and a 22/tcp (OpenSSH) line that contains ALLOW IN.
   bash

   sudo ufw status verbose

10. Keep this window open and open a second one to test your account. Enter your passphrase.
    bash

    ssh libris@SERVER_IP

11. In this second window, check your rights: enter the password of the libris account; the answer must be root. If it is, continue in this window; otherwise, go back to creating the account in the first one.
    bash

    sudo whoami

12. Optional, recommended: allow only your key. Paste the whole block; it must end with permitrootlogin no and passwordauthentication no. From then on, always sign in with the libris account.
    bash

    sudo tee /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-libris.conf <<'EOF'
    PasswordAuthentication no
    PermitRootLogin no
    EOF
    sudo sshd -t && sudo systemctl reload ssh
    sudo sshd -T | grep -Ei '^(passwordauthentication|permitrootlogin)'

13. Add Docker’s official repository, the software that runs Libris Translate: paste the whole block in one go.
    bash

    # Add Docker's official GPG key:
    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install ca-certificates curl
    sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
    sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
    sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
    
    # Add the repository to Apt sources:
    sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.sources <<EOF
    Types: deb
    URIs: https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu
    Suites: $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}")
    Components: stable
    Architectures: $(dpkg --print-architecture)
    Signed-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
    EOF
    
    sudo apt update

14. Install Docker. At the question “Do you want to continue? [Y/n]”, answer Y.
    bash

    sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

15. Check the installation: the first answer must report Docker Compose version v2 or later, and the second must show “Hello from Docker!”.
    bash

    sudo docker compose version
    sudo docker run hello-world

Fictional example

Mara, a publisher, works on a Mac. She rents an x86-64 VPS with 4 GB of memory and a 40 GB disk running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, pastes her public key into it, then follows the steps in order. When the last command shows “Hello from Docker!”, her server is ready and she moves on to the installation.

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