Overview

Debian is a stable, no-frills Linux distribution favoured for servers. On ALYPOD it is installed by selecting a Debian template in the ALYPOD Console, not by running a hardware installer. This article walks through deployment and initial configuration.

Before you begin

• An ALYPOD account at account.alypod.com.
• Your SSH public key.
• Confirmation that reprovisioning replaces all data on the Pod.

Steps

1. Sign in to account.alypod.com and open the ALYPOD Console.
2. Click Deploy Pod and choose a resource plan and region.
3. Under OS template, select Debian and a stable release such as 11 (Bullseye) or 12 (Bookworm).
4. Add your SSH public key or set a root password.
5. Optionally supply a cloud-init script.
6. Create the Pod and wait for it to reach Running.

First steps after boot

1. Connect over SSH:

bash ssh [email protected]

1. Update the system:

bash apt update && apt full-upgrade -y

1. Install common tools you will likely need:

bash apt install -y sudo curl wget vim ufw

1. Set hostname and timezone:

bash hostnamectl set-hostname web01 timedatectl set-timezone UTC

Debian vs Ubuntu

• Debian ships older, thoroughly tested packages; Ubuntu tracks newer versions.
• Both use apt and systemd, so administration is nearly identical.
• Debian's stable branches change less often — great for long-lived servers.

Troubleshooting

• Problem: apt complains about a missing repository. Solution: check /etc/apt/sources.list and any files under /etc/apt/sources.list.d/.
• Problem: SSH key login denied. Solution: verify the key selected at deploy time, or add it manually via the console.
• Problem: no sudo command. Solution: as root, run apt install sudo and add your user to the sudo group.

Related articles

• [Installing Ubuntu Server]
• [Managing users and sudo access]
• [Updating the operating system]