Short notes on keeping one small Linux server alive: how I back it up, serve a few static pages from it, keep its certificate fresh, and stop it from rotting. Written mostly so I don't have to work it out twice.
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Letting Ubuntu patch itself with unattended-upgrades
Security updates without logging in, and how to know when a reboot is actually needed.
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What is actually inside a TLS certificate
Reading one with openssl: subject, SANs, validity, chain, and the fields that matter.
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A minimal nginx config for a static site
Two server blocks, a redirect, sensible headers, and nothing else.
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Backing up a small server with restic
Encrypted, deduplicated snapshots to cheap storage, restore tested once a month.