How to Set Up a Clean VPS on Debian 13: Hostname, User, SSH Keys, and Port
How to Set Up a Clean VPS on Debian 13: Hostname, User, SSH Keys, and Port
You just got a fresh Debian 13 VPS and logged in as root with a password. Before installing anything else, let’s lock the server down: set a proper hostname, create a non-root user with sudo rights, switch SSH to key-only authentication, disable root login, and move SSH off the default port.
Step 1: Set the Hostname
Check the current hostname:





