A decade of web server setup in one script

4 months ago 5

For the journey ahead.

This script will:

Change configurations that might break stuff, lock you out of access, or otherwise compromise the security or stability of your server.
Output secrets in plain text and save them to disk.

⚠️ You MUST read it in full and understand exactly what it does before proceeding.

Provision is a POSIX-compliant shell script that helps with the initial configuration required for a production-grade Debian-based server to host websites and applications. It's tailor-made for my needs, but it just might suit yours.

Here's an overview of what it'll do:

Update the server's hostname.
Upgrade existing packages.
Install Docker, fail2ban, and several other software.
Harden SSH configuration and switch to an alternative port (822).
Configure the firewall to block any incoming traffic except on selected ports (822, 443, 80) on both IPv4 and IPv6.
Change the root password.
Create a dedicated user and directory for project deployment, with proper ACL and permissions so other users can manage it.
Allow passwordless sudo.
Create swap space equivalent to the available memory, up to 16GB.
Register a new system administrator user with a strong random password and SSH access.
Install opinionated administrative tools.