In this post, we’ll be walking through how i step up my vps to host my site and configuerd my custom email address using my domain

Prerequisites

Software Needed

• Command Prompt : for talking to my server via SSH and running simple commands
• Visual Studio Code : used to build the site
• GitHub : Used for backing up my code
• Nginx : used to host and server the site
• Rsync: for sending files from local to vps
• Windows Subsystem for Linux : provided a Linux environment for running server related commands

Technical skills

1. System Administration

• Configured a VPS using SSH on Command Prompt
• Installed and confiured Nginx

2. Networking and DNS Management

• Configured DNS records (A,AAAA,MX and TXT) to link domain to VPS and enable email functionality
• Tested and verified DNS propagation to ensure proper connectivity

3. Software Installation and Configuration

• Deployed files to the VPS using Rsync
• Edited site files using VS Code and applied udates to the server after commiting to GitHub

4. Email Set Up

• Configured a custom email address using Titan, including SPF, DKIM and Dmarc for email authencation

5. Problem-Solving and Troubleshooting

• Resolved connectivity issues during server setup and verfied Nginx functionality

6. Documentation and Communitcation

• Created clear and concise documentation to outline the set-up process

Accounts and Services

• Vultr : My VPS provider
• Epik : My domain registar
• Titan Email : used to set up and manage a custom email based on my domain

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 : Set Up Your VPS

1. Sign Up and Create a VPS

• Go To Vultr and create an account
• Deploy a server instance :
  • Choose a Server Type : Debian 12x64
  • Server Size : Start with the basic plan
  • Region : Choose the server location closest to you

2. Access The Server Via SSH :

• Use command prompt to log in. Replace(your-ip-here) with your servers ip address

bash

ssh root@<your-ip-here>

• Accept the SSH key fingerprint and enter the root password provided by Vultr

3. Update The Server :

bash

sudo apt udpate 
sudo apt update -y

Step 2 : Configure The Web Server(Nginx)

1. Install Nginx :

bash

Sudo apt install nginx -y

2. Enable Nginx

• Ensure Nginx service is running :

bash

Sudo systemctl enable nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx

3. Test Nginx Installation :

• Ensure correct firewall ports are open

bash 

ufw allow 80 
ufw allow 443

• Open browser and go to your VPS IP address http://(your-ip-here). You Should see the default Nginx Welcome page

4. Deploy your website :

• Install Rsync :

bash

sudo apt install rsync

• Move dist folder from local machine to VPS using rsync :

bash

rsync -avz -e "ssh" /mnt/c/path/to/local/folder/ root@your-ip-here:/var/www/<your-site>/

• Update the Nginx configuration file to serve your site :

bash

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/<your-site>

• Example Configuation :

server {
   listen 80;
   server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;

   root /var/www/<your-site>;
   index index.html index.htm;

   location / {
       try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
   }
}

• Enable Configuration and Reload Nginx :

bash

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/<your-site> /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 3 : Configure DNS for Your Domain

1. Log in to Epik: -Go to Epik and access your domain settings -Update the DNS records:
   • A Record : Points yourdomain to your VPS Ipv4 address
   • AAAA Record : Points yourdomain to your VPS Ipv6 address
2. Verify DNS Propagation Use a DNS lookup tool to confirm records are live

Step 4 : Setup Email with Titan

1. Sign Up and Configure Titan Email
   • Create an account on Titan Email
   • Connect Titan to you domain by adding the required DNS records(SPF,DKIM and MX) in Epik
2. Test Email Functionality
   • Send and receive test emails to confirm everything is working

Step 5: Troubleshooting Common Issues

1. Cannot connect via ssh

• ensure port 22 is open in the VPS

2. Nginx Configuration Error

• Run sudo nginx -t to test the configuration for syntax errors.

3. DNS propagation Delay

• It can take up to 24 hours for DNA changes to propagate