The Nxeon Blog
Guides for people who run their own servers.
Straight-talking tutorials and comparisons on VPS hosting, game servers, Linux and security. No fluff, just what actually works. 346 guides from the team that runs the servers.
Search results
68 guides for “root” in Tutorials · Clear search
How to Set Up Health Checks and Auto-Restart for Services
Services crash. With systemd restart policies, watchdogs and simple health checks, yours come back automatically instead of staying down until you notice.
Essential Linux Commands Every VPS Owner Should Know
New to the command line? This is the practical toolkit — navigation, files, permissions, processes, services, networking and disk — that runs a VPS day to day.
How to Create a Non-Root Sudo User on a VPS
Working as root all the time is dangerous. Create a dedicated sudo user, give it your SSH key, and adopt least-privilege as your default way of working.
How to Set Up Automated Backups on a VPS
A backup you never tested isn't a backup. Build an automated, offsite, restorable backup routine for files and databases with rsync, cron and the 3-2-1 rule.
How to Create a Swap File on a Linux VPS
Small VPS plans run out of RAM fast. A swap file gives the kernel breathing room and prevents the OOM killer from killing your app. Here's how to add one.
How to Self-Host Navidrome (Music Streaming)
Your own Spotify, powered by your music collection. Install Navidrome on a VPS with Docker and stream to any Subsonic-compatible app.
How to Self-Host Syncthing for File Sync
Syncthing keeps folders in sync across your devices with no cloud provider in between. Run it on a VPS as an always-on relay so devices sync even when they're not both online.
How to Self-Host Grafana and Prometheus for Monitoring
The classic open-source monitoring stack. Install Prometheus and Grafana on a VPS with Docker, collect server metrics, and build dashboards that actually help.
How to Self-Host Mastodon on a VPS
Start your own corner of the fediverse. This guide installs a Mastodon instance on a VPS with Docker and covers the email and storage decisions that trip people up.
How to Self-Host a Matrix/Synapse Chat Server
Own your chat with a Matrix Synapse homeserver. Install it on a VPS with Docker, wire up HTTPS and federation, and connect with the Element app.
How to Self-Host Home Assistant on a VPS
Home Assistant on a VPS gives you a cloud dashboard and secure remote access to your smart home. Here's how to install it with Docker — and what it can't do.
How to Self-Host Ghost Blog on a VPS
Ghost is a fast, focused publishing platform with built-in memberships and newsletters. Install it on a VPS with Docker and HTTPS in under half an hour.
Deploy your first server in under a minute.
Creating an account is free and takes no card details. Every guide here runs on a Nxeon VPS or game server.