How to Set Up a Clean VPS on Debian 13: Hostname, User, SSH Keys, and Port

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

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:

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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

Step 1: Set the Hostname