Own Your Cloud: A Friendly Ubuntu Server Quickstart

The cloud is just someone else’s computer with a monthly invoice attached. If you are done renting your digital life, it is time to bring it home. That dusty laptop under the bed can become a tiny data centre that you actually control. No contracts. No mystery fees. Just your files, your apps and your rules.

In the video I show how easy this is in practice, but you can follow along right here. We will install Ubuntu Server, give it a rock solid static IP, and switch on SSH so you can run everything from your main computer. Keep it lean without a desktop, or add a lightweight one later if that feels friendlier. By the end you will have a clean, reliable base you can build on, whether you want your own media library, private storage or a home for experiments.

Make a brew, rescue that old machine and let’s turn it into your piece of the cloud.

Before You Start

You will need:

Decide on your network details:

Tiny install and firmware checklist:

Tip: if your router supports DHCP reservations, bind the server’s MAC to your chosen IP. Otherwise, pick an IP outside the DHCP pool. For example, if the pool is 192.168.1.100–199, choose .50 or .210.Find the server’s MAC on Linux:

ip link show | awk '/link\/ether/{print $2}'

1) Install Ubuntu Server with a static IPv4

During the installer:

Some screens show a Netmask field, others want CIDR like 192.168.1.0/24. Same idea, different box.

2) First boot checks on the server screen

ip a                               # check the interface has your static IP
ping -c 3 192.168.1.1              # can you reach the router
ping -c 3 8.8.8.8                  # can you reach the internet

Edit networking later if needed:

sudo nano /etc/netplan/*.yaml      # addresses: [192.168.1.120/24]
sudo netplan apply

YAML is fussy. Mind your spaces like they are rare Pokémon.

3) Make SSH your main way in

Working from your laptop is nicer than crouching by a humming box.

3.1 Ensure SSH is running

sudo systemctl status ssh
# if it is not active:
sudo systemctl enable --now ssh

3.2 Open the firewall for SSH if you use UFW

# IMPORTANT: allow SSH BEFORE enabling UFW, so you do not lock yourself out
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status

3.3 Connect from your other computer

From Windows PowerShell, macOS Terminal, or Linux:

ssh <your-ubuntu-username>@192.168.1.120

First time: type yes to trust the fingerprint, then your password.

Windows note: Windows 10 and 11 usually include the OpenSSH client. If not, install it via Settings, Optional Features, Add a feature, OpenSSH Client.

4) Keys, glorious keys, recommended

Passwords are fine. SSH keys are finer. They are easier daily and more secure.

4.1 Create a key on your computer

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "ubuntu-server"
# press Enter to accept defaults, add a passphrase if you want

4.2 Copy the public key to the server

ssh-copy-id <your-ubuntu-username>@192.168.1.120

Now log in using the key:

ssh <your-ubuntu-username>@192.168.1.120

4.3 Optional, disable password logins after keys work

Keep one SSH session open while you do it, just in case.

sudo sed -i 's/^#\?PasswordAuthentication.*/PasswordAuthentication no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
sudo systemctl restart ssh

5) Quick troubleshooting for SSH

On the server console:

# confirm your username
whoami
id <your-ubuntu-username>

# reset your password if needed
sudo passwd <your-ubuntu-username>

# make sure SSH accepts passwords if you have not switched to keys yet
sudo sed -i 's/^#\?PasswordAuthentication.*/PasswordAuthentication yes/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
sudo sed -i 's/^#\?UsePAM.*/UsePAM yes/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
sudo systemctl restart ssh

# firewall check
sudo ufw status

# watch logs while attempting a login from your laptop
sudo tail -f /var/log/auth.log

If you see Failed password for <user>, suspect a typo, keyboard layout, or the wrong username. If it says publickey only, password auth is still disabled.

6) Keep the box tidy and updated

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Unattended security updates:

sudo apt install unattended-upgrades -y
sudo dpkg-reconfigure --priority=low unattended-upgrades

Advanced, set an auto reboot time:

sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades
# Unattended-Upgrade::Automatic-Reboot "true";
# Unattended-Upgrade::Automatic-Reboot-Time "01:00";

7) Create a place for your files, future you will cheer

sudo mkdir -p /srv/data
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /srv/data

You can mount extra disks to /srv/data later and point your services at it.

When you add a second disk later, example:

lsblk
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/data
echo 'UUID='$(blkid -s UUID -o value /dev/sdb1)' /mnt/data ext4 defaults 0 2' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab
sudo mount -a

8) Nice to haves, hostname, timezone, extra admin

Set a friendly hostname, it shows in your prompt:

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname homeserver

Set the correct timezone for logs and reboots:

sudo timedatectl set-timezone Europe/London

Create a second admin, safer than only one:

sudo adduser admin2
sudo usermod -aG sudo admin2

Password policy later, if you like:

sudo apt install -y libpam-pwquality

9) Security extras, internet exposure caution

Avoid exposing SSH to the internet unless you know what you are doing. If you must, change the port, use keys only, and consider fail2ban:

sudo apt install -y fail2ban

Handy logs:

# Network issues
journalctl -u systemd-networkd --no-pager

# SSH attempts
sudo tail -f /var/log/auth.log

10) Optional, should you install a GUI on a server

Some people love a desktop. Others think a GUI on a server is like alloy wheels on a tractor. Here is the balanced view.

Pros

Cons

Summary: if a GUI helps you get work done, install a lightweight one and keep the server booting to console by default.

10.1 Install a lightweight GUI, XFCE, the tidy way

# 1) Update package lists
sudo apt update

# 2) Install a lightweight desktop and display manager, no giant extras
sudo apt install -y --no-install-recommends xfce4 lightdm xorg

# During install, if asked, choose: lightdm

Keep booting to console, start GUI on demand:

sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target
sudo systemctl start lightdm

Boot to desktop automatically, if you really want:

sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target

10.2 Remote desktop into your GUI, RDP via xrdp

sudo apt install -y xrdp
sudo systemctl enable --now xrdp
sudo ufw allow 3389/tcp

Connect from your other computer to:

<your-server-ip>:3389

Log in with your Ubuntu username and password.Tip: if prompted for a session, choose XFCE, or create ~/.xsession with startxfce4.

10.3 Prefer a browser based admin instead

Skip the desktop and use a web console like Cockpit for dashboards, logs, updates, storage, and a built in terminal. Low resource, still GUI like.

10.4 Change your mind, remove the GUI cleanly

sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target
sudo systemctl stop lightdm
sudo apt purge -y xfce4 lightdm xorg
sudo apt autoremove -y

11) Optional, using a TV or monitor, text too small or edges cut off

If your telly is auditioning for a crop top, this section is for you.

11.1 Make the console text larger

sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup

Choose UTF-8, a clear font such as Fixed or TER if offered, and a large size such as 16x32 or larger. Then:

sudo update-initramfs -u
sudo reboot

11.2 If the left or right edges are cut off, overscan

First, try the TV: set Picture Size to Just Scan, 1:1, Full Pixel, or Screen Fit. Renaming the HDMI input to PC often unlocks those options.

If the TV will not cooperate:

grep . /sys/class/drm/*/status
# note the one that says: connected   for example, card1-DVI-I-1

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Add or update the following, adjust the connector name:

GRUB_GFXMODE=1184x664
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash video=DVI-I-1:1184x664@60"

Then:

sudo update-grub
sudo reboot

If there is still a tiny crop, reduce the numbers a touch, for example 1152x648, and repeat. It is a small Goldilocks exercise, but you will find just right quickly.

12) Virtualisation heads up

If you run Ubuntu Server as a VM rather than bare metal, remember the host needs RAM for itself plus what you assign to the guest, and some CPU headroom. Two VMs at 4 GB each means more than 8 GB total in the host.

13) You are done

You now have a rock steady static IP, clean SSH access, updates sorted, and a tidy place for your files, with optional GUI and TV tweaks. From here, add whatever you like: media server, file sync, Docker, homelab wizardry. The world is your apt repository.