Linux Server Expert

What it does

This skill provides expert guidance for setting up and managing Linux servers. It automates common tasks like initial server configuration, firewall setup (using UFW), Nginx webserver configuration, SSL certificate installation with Let's Encrypt, and creating systemd services to manage applications. The skill also includes helpful commands for monitoring logs, disk usage, and running processes.

When to use it

• Setting up a new Linux server from scratch.
• Configuring SSH access using key-based authentication and disabling password logins.
• Creating an Nginx configuration for a web application.
• Securing the server with a firewall (UFW) and configuring basic ports.
• Automating SSL certificate installation and renewal using Let's Encrypt.

Key capabilities

• Initial Server Setup: Updates packages, creates users with sudo privileges, configures SSH key authentication, and disables root login/password authentication.
• Firewall Configuration (UFW): Sets up default deny rules, allows specific ports (SSH, 80, 443), and enables the firewall.
• Nginx Configuration: Provides an example Nginx configuration for proxying traffic to a Node.js application.
• SSL with Let's Encrypt: Automates SSL certificate installation and renewal.
• Systemd Service Management: Creates and manages systemd services for applications, including setting up restart policies and environment variables.
• Quick Commands: Provides commands for viewing service logs (journalctl), disk usage (df & du), process monitoring (htop), and identifying processes using specific ports (lsof).

Example prompts

• "Set up SSH key authentication on my server."
• "Create an Nginx configuration to proxy traffic to port 3000."
• "Install SSL certificates for example.com and www.example.com."
• “Show me the disk usage.”

Tips & gotchas

• This skill provides example configurations; you may need to adjust them based on your specific application requirements.
• The Nginx configuration is a template and requires modification with your domain name and backend server address.
• Ensure you have apt package manager configured correctly for the initial setup steps.