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Getting a Server

Hetzner

  • sign up for a new Hetzner account
  • once signed up, go to the Hetzner Cloud Console
  • create a new project if necessary
  • click the Add Server button in the upper right corner
  • on the "Create a server" page:
    • choose a location near you and/or your users
    • for the operating system, choose Ubuntu and the latest version (24.04 as of this writing)
    • for the type of machine, choose x86 (Intel/AMD)
    • you should be able to pick a machine with as low as 2 Gb of memory (if you pick a machine with 4 Gb or less, you might want to follow these instructions to extend your server memory)
    • under SSH Keys, select one of your ssh keys. if you haven't configured your ssh keys, click the "Security" tab on the left, then add a key (see this tutorial on Hetzner)
  • set up a dedicated domain or subdomain for the server itself if you haven't done so yet, as in disco.yourdomain.com -- point that domain or subdomain to the server's IP address using an A record
  • after the server has been setup (usually under a minute), you can set up your server

Digital Ocean

  • sign up for a new Digital Ocean account
  • once signed up, go to your account's dashboard
  • click the Create button in the upper right corner and choose Droplets
  • on the "Create Droplets" page:
    • choose a location near you and/or your users
    • for the operating system, choose Ubuntu and the latest version (24.04 as of this writing)
    • for the "Droplet Type", you can pick Basic
    • under "CPU Options", you can pick Regular and a server size with as low as 2 Gb of memory (if you pick a machine with 4 Gb or less, you might want to follow these instructions to extend your server memory)
    • under "Choose Authentication Method" make sure to pick SSH Key and select one of your ssh keys (see this page on how to add an ssh key to Digital Ocean)
  • set up a dedicated domain or subdomain for the server itself if you haven't done so yet, as in disco.yourdomain.com -- point that domain or subdomain to the server's IP address using an A record
  • after the server has been setup (usually under a minute), you can set up your server

Raspberry Pi

  • we're assuming that your Raspberry Pi has direct, public access to the Internet with a fixed IP address (i.e. it's not behind a NAT or firewall). If you're running your Raspberry Pi from home or behind a firewall, please see the "Host from Home with a Pi" guide.
  • using Raspberry Pi Imager, flash Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS onto your SD card
    • configure the network settings, hostname, and ssh key during setup
  • set up a dedicated domain or subdomain for the server itself if you haven't done so yet, as in disco.yourdomain.com -- point that domain or subdomain to the server's IP address using an A record
  • once you've confirmed your Raspberry Pi is up and running, you can set up your server