INSIGHTS
Step-by-step guides to building, hardening and running business servers, each one explaining in plain English why it is done this way and not another way.
25 articles
Server How-To Guides
A nine-step guide to a self hosted newsletter with Keila on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04: pinned Docker images, an nginx proxy, a signing relay, a bounce plan and tested backups, with the reasons for each choice.
Server How-To Guides
A tested way to migrate WordPress to new server hardware running Ubuntu 24.04 or 26.04: rsync, a collation-safe database import, WP-CLI address fixes, PHP checks, a final sync and a rollback you have already rehearsed.
Server How-To Guides
A nine-step guide to an outbound-only Postfix smarthost that signs with OpenDKIM on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04: a private path, a narrow relay list, one key per domain, the DNS records and the failures reproduced in labs.
Server How-To Guides
A tested WireGuard server setup for a small business on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04: keys that stay on their machine, a public server with private servers and laptops behind it, AllowedIPs explained, UFW or nftables forwarding and NAT, and a fault table for wg show.
Server How-To Guides
A seven-step guide to mariadb secure installation on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04: what the script changes, what Ubuntu already did, least-privilege accounts, passwords off command lines, remote access with TLS and a tested restore.
Server How-To Guides
An eight-step guide to certbot nginx Ubuntu setups on 24.04 and 26.04: free Let's Encrypt certificates with webroot validation, renewal that reloads nginx, expiry monitoring and HSTS, with the reasons for each choice.
Server How-To Guides
An eight-step guide to fail2ban on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04: install, jail.local, ban times, nftables or UFW actions, backends, nginx jails and safe testing, with the reasons for each choice.
Server How-To Guides
Build HAProxy SNI routing on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04 in ten tested steps: one public IP, many private web servers, TLS passthrough, map files and a safe way to change the live config.
Server How-To Guides
Back up a WordPress server with restic on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04: files, a consistent MariaDB dump, server settings and an off-site copy, with a restore test you can repeat and options that survive ransomware.
Server How-To Guides
How automatic security updates really work on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04, with tested dry runs, a safe reboot plan, needrestart choices, holds, email reports and checks that prove it runs.
Server How-To Guides
Who owns the files and which account runs PHP matter more than 755 and 644. Six lab-tested steps for WordPress file permissions on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04: safe modes, nginx access, the FTP prompt, DISALLOW_FILE_MODS and a read-only code layout.
Server How-To Guides
A six-step guide to nginx security headers for WordPress on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04: one include file, the add_header trap, duplicates from PHP, a careful HSTS rollout and a report-only CSP, each tested in a lab.
Plain-English tips on websites, email, security, and automation — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
A Business Tech Rescue Audit traces what is slowing, breaking or exposing your business and hands you a plain-English plan.
Plain-English tips on websites, email, security, and automation, sent from our own servers. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
