This is part four of our series on configuring a Slicehost slice.  Today’s step is short and sweet.

Step Four – Install nginx Web Server

sudo aptitude -y install nginx

Start the nginx daemon

sudo /etc/init.d/nginx start

Part 5

Tomorrow, we install MySQL.

Basic Slicehost Slice Setup Series List:

1. Part 1 - Updating Ubuntu
2. Part 2 - Configure iptables
3. Part 3 - Install and Configure OpenSSH
4. Part 4 - Install nginx Web Server
5. Part 5 - Installing MySQL
6. Part 6 - Installing PHP5 with fastcgi
7. Part 7 - Create the Virtual Host Website
8. Part 8 - Install WordPress via Subversion

Trackback link - http://www.dailycupoftech.com/2009/02/21/basic-slicehost-slice-setup-part-4-install-nginx-web-server/trackback/

This is part three of our series on configuring a Slicehost slice.

Step Three – Install and Configure OpenSSH

Install OpenSSH

sudo aptitude -y install openssh-server openssh-client

Edit the sshd_config file to listen on port 1999 instead of port 22

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Find Port 22 and change 22 to 1999 and then save the file.

Restart the SSH server so that the configuration takes hold.

sudo /etc/init.d/ssh restart

That’s it!

Part 4

Tomorrow, we are going to install the web server, nginx.

Basic Slicehost Slice Setup Series List:

1. Part 1 - Updating Ubuntu
2. Part 2 - Configure iptables
3. Part 3 - Install and Configure OpenSSH
4. Part 4 - Install nginx Web Server
5. Part 5 - Installing MySQL
6. Part 6 - Installing PHP5 with fastcgi
7. Part 7 - Create the Virtual Host Website
8. Part 8 - Install WordPress via Subversion

Related articles:

• Get To Know Linux: Secure Shell
• SSH visual host keys
• Linux Command Line Fu
• Access remote network services with SSH tools

Trackback link - http://www.dailycupoftech.com/2009/02/20/basic-slicehost-slice-setup-part-3-install-and-configure-openssh/trackback/

This is part two of our series on configuring a Slicehost slice.

Step Two – Configure iptables

Backup present rules

iptables-save > /etc/iptables.up.rules

Create Filter

Allows all loopback (lo0) traffic and drop all traffic to 127/8 that doesn’t use lo0sudo iptables -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT

sudo iptables -A INPUT -i ! lo -d 127.0.0.0/8 -j REJECT

Accepts all established inbound connections

sudo iptables -A INPUT -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT

Allows all outbound traffic

sudo iptables -A OUTPUT -j ACCEPT

Allows HTTP and HTTPS connections from anywhere

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT

Allows SSH connections (on port 1999)

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m state --state NEW --dport 1999 -j ACCEPT

Allow ping

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p icmp -m icmp --icmp-type 8 -j ACCEPT

Log iptables denied calls

sudo iptables -A INPUT -m limit --limit 5/min -j LOG --log-prefix "iptables denied: " --log-level 7

Reject all other inbound - default deny unless explicitly allowed policy

sudo iptables -A INPUT -j DROP

sudo iptables -A FORWARD -j DROP

Save Rules

sudo iptables-save > /etc/iptables.up.rules

Configure Network to Load Rules Automatically

Edit network interface to load rules automatically

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

Add pre-up iptables-restore < /etc/iptables.up.rules after iface lo inet loopback

Part 3

Tomorrow, we look at installing OpenSSH.  Don’t forget to read the first post if you missed it.

Basic Slicehost Slice Setup Series List:

1. Part 1 - Updating Ubuntu
2. Part 2 - Configure iptables
3. Part 3 - Install and Configure OpenSSH
4. Part 4 - Install nginx Web Server
5. Part 5 - Installing MySQL
6. Part 6 - Installing PHP5 with fastcgi
7. Part 7 - Create the Virtual Host Website
8. Part 8 - Install WordPress via Subversion

Trackback link - http://www.dailycupoftech.com/2009/02/19/basic-slicehost-slice-setup-part-2-configure-iptables/trackback/

I have been sitting on this for a long time and I figured it is about time that I got it out to the masses!

As many of you are aware, I have been using Slicehost for my VPS.  I decided to release my installation notes on setting up the VPS for hosting Wordpress on an Ubuntu slice.

Step One – Update Server

Edit sources.list

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Remove all of the # from all commented lines.

Update and Upgrade

sudo aptitude –y update
sudo aptitude –y safe-upgrade
sudo aptitude –y full-upgrade

Configure Time Zone

sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata

Select the time zone that you are in.

Part 2

Tomorrow, we are going to configure iptables to help increase security.

Basic Slicehost Slice Setup Series List:

1. Part 1 - Updating Ubuntu
2. Part 2 - Configure iptables
3. Part 3 - Install and Configure OpenSSH
4. Part 4 - Install nginx Web Server
5. Part 5 - Installing MySQL
6. Part 6 - Installing PHP5 with fastcgi
7. Part 7 - Create the Virtual Host Website
8. Part 8 - Install WordPress via Subversion

Related articles:

• Searching for package information on Debian and Ubuntu systems
• Three scripts for package management on Debian and Ubuntu systems
• Update/Upgrade multiple Ubuntu PCs with Apt-Cacher

Trackback link - http://www.dailycupoftech.com/2009/02/18/basic-slicehost-slice-setup-part-1-updating-ubuntu/trackback/

I recently bought my wife an Acer Aspire One AOA110-1295 Notebook PC for school. This little unit was really cheap and runs a weird version of Linux called Linpus.

Of course, I needed to mess around with it before I let her use it and, of course, I royally messed it up. I wasn’t too worried because it came with a recovery DVD that I could use to get it back to factory.

Unfortunately, when I went to build the recovery USB device, it failed. Now what?

Well, after some research and effort, I was able to build a new bootable USB device that allowed me to get the system back up and running.

Since I pieced the information and process together from a number of different sources and even used some new techniques myself, I figured that I should document the process and let everyone else know how I did this.

Step 1: Get Your Tools

In order to do this properly, you will need to download come tools from the Internet. You will need:

1. 7-Zip (download)
2. SelfImage (download)
3. MD5 verification software (e.g. WinMD5Sum)

Download and install these applications.

You will also be needing a USB drive. I recommend something 4GB or larger.

Step 2: Download The Image

Next, you will have to download the drive image. It is available from here or you can get the torrent. Be aware that this is a very large file and is 958MB in size so it may take some time to download.

Also, download the MD5 hash file to confirm that the drive image has downloaded properly.

Step 3: Verify the Drive Image File

Once you have downloaded the drive image, make sure that the MD5 hash that you downloaded matches the one that you generated.

Step 4: Extract the Raw Image

Using 7-Zip, extract the raw image from the drive image that you downloaded.

Step 5: Write the Drive Image to the USB Drive

Using SelfImage, write the drive image to the USB drive. In order for this to work, you need to make sure that you are driving to the USB device, not the partition on the device. If you write to the partition, it will not work.

Wait for the process to finish prior to removing the USB drive.

Note: You will probably get a warning that the image was not made for the specific device. This is not a problem and you can continue to image the drive.

Step 6: Boot Aspire One from USB Device

On your Aspire One, put the newly created USB device into one of the USB ports. When it boots up to the BIOS, press F12 and select the USB device to boot from. This will then take you into the setup process where you can then work you way through rebuilding your Aspire One from scratch.

I hope that his has been a helpful tutorial and gets your Aspire One up and running again.

Trackback link - http://www.dailycupoftech.com/2008/09/02/diy-acer-aspire-one-recovery-usb-device/trackback/