firefrost-operations-manual/docs/deployment/dev-vps-setup.md

Dev VPS - Initial Setup and Configuration

Server: Dev VPS (Development/Testing Environment)
IP: 64.50.188.128
Location: Chicago, IL
Provider: Breezehost
Deployed: April 1, 2026
Configured by: Chronicler #51

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Overview

Fresh Ubuntu 24.04 LTS server configured as a development and testing environment for Firefrost Gaming projects. Provides isolated environment for experimentation, CI/CD testing, and development work without affecting production infrastructure.

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Server Specifications

Hardware:

• CPU: 2x AMD Epyc (Cloud-2)
• RAM: 4GB (3.8GB usable)
• Storage: 80GB NVMe SSD (38GB allocated, 36GB free)
• Swap: 512MB
• Network: 1 Gbps (inbound/outbound)

Network Configuration:

• Primary IP: 64.50.188.128
• Gateway: 64.50.188.1
• Netmask: 255.255.255.0
• Interface: ens3
• MAC: 00:6C:80:0E:FB:72
• DNS Primary: 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare)
• DNS Secondary: 8.8.8.8 (Google)
• IPv6: Disabled (was auto-assigned, manually disabled)

Operating System:

• Distribution: Ubuntu Server 24.04.4 LTS (Noble Numbat) Minimal
• Kernel: 6.8.0-106-generic x86_64
• Architecture: x86_64
• Support: Until April 2029 (5 years)

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Installed Software

System Utilities

• UFW Firewall: v0.36.2-6 (active and enabled on boot)
• Cockpit: Latest (web-based server management)
  • cockpit-storaged (storage management)
  • cockpit-networkmanager (network configuration)
  • cockpit-packagekit (package management)

Development Tools

• Node.js: Latest LTS (v20.x series)
• npm: Latest (bundled with Node.js)
• Docker: v29.3.1 (latest stable)
  • docker-ce
  • docker-ce-cli
  • containerd.io
  • docker-buildx-plugin
  • docker-compose-plugin

Planned Installations

• Git: For version control
• fail2ban: SSH brute-force protection
• Python 3: For automation scripts
• Nginx: Reverse proxy (if needed for testing)

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Security Configuration

Firewall Rules (UFW)

Status: Active and enabled on system startup
Logging: On (low level)
Default Policies:

• Incoming: DENY
• Outgoing: ALLOW
• Routed: DISABLED

Allowed Ports:

Port	Protocol	Service	Comment
22	TCP	SSH	Remote access
9090	TCP	Cockpit	Web terminal

View current rules:

ufw status verbose

Add new rule:

ufw allow [port]/tcp comment 'Service Name'

IPv6 Configuration

Status: Disabled

IPv6 was auto-assigned by Breezehost but manually disabled for simplicity.

Configuration in /etc/sysctl.conf:

net.ipv6.conf.all.disable_ipv6 = 1
net.ipv6.conf.default.disable_ipv6 = 1

To re-enable IPv6 (if needed):

sed -i '/net.ipv6.conf.all.disable_ipv6/d' /etc/sysctl.conf
sed -i '/net.ipv6.conf.default.disable_ipv6/d' /etc/sysctl.conf
sysctl -p
reboot

Root Access

SSH: Enabled (currently)
Cockpit: Enabled (root removed from disallowed-users)
Password: Set (stored in Vaultwarden)

Future Hardening (TODO):

• Create sudo-enabled admin user
• Disable root SSH login
• Enable SSH key-only authentication
• Install fail2ban for brute-force protection

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Service Access

SSH Access

Method 1: MobaXterm (Windows)

Host: 64.50.188.128
Port: 22
User: root
Auth: Password or SSH key

Method 2: Command Line

ssh root@64.50.188.128

Cockpit Web Terminal

URL: https://64.50.188.128:9090

Login Credentials:

• Username: root
• Password: [stored in Vaultwarden]

Features Available:

• Terminal (web-based SSH)
• System monitoring (CPU, RAM, disk, network)
• Storage management
• Network configuration
• Package management (APT)
• Service management (systemd)
• Log viewer

Certificate Warning: Self-signed certificate will trigger browser warning - this is normal, click "Accept Risk and Continue"

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Docker Configuration

Version: 29.3.1
Status: Installed and running

Basic Docker Commands

Test installation:

docker run hello-world

Common commands:

# List running containers
docker ps

# List all containers (including stopped)
docker ps -a

# List images
docker images

# Pull an image
docker pull ubuntu:latest

# Run a container
docker run -it ubuntu:latest bash

# Remove stopped containers
docker container prune

# Remove unused images
docker image prune

Docker Compose

Installed: Yes (v2 plugin)

Usage:

docker compose up -d
docker compose down
docker compose logs -f

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Node.js Configuration

Version: Latest LTS (v20.x)
npm Version: Latest (bundled)

Basic Commands

Check versions:

node --version
npm --version

Install packages globally:

npm install -g [package-name]

Install packages locally:

npm install [package-name]

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System Monitoring

Command Line Tools

System info:

# OS version
cat /etc/os-release

# Kernel version
uname -r

# System uptime
uptime

# Memory usage
free -h

# Disk usage
df -h

# CPU info
lscpu

# Network interfaces
ip a

# Active connections
ss -tulpn

Cockpit Dashboard

Access via https://64.50.188.128:9090 for graphical monitoring:

• Real-time CPU/RAM/disk graphs
• Network traffic monitoring
• Service status
• System logs

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Common Maintenance Tasks

Update System Packages

apt update
apt upgrade -y
apt autoremove -y

Restart Services

# Restart Docker
systemctl restart docker

# Restart Cockpit
systemctl restart cockpit

# Restart UFW
ufw reload

Check Service Status

systemctl status docker
systemctl status cockpit.socket
systemctl status ufw

Clean Up Disk Space

# Remove old packages
apt autoremove -y
apt autoclean

# Remove Docker cruft
docker system prune -a

# Remove old logs
journalctl --vacuum-time=7d

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Development Workflow Examples

Testing a Node.js Application

# Clone repo
git clone [repo-url]
cd [project]

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run application
npm start

Testing with Docker

# Build custom image
docker build -t myapp:latest .

# Run container
docker run -d -p 8080:8080 myapp:latest

# View logs
docker logs -f [container-id]

# Stop container
docker stop [container-id]

Testing CI/CD Pipelines

# Clone Firefrost services repo
git clone https://[token]@git.firefrostgaming.com/firefrost-gaming/firefrost-services.git

# Test deployment script
cd firefrost-services
./deploy.sh --test

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Troubleshooting

Cannot SSH to Server

Check firewall:

ufw status

Ensure SSH is allowed:

ufw allow 22/tcp

Check SSH service:

systemctl status ssh

Cockpit Not Accessible

Check service:

systemctl status cockpit.socket

Restart if needed:

systemctl restart cockpit

Check firewall:

ufw allow 9090/tcp

Docker Container Won't Start

Check logs:

docker logs [container-name]

Check Docker service:

systemctl status docker

Restart Docker:

systemctl restart docker

Out of Disk Space

Check usage:

df -h
du -sh /* | sort -h

Clean up:

apt autoremove -y
apt autoclean
docker system prune -a
journalctl --vacuum-time=7d

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Future Enhancements

Phase 1 (Security Hardening)

• Create sudo-enabled admin user (architect)
• Install fail2ban
• Disable root SSH login
• SSH key-only authentication
• Configure automatic security updates

Phase 2 (Development Tools)

• Install Git
• Install Python 3 and pip
• Install Nginx (if needed)
• Set up CI/CD runner (GitHub Actions or Gitea Actions)
• Configure development database (PostgreSQL or MySQL)

Phase 3 (Monitoring)

• Install Netdata for advanced monitoring
• Configure log aggregation
• Set up alerting (Discord webhooks)
• Integrate with Uptime Kuma on Command Center

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Cost and Resources

Monthly Cost: $10
Provider: Breezehost (locked-in pricing)
Commitment: Month-to-month (no contract)

Resource Allocation:

• CPU: Light (development workloads)
• RAM: Adequate for most dev tasks (4GB)
• Storage: Sufficient for testing (80GB)
• Network: Fast (1 Gbps)

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Related Documentation

• Infrastructure Manifest: docs/core/infrastructure-manifest.md
• Command Center Setup: docs/deployment/command-center-setup.md
• Docker Best Practices: docs/guides/docker-best-practices.md
• Security Hardening Guide: docs/guides/server-security-hardening.md

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Deployment Log

April 1, 2026 - Initial Setup:

1. ✅ Ubuntu 24.04 LTS installed (Noble Numbat Minimal)
2. ✅ System updated (apt update && upgrade)
3. ✅ Root password set
4. ✅ IPv6 disabled
5. ✅ UFW firewall configured (ports 22, 9090)
6. ✅ Node.js LTS installed
7. ✅ Docker v29.3.1 installed
8. ✅ Cockpit web terminal installed
9. ✅ Root login to Cockpit enabled
10. ✅ Server rebooted and tested

Status: ✅ OPERATIONAL - Ready for development work

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Fire + Frost + Foundation = Where Love Builds Legacy 🔥❄️💙

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Last Updated: April 1, 2026
Configured by: Chronicler #51
Next Steps: Security hardening (create admin user, fail2ban, SSH keys)