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/

A couple of days ago, I started to notice that there was nothing but gibberish on the homepage of Daily Cup of Tech. I quickly dug into the problem to determine what could be causing the issue. The problem was with compression in the (wonderful) WP-Super-Cache Wordpress plug-in.

Here is how I fixed the problem.

1. I accessed the WP-Super-Cache admin page directly from its URL:
   <blog base URL>/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=wp-super-cache/wp-cache.php
2. I disabled the Super Cache Compression and then updated the settings.

This seems to have resolved the issue but I would really like to run compression as it is a nice feature. Anyone out there had any luck fixing the compression problem?

Trackback link - http://www.dailycupoftech.com/2008/08/19/wordpress-cache-gibberish/trackback/