{"id":1156,"date":"2026-01-18T17:31:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T17:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/?p=1156"},"modified":"2026-01-18T17:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T17:31:08","slug":"learn-linux-devops-free-vps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Learn Linux &#038; DevOps Using a Free VPS"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Building_a_DevOps_Sandbox_How_to_Learn_Linux_on_a_Free_VPS\" >Building a DevOps Sandbox: How to Learn Linux on a Free VPS<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Why_a_Remote_VPS_is_Better_Than_a_Local_Virtual_Machine\" >Why a Remote VPS is Better Than a Local Virtual Machine<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Project_1_Mastering_SSH_and_Server_Hardening\" >Project 1: Mastering SSH and Server Hardening<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Step_1_Generate_an_SSH_Key_Pair\" >Step 1: Generate an SSH Key Pair<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Step_2_Upload_the_Key_to_Your_VPS\" >Step 2: Upload the Key to Your VPS<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Step_3_The_%E2%80%9CScary%E2%80%9D_Part_Disabling_Passwords\" >Step 3: The &#8220;Scary&#8221; Part (Disabling Passwords)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Project_2_The_Web_Server_Nginx_Firewalls\" >Project 2: The Web Server (Nginx &amp; Firewalls)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Step_1_Update_and_Install\" >Step 1: Update and Install<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Step_2_Configure_the_Firewall_UFW\" >Step 2: Configure the Firewall (UFW)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Step_3_Create_Your_Own_Page\" >Step 3: Create Your Own Page<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Project_3_Introduction_to_Containerization_Docker\" >Project 3: Introduction to Containerization (Docker)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Step_1_Installing_Docker\" >Step 1: Installing Docker<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Step_2_Your_First_Container\" >Step 2: Your First Container<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Step_3_Running_a_Service\" >Step 3: Running a Service<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Essential_Commands_Cheat_Sheet\" >Essential Commands Cheat Sheet<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Common_Beginner_Mistakes_to_Avoid\" >Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#1_Ignoring_Updates\" >1. Ignoring Updates<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#2_Losing_Your_SSH_Key\" >2. Losing Your SSH Key<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#3_Forgetting_the_%E2%80%9CCloud_Firewall%E2%80%9D\" >3. Forgetting the &#8220;Cloud Firewall&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/learn-linux-devops-free-vps\/#Conclusion_Whats_Next\" >Conclusion: What&#8217;s Next?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Building_a_DevOps_Sandbox_How_to_Learn_Linux_on_a_Free_VPS\"><\/span>Building a DevOps Sandbox: How to Learn Linux on a Free VPS<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>You can watch endless tutorials on YouTube, buy expensive Udemy courses, and read thick textbooks, but you will never truly learn Linux until you break something. The fear of &#8220;messing up&#8221; your personal computer often holds beginners back from experimenting with the command line.<\/p>\n<p>This is where a <strong>Free Virtual Private Server (VPS)<\/strong> becomes your most valuable learning tool.<\/p>\n<p>A free VPS acts as a &#8220;Sandbox&#8221;\u2014an isolated environment where you can execute dangerous commands, install complex software, and crash the system without any real-world consequences. If you delete a critical system file, you simply click &#8220;Rebuild&#8221; in your cloud dashboard and start over in minutes. It is the ultimate safe space for failure.<\/p>\n<p>In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through a roadmap of <strong>three essential projects<\/strong> you can build today on a free cloud server to jumpstart your DevOps career. We will move beyond the basics and touch on real-world industry standards like SSH Key hardening, Firewalls, and Containerization.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_a_Remote_VPS_is_Better_Than_a_Local_Virtual_Machine\"><\/span>Why a Remote VPS is Better Than a Local Virtual Machine<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many introductory courses recommend installing VirtualBox or VMWare on your laptop. While valid, this approach misses a crucial component of modern tech: <strong>Networking.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When you use a remote VPS (from providers like Google Cloud, AWS, Oracle, or Azure), you are forced to deal with the messy reality of the internet:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Latency:<\/strong> Learning how to work when the terminal isn&#8217;t instant.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Firewalls:<\/strong> Understanding ports (80, 443, 22) and ingress\/egress rules.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Public Exposure:<\/strong> The realization that bots are scanning your IP address 24\/7 (and how to stop them).<\/li>\n<li><strong>DNS Propagation:<\/strong> How domain names actually connect to servers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are the exact challenges you will face in a professional IT environment. Mastering them now gives you a massive advantage over candidates who have only ever coded on <code>localhost<\/code>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6111873481053668\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- RSP2026 --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6111873481053668\" data-ad-slot=\"1912178311\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Project_1_Mastering_SSH_and_Server_Hardening\"><\/span>Project 1: Mastering SSH and Server Hardening<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Your first task isn&#8217;t to install a website or a game server; it is to secure the front door. By default, when you spin up a VPS, you often log in as the <code>root<\/code> user with a password. In the professional world, this is a massive security risk.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Goal:<\/strong> Disable password logins entirely and rely on cryptographic keys.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Generate_an_SSH_Key_Pair\"><\/span>Step 1: Generate an SSH Key Pair<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>On your <strong>local computer<\/strong> (not the server), open your terminal (Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows) and run:<\/p>\n<pre><code>ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>You will be asked where to save the key. Press <strong>Enter<\/strong> to accept the default location. You will now have two files: a <em>private key<\/em> (never share this) and a <em>public key<\/em> (this goes to the server).<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Upload_the_Key_to_Your_VPS\"><\/span>Step 2: Upload the Key to Your VPS<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>We need to tell the server to trust your computer. Use the following command, replacing the IP address with your VPS IP:<\/p>\n<pre><code>ssh-copy-id root@192.0.2.1<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>You will be asked for the root password one last time. Once successful, try logging in again:<\/p>\n<pre><code>ssh root@192.0.2.1<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>If it logs you in without asking for a password, your keys are working!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_The_%E2%80%9CScary%E2%80%9D_Part_Disabling_Passwords\"><\/span>Step 3: The &#8220;Scary&#8221; Part (Disabling Passwords)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Now we will edit the server&#8217;s configuration to reject all password attempts. This stops brute-force hackers cold.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open the SSH config file: <code>nano \/etc\/ssh\/sshd_config<\/code><\/li>\n<li>Find the line that says <code>PasswordAuthentication yes<\/code> and change it to <code>no<\/code>.<\/li>\n<li>Find <code>PermitRootLogin yes<\/code> and change it to <code>prohibit-password<\/code> (or create a new user and disable root entirely for extra credit).<\/li>\n<li>Save the file (Ctrl+O, Enter) and exit (Ctrl+X).<\/li>\n<li>Restart the SSH service: <code>service ssh restart<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Congratulations.<\/strong> You have just secured a Linux server. If a hacker doesn&#8217;t have your specific file on their hard drive, they cannot get in, no matter how much computing power they use.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Project_2_The_Web_Server_Nginx_Firewalls\"><\/span>Project 2: The Web Server (Nginx &amp; Firewalls)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Now that you are in, let&#8217;s make the server do something useful. We will install <strong>Nginx<\/strong> (pronounced &#8220;Engine X&#8221;), a high-performance web server used by Netflix, Airbnb, and Uber.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Update_and_Install\"><\/span>Step 1: Update and Install<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Linux software comes from &#8220;repositories.&#8221; Always update your list before installing anything to ensure you get the latest security patches.<\/p>\n<pre><code>apt update &amp;&amp; apt upgrade -y\r\napt install nginx -y<\/code><\/pre>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Configure_the_Firewall_UFW\"><\/span>Step 2: Configure the Firewall (UFW)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you visit your server&#8217;s IP address now, it might refuse to connect. This is likely because the firewall is blocking Port 80 (HTTP). <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/gratisvps.net\/blog\/setting-up-a-web-application-stack-with-docker-on-ubuntu-vps\/\">Ubuntu<\/a><\/strong> uses UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall).<\/p>\n<pre><code>ufw allow 'Nginx Full'\r\nufw enable<\/code><\/pre>\n<p><em>Note: If you are on Oracle Cloud or AWS, you must also open Port 80 in their respective &#8220;Security Lists&#8221; or &#8220;Security Groups&#8221; in the web dashboard.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Create_Your_Own_Page\"><\/span>Step 3: Create Your Own Page<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>By default, Nginx shows a generic &#8220;Welcome&#8221; page. Let&#8217;s hack it. The file lives in <code>\/var\/www\/html\/index.html<\/code>.<\/p>\n<pre><code>rm \/var\/www\/html\/index.html\r\nnano \/var\/www\/html\/index.html<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>Paste in some simple HTML:<\/p>\n<pre><code>&lt;h1&gt;Hello World!&lt;\/h1&gt;\r\n&lt;p&gt;This site is hosted on my free VPS.&lt;\/p&gt;<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>Save and refresh your browser. You are live.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Project_3_Introduction_to_Containerization_Docker\"><\/span>Project 3: Introduction to Containerization (Docker)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Modern DevOps is all about containers. Docker allows you to package applications so they run anywhere\u2014from your laptop to a massive Kubernetes cluster\u2014without changing a line of code.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can you run Docker on a free VPS?<\/strong> Yes, but with limits. <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.docker.com\/engine\/install\/\">Docker<\/a> adds overhead. On a standard 1GB RAM free tier instance (like AWS or Azure), you should stick to lightweight containers. On Oracle Cloud&#8217;s ARM instances (24GB RAM), you can run dozens of containers easily.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Installing_Docker\"><\/span>Step 1: Installing Docker<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Run this convenient script to install the engine:<\/p>\n<pre><code>curl -fsSL https:\/\/get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh\r\nsh get-docker.sh<\/code><\/pre>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Your_First_Container\"><\/span>Step 2: Your First Container<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Let&#8217;s run the classic test. This command downloads a tiny image, creates a container, runs it, prints a message, and exits.<\/p>\n<pre><code>docker run hello-world<\/code><\/pre>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Running_a_Service\"><\/span>Step 3: Running a Service<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Let&#8217;s try something cooler. We will run a <em>second<\/em> web server inside a container, but mapped to a different port (8080) so it doesn&#8217;t conflict with Nginx.<\/p>\n<pre><code>docker run -d -p 8080:80 --name my-docker-web nginx<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>Now, if you visit <code>http:\/\/Your-IP:8080<\/code>, you will see a fresh Nginx page served from inside the container. You are now running a microservice architecture.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Essential_Commands_Cheat_Sheet\"><\/span>Essential Commands Cheat Sheet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As you explore, you will need to navigate the system. Memorize these five commands to survive in the terminal:<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6111873481053668\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-format=\"autorelaxed\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6111873481053668\" data-ad-slot=\"6041209797\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><code>htop<\/code>: An interactive task manager. Use this to see if your free VPS is running out of RAM. (You may need to run <code>apt install htop<\/code> first).<\/li>\n<li><code>df -h<\/code>: Checks disk space usage. Vital for free tiers with small 10GB-30GB drives.<\/li>\n<li><code>tail -f \/var\/log\/nginx\/access.log<\/code>: Watch web traffic hit your server in real-time. It\u2019s mesmerizing (and useful for debugging).<\/li>\n<li><code>history<\/code>: Forgot that complex command you typed five minutes ago? This lists everything you&#8217;ve typed.<\/li>\n<li><code>sudo<\/code>: &#8220;SuperUser Do.&#8221; If the server says &#8220;Permission Denied,&#8221; putting <code>sudo<\/code> in front of the command is the magic word (use responsibly).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Beginner_Mistakes_to_Avoid\"><\/span>Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Ignoring_Updates\"><\/span>1. Ignoring Updates<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Linux servers are secure, but only if patched. Running outdated software on a public IP is asking to be hacked. Make it a habit to run <code>apt update &amp;&amp; apt upgrade<\/code> once a week.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Losing_Your_SSH_Key\"><\/span>2. Losing Your SSH Key<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you disabled password logins (Project 1) and then lose your private key file (or delete your computer), you are locked out forever. <strong>Always backup your keys<\/strong> to a USB drive or a private cloud storage folder.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Forgetting_the_%E2%80%9CCloud_Firewall%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>3. Forgetting the &#8220;Cloud Firewall&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you opened a port in Linux (UFW) but still can&#8217;t connect, 99% of the time the issue is the provider&#8217;s external firewall. Check the AWS Security Group, Oracle Security List, or Google Cloud Firewall Rules.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion_Whats_Next\"><\/span>Conclusion: What&#8217;s Next?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once you have completed these three projects, you are no longer a beginner. You have successfully navigated SSH, configured a production-grade web server, and deployed a container.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where do you go from here?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Buy a Domain Name:<\/strong> Learn how to point a domain (DNS) to your VPS IP using &#8220;A Records.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Secure with SSL:<\/strong> Use a tool called &#8220;Certbot&#8221; to install a free Let&#8217;s Encrypt SSL certificate, turning your HTTP site into HTTPS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Automate it:<\/strong> Write a simple Bash script to update your server automatically every Sunday.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The cloud is your playground. The best way to learn is to try, break, and rebuild.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Building a DevOps Sandbox: How to Learn Linux on a Free VPS You can watch endless tutorials on YouTube, buy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[174,2,215],"tags":[516,513,512,511,381,514,312,515],"class_list":["post-1156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-free-vps-hosting","category-linux","category-tutorial","tag-cloud-skills","tag-devops-lab","tag-docker-for-beginners","tag-linux-tutorial","tag-nginx-tutorial","tag-ssh-basics","tag-ubuntu-server","tag-web-server-setup"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Learn Linux &amp; DevOps Using a Free VPS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Don&#039;t just read about Linux\u2014practice it. 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