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.
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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.
How to Scan a Linux Server for Malware (rkhunter, ClamAV)
Even hardened servers get probed. Learn to scan for rootkits and malware with rkhunter and ClamAV, read the results, and respond to a real detection.
How to Manage Secrets and Environment Variables on a VPS
Hardcoded API keys and passwords in code are a breach waiting to happen. Learn to store secrets in env files, systemd, and vaults — the right way.
How to Secure Docker Containers
Containers aren't secure by default. Run as non-root, drop capabilities, limit resources, scan images and lock down the daemon on your VPS.
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 Secure a Self-Hosted WordPress Site
WordPress powers a huge share of the web, which makes it a huge target. Harden your self-hosted install at the server, app, and login layers.
How to Secure a MySQL Database
An exposed or default-configured database is a breach waiting to happen. Lock down MySQL/MariaDB: bind to localhost, strong users, least privilege and TLS.
How to Create a Staging Subdomain for Your Site
Test changes safely on staging.yourdomain.com before they hit production. Here's the DNS, the web-server config, the SSL, and how to keep bots and Google out.
How to Set Up a Wildcard Subdomain on a VPS
A wildcard subdomain catches every subdomain at once — ideal for multi-tenant apps and dynamic subdomains. Here's the DNS record, the wildcard SSL cert, and the Nginx config.
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 n8n (Workflow Automation) on a VPS
A self-hosted Zapier alternative with no per-task fees. Install n8n on a VPS with Docker and HTTPS and automate anything with hundreds of integrations.
How to Self-Host Vaultwarden (Bitwarden-Compatible) on a VPS
Run your own password vault with Vaultwarden, a lightweight server that works with every official Bitwarden app. Docker install with HTTPS in minutes.
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