Before you order
An Open Vista VPS is a KVM virtual server: you get full root access and you are responsible for the operating system. That is what distinguishes a VPS from shared hosting — you can install whatever you want, but nobody will do it for you.
First, choose your distribution. For a first server:
- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS — the best compromise. Extensive documentation, security updates until 2029.
- Debian 12 — lighter and very stable, ideal if you already know how to administer a server.
- AlmaLinux 9 — if your team comes from the Red Hat or CentOS world.
Avoid choosing a distribution you do not know simply because a tutorial you found online uses it.
Deployment
- Log in to your client area, then open your service details.
- Select your operating system and confirm. Deployment is automated and takes a few minutes.
- You receive the IP address, the initial root password and access to the VNC console by email.
The VNC console is your safety net: it works even if you have locked yourself out of SSH by changing the network configuration. Keep it bookmarked.
First connection
ssh root@YOUR_IP
At the first key exchange, answer yes. Change the root password immediately, then run your first update:
apt update && apt upgrade -y
Reboot if the kernel has been updated.
The three things to do right away
- Create a non-root user and switch to SSH key authentication. Logging in as root with a password is the most common entry point for automated attacks.
- Enable a firewall. On Ubuntu:
ufw allow 22 && ufw allow 80 && ufw allow 443 && ufw enable. - Check that your site responds before going any further, instead of piling up installations.
What next
Your VPS is ready. To go further, see our guides on securing a Linux server, sizing your plan and configuring DNS for your domain.
If something does not work as expected, open a ticket from your client area: our support team answers 24/7.
