How to Install and Configure SSH on Ubuntu 22.04

If you need to interact with a remote server through a graphical interface, you can use VNC technology.VNC (Virtual Network Computing) allows users to establish a remote connection to a server over a network. It operates on a client-server architecture and uses the RFB protocol to transmit screen images and input data from various devices (such as keyboards or mice). VNC supports multiple operating systems, including Ubuntu, Windows, macOS, and others. Another advantage of VNC is that it allows multiple users to connect simultaneously, which can be useful for collaborative work on projects or training sessions. In this guide, we will describe how to install VNC on Ubuntu, using a Hostman cloud server with Ubuntu 22.04 as an example. Step 1: Preparing to Install VNC Before starting the installation process on both the server and the local machine, there are a few prerequisites to review.  Here is a list of what you’ll need to complete the installation: A Server Running Ubuntu 22.04. In this guide, we will use a cloud server from Hostman with minimal hardware configuration. A User with sudo Privileges. You should perform the installation as a regular user with administrative privileges. Select a Graphical Interface. You’ll need to choose a desktop environment that you will use to interact with the remote server after installing the system on both the server and the local machine. A Computer with a VNC Client Installed.  Currently, the only way to communicate with a rented server running Ubuntu 22.04 is through the console. To enable remote management via a graphical interface, you’ll need to install a desktop environment along with VNC on the server. Below are lists of available VNC servers and desktop environments that can be installed on an Ubuntu server. VNC Servers: TightVNC Server. One of the most popular VNC servers for Ubuntu. It is easy to set up and offers good performance. RealVNC Server. RealVNC provides a commercial solution for remote access to servers across various Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch Linux, and others. Desktop Environments: Xfce. A lightweight and fast desktop environment, ideal for remote sessions over VNC. It uses fewer resources than heavier desktop environments, making it an excellent choice for servers and virtual machines. GNOME. The default Ubuntu desktop environment, offering a modern and user-friendly interface. It can be used with VNC but will consume more resources than Xfce. KDE Plasma. Another popular desktop environment that provides a wide range of features and a beautiful design. The choice of VNC server and desktop environment depends on the user’s specific needs and available resources. TightVNC and Xfce are excellent options for stable remote sessions on Ubuntu, as they do not require high resources. In the next step, we will describe how to install them on the server in detail. Step 2: Installing the Desktop Environment and VNC Server To install the VNC server on Ubuntu along with the desktop environment, connect to the server and log in as a regular user with administrative rights. Update the Package List  After logging into the server, run the following command to update the packages from the connected repositories: sudo apt update Install the Desktop Environment  Next, install the previously selected desktop environment. To install Xfce, enter: sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies Here, the first package provides the basic Xfce desktop environment, while the second includes additional applications and plugins for Xfce, which are optional. Install the TightVNC Server  To install TightVNC, enter: sudo apt install tightvncserver Start the VNC Server  Once the installation is complete, initialize the VNC server by typing: vncserver This command creates a new VNC session with a specific session number, such as :1 for the first session, :2 for the second, and so on. This session number corresponds to a display port (for example, port 5901 corresponds to :1). This allows multiple VNC sessions to run on the same machine, each using a different display port. During the first-time setup, this command will prompt you to set a password, which will be required for users to connect to the server’s graphical interface. Set the View-Only Password (Optional)  After setting the main password, you’ll be prompted to set a password for view-only mode. View-only mode allows users to view the remote desktop without making any changes, which is helpful for demonstrations or when limited access is needed. If you need to change the passwords set above, use the following command: vncpasswd Now you have a VNC session. In the next step, we will set up VNC to launch the Ubuntu server with the installed desktop environment. Step 3: Configuring the VNC Server The VNC server needs to know which desktop environment it should connect to. To set this up, we’ll need to edit a specific configuration file. Stop Active VNC Instances  Before making any configurations, stop any active VNC server instances. In this guide, we’ll stop the instance running on display port 5901. To do this, enter: vncserver -kill :1 Here, :1 is the session number associated with display port 5901, which we want to stop. Create a Backup of the Configuration File  Before editing, it’s a good idea to back up the original configuration file. Run: mv ~/.vnc/xstartup ~/.vnc/xstartup.bak Edit the Configuration File  Now, open the configuration file in a text editor: nano ~/.vnc/xstartup Replace the contents with the following: #!/bin/bashxrdb $HOME/.Xresourcesstartxfce4 & #!/bin/bash – This line is called a "shebang," and it specifies that the script should be executed using the Bash shell. xrdb $HOME/.Xresources – This line reads settings from the .Xresources file, where desktop preferences like colors, fonts, cursors, and keyboard options are stored. startxfce4 & – This line starts the Xfce desktop environment on the server. Make the Configuration File Executable To allow the configuration file to be executed, use: chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup Start the VNC Server with Localhost Restriction Now that the configuration is updated, start the VNC server with the following command: vncserver -localhost The -localhost option restricts connections to the VNC server to the local host (the server itself), preventing remote connections from other machines. You will still be able to connect from your computer, as we’ll set up an SSH tunnel between it and the server. These connections will also be treated as local by the VNC server. The VNC server configuration is now complete. Step 4: Installing the VNC Client and Connecting to the Server Now, let’s proceed with installing a VNC client. In this example, we’ll install the client on a Windows 11 computer. Several VNC clients support different operating systems. Here are a few options:  RealVNC Viewer. The official client from RealVNC, compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. TightVNC Viewer. A free and straightforward VNC client that supports Windows and Linux. UltraVNC. Another free VNC client for Windows with advanced remote management features. For this guide, we’ll use the free TightVNC Viewer. Download and Install TightVNC Viewer Visit the official TightVNC website, download the installer, and run it. In the installation window, click Next and accept the license agreement. Then, select the custom installation mode and disable the VNC server installation, as shown in the image below. Click Next twice and complete the installation of the VNC client on your local machine. Set Up an SSH Tunnel for Secure Connection To encrypt your remote access to the VNC server, use SSH to create a secure tunnel. On your Windows 11 computer, open PowerShell and enter the following command: ssh -L 56789:localhost:5901 -C -N -l username server_IP_address Make sure that OpenSSH is installed on your local machine; if not, refer to Microsoft’s documentation to install it. This command configures an SSH tunnel that forwards the connection from your local computer to the remote server over a secure connection, making VNC believe the connection originates from the server itself. Here’s a breakdown of the flags used: -L sets up SSH port forwarding, redirecting the local computer’s port to the specified host and server port. Here, we choose port 56789 because it is not bound to any service. -C enables compression of data before transmitting over SSH. -N tells SSH not to execute any commands after establishing the connection. -l specifies the username for connecting to the server. Connect with TightVNC Viewer After creating the SSH tunnel, open the TightVNC Viewer and enter the following in the connection field: localhost:56789 You’ll be prompted to enter the password created during the initial setup of the VNC server. Once you enter the password, you’ll be connected to the VNC server, and the Xfce desktop environment should appear. Stop the SSH Tunnel To close the SSH tunnel, return to the PowerShell or command line on your local computer and press CTRL+C. Conclusion This guide has walked you through the step-by-step process of setting up VNC on Ubuntu 22.04. We used TightVNC Server as the VNC server, TightVNC Viewer as the client, and Xfce as the desktop environment for user interaction with the server. We hope that using VNC technology helps streamline your server administration, making the process easier and more efficient. We're prepared more detailed instruction on how to create server on Ubuntu if you have some trouble deploying it.

If you started using the internet post 2008, it is very likely that your first interaction over the internet was via Google Chrome web browser. People were frustrated with Microsoft Internet Explorer (which has reached its end of life and has now been discontinued), so when Google launched its proprietary product, Google Chrome, it was met with great demand, and hundreds of thousands of people switched to Chrome from Internet Explorer.  The reason for this switch was obvious, Chrome was definitely much faster and sleek in comparison to Internet Explorer and it offered a unique user experience. Within 4 years after its launch date, Chrome overtook Internet Explorer in terms of having the most users. Let’s switch gears now and move to the crucial part where we’ll talk about downloading and installing Chrome on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS which happens to be the latest OS at the time. Method 1: Installing Google Chrome via Graphical Interface (GUI) The first method is straight as an arrow and needs no extra skills other than the ability to operate a personal computer. Go ahead and search the term ‘Google Chrome’ in the browser bar.  Of course, you need a browser for this. Nothing to worry about as Ubuntu has a browser that comes built-in, this built-in browser is Firefox. Follow along, see where the arrows are pointing in the screenshots and download the 64 bit .deb (For Debian/Ubuntu).  Once you select the right version, go ahead and click on Accept and Install. Go to the directory where this package is downloaded, in my case, it is downloaded within my Downloads directory. Click on the file twice so it opens up in the Software Center where you will see a green Install button. Click that. Again, click on Install. After following along, complete the authentication by putting in your password. After installation is done, go to apps and search for ‘Google Chrome’. You can click on it to open it and then you can start using it.  Method 2: Installing Google Chrome via Terminal Update Package Information Updating package information is easy, run the update command:  sudo apt update Download Chrome with wget Use the wget utility to download Chrome from the provided URL: wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb This URL is the external source from where you can acquire the stable version of Chrome. Chrome is now downloaded but not yet installed. Install Chrome using dpkg To install this package you need to use the Debian package manager dpkg with the -i flag which indicates the installation. sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb Fix Dependency Errors During our procedure, we didn’t come across any dependency error, if you face any then you can use the following command: sudo apt install -f Or: sudo apt-get install -f Run Google Chrome You can either open the browser from GUI or you can run this command and open the browser from within the terminal: google-chrome-stable Method 3: Installing Beta or Unstable Versions of Google Chrome Installing Google Chrome Beta Some developers get super excited when it comes to testing the versions of different products before the general public. If you are one of them, you can install Google Chrome’s beta version. Download Beta Google Chrome  Use wget with the direct URL pointing to an external source from where you can download the beta package of the browser: wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-beta_current_amd64.deb Install Beta Google Chrome sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-beta_current_amd64.deb If dependency errors pop up, just use the command shown in Method 2. Run Beta Google Chrome  Open beta version using terminal: google-chrome-beta The beta version of this browser runs smoothly without any issues, if you see any warnings in the terminal simply ignore it and you can use the beta version without any hassle.  Install Unstable Google Chrome If you are someone who likes to do testing way in advance and you are okay with multiple crashes, you can install Unstable Google Chrome.  Unstable Google Chrome has feature access before Beta Chrome. Main difference between Beta Google Chrome and Unstable Google Chrome is that Beta is updated every 4 weeks while Unstable is updated every day. Download Unstable Google Chrome  wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-unstable_current_amd64.deb Install Unstable Google Chrome sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-unstable_current_amd64.deb Run Unstable Google Chrome google-chrome-unstable Unstable versions of Chrome run smoothly, warnings or errors might pop up but you can ignore those, it works ok.  Additional Tips As Ubuntu’s default repository does not have Chrome due to proprietary rights, Google Chrome creates its own repo in your system and it updates each time you update your default repository. sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade Conclusion A vast number of Linux users prioritize their privacy and prefer open-source products. If this is you, you might be aware that Google Chrome is a proprietary product and is owned by Alphabet (parent company of Google) which means it's not open source. If you are looking for something similar and also open source then Chromium is a great browser to consider. Google Chrome came with the concept of extensions and Google enabled them by default in 2009. These extensions extended the performance of the Chrome web browser and offered additional options to accomplish many things in much easier ways than previously. The main thing that really made Chrome “The King of The Market” was its speed and the ability to get updates for new versions. Google Chrome was able to fix issues much faster than competitors and users had a fine way to access all Google Products in one place.  The birth of the Chrome browser was the result of the problems Google workers faced with the browsers in the market at the time. They created a ‘Just Built For Them’ product which was actually what was needed in the market. Internet Explorer was the most used browser at the time but it was slow. It took Google Chrome just a few years to beat Internet Explorer in the market and in the upcoming decade, it completely wiped it off. 

In this guide, we will describe installing PHP and PHP-FPM on Ubuntu 24.04. PHP, which stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, is a language that is widely used and open-sourced, mainly for web development. PHP is the only PHP FastCGI implementation, that is extremely useful for high-traffic websites. At the end of this guide, you should be ready to go with PHP running on your server. Before that, check our instruction on how to set up server on Ubuntu. Prerequisites Before we start, please confirm you have the following: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS installed on the server A user account with the sudo access An essential command-line operation understanding A reliable internet connection for downloading software packages To ensure that your system is up to date, run the following commands: sudo apt updatesudo apt upgrade Install Apache Launch the Apache web server using the following command: sudo apt install apache2 Install PHP Let's begin with installing the PHP package in Ubuntu 24.04 server. First, open a terminal on your Ubuntu system. PHP and common modules are included in the installation action: sudo apt install php That command installs the core PHP package, the command-line interface, and common libraries. Make sure the installation works: php -v Install PHP Extensions PHP extensions are the way to go to extending PHP installation with certain functions. Start by installing extensions: sudo apt install php-curl php-mbstring php-xml Short description: php-mysql: Allows MySQL database connection php-gd: Adds ability to manipulate images php-curl: Makes possible to communicate with servers php-mbstring: Provides multibyte string support php-xml: Enables XML support php-zip: Enables ZIP support Additional extensions can be installed as you see fit for your projects. You can search them using: apt-cache search php- Install and Configure PHP-FPM PHP-FPM is essential when dealing with high-traffic websites. To install and configure it: Install the package: sudo apt install php-fpm Launch PHP-FPM service. Depending on the installation, version number may differ. sudo systemctl start php8.3-fpm Tell PHP-FPM to go on boot: sudo systemctl enable php8.3-fpm Verfy PHP-FPM is working: systemctl status php8.3-fpm This will output a response that says "Active (Running)" if everything is working as expected. Test PHP and PHP-FPM To ensure that PHP and PHP-FPM are both running with no problems, create a test file then serve it via the website's server. Let's say it uses Apache in this example: Generate PHP Info File. To show PHP settings using the phpinfo() function, do the following: mkdir -p /var/www/htmlecho "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/info.php Set Up Apache for PHP-FPM. Ensure Apache is made compatible for PHP-FPM, by first finding Apache configuration file (usually /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf) then inserting: <FilesMatch \.php$>   SetHandler "proxy:unix:/var/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock|fcgi://localhost/"</FilesMatch> Remember we must alter specific PHP version and socket path to suit individual settings of the server. Activate PHP and PHP-FPM. Enable PHP and PHP-FPM following these instructions: sudo apt install libapache2-mod-phpsudo a2enmod proxy_fcgi setenvif Reboot Apache. Apply changes by restarting Apache server: sudo systemctl restart apache2 Access PHP Info Page. First open your web browser and go to: http://your_server_ip/info.php Replace [server_ip] with the server IP address or domain. You can see details of your PHP installation. Install Multiple PHP Versions For particular projects you might need to run different applications, each one may require different functionalities. This is the way to manage and manipulate multiple PHP versions on Ubuntu 24.04. First, add PHP repository: sudo apt install software-properties-commonsudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php && sudo apt update Install PHP versions you need: sudo apt install php8.1 php8.1-fpm Deselect one PHP version and elect the other: sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php8.1 If you are using multiple PHP versions, ensure that your web server is pointing to the appropriate PHP-FPM socket. Securing PHP and PHP-FPM: Best Practices As a web developer, you know the importance of incorporating both PHP and PHP-FPM into web applications that are safe and robust. In this section, we will introduce a number of security steps that you should adapt using PHP and PHP-FPM. 1. Keep PHP and PHP-FPM Updated PHP and PHP-FPM should be up to date. Doing regular updates will eliminate known security breaches and provide overall security improvements. You need to check for updates as often as possible then update the system as soon as the updates are available. 2. Configure PHP Securely To configure PHP securely, start by disabling unnecessary and potentially dangerous functions, such as exec, shell_exec, and eval, in the PHP configuration file (php.ini). Use open_basedir directive to restrict PHP’s access to specific directories, preventing unauthorized access to sensitive files. Set display_errors to Off in production to avoid exposing error messages that could provide insights to attackers. Limit file upload sizes and execution times to reduce the risk of resource exhaustion attacks. Besides, ensure that PHP runs under a dedicated, restricted user account with minimal permissions to prevent privilege escalation. Regularly update PHP to the latest stable version to patch vulnerabilities and improve security. 3. Use Safe Error Reporting To ensure an error-free application, it is quite handy locating and correcting code bugs in a development environment. In production environment, you have the possibility to hide the PHP errors by setting the display_error directive to be off, and you should also set the log_errors directive to be On, thus this will help you prevent PHP from showing errors to the users whereas your server will log it in a safe location without problems to users. 4. Implement Input Validation Being aware of the input validations is quite crucial during the programming of your software. Make sure that all deficiencies are tested and only SQL statements containing their SQL equivalent that can produce outwardly neutral queries via prepared statements is considered safe. 5. Secure PHP-FPM Configuration PHP-FPM is required to run using a non-usual user account with minium rights. Furthermore, access to the PHP-FPM socket or port should be very limited to the web application. 6. Enable Open_basedir You need to bind open_basedir directive in order to restrict access files within the given directory. In this case, if you attempt to visit a forbidden directory and the request is accidentally transmitted to the server, PHP will prevent you from doing so. 7. Use HTTPS We need to secure web calls by making apps HTTPS-only, which is the only prominent way to block all the known hacking tricks. Conclusion With this guide, you've successfully set up PHP and PHP-FPM on Ubuntu 24.04. Your server is now configured for dynamic web applications. To maintain security and performance, remember to keep the system and packages regularly updated. If you liked this instruction, please check our Cloud Servers to boost your cloud workflow!