How to Install Debian on an ExColo VPS

Why Debian on a VPS?

DistroFight scores Debian 10/10 for server use — legendary stability, minimal surprise updates, and the default choice for serious VPS operators. If you want newer packages every six months, use Fedora on ExColo instead.

This guide targets Debian 12 (bookworm) stable on an ExColo VPS with root SSH access.

1. Initial access

ssh root@your-server-ip

Create a sudo user:

adduser deploy
usermod -aG sudo deploy

Install your SSH key:

mkdir -p /home/deploy/.ssh
nano /home/deploy/.ssh/authorized_keys   # paste your public key
chown -R deploy:deploy /home/deploy/.ssh
chmod 700 /home/deploy/.ssh
chmod 600 /home/deploy/.ssh/authorized_keys

2. System update

apt update && apt full-upgrade -y
apt install -y sudo curl git vim ufw fail2ban

Reboot if the kernel changed:

reboot

3. Harden SSH

Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config:

PermitRootLogin no
PasswordAuthentication no

Apply:

systemctl restart sshd

Test ssh deploy@your-server-ip in a second terminal before closing root.

4. Firewall with UFW

ufw default deny incoming
ufw default allow outgoing
ufw allow OpenSSH
ufw allow 80/tcp
ufw allow 443/tcp
ufw enable

Add database or mail ports only when required — and prefer IP allowlists.

5. Automatic security updates

apt install -y unattended-upgrades apt-listchanges
dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades

Debian stable + unattended-upgrades is why operators pick Debian over rolling distros for unmanned VPS instances.

6. Optional: Docker

apt install -y docker.io docker-compose-plugin
usermod -aG docker deploy
systemctl enable --now docker

For production orchestration, many teams prefer Podman or plain systemd — Docker is optional convenience.

Debian vs Ubuntu on the same VPS

Both score 10/10 for server in DistroFight. Choose Debian when you want the leanest stable base and freedom-first defaults. Choose Ubuntu when vendors ship .deb packages tested against Ubuntu LTS first.

Read the full debate: Ubuntu vs Debian.

Next steps

• Run the server wizard path
• Compare Debian vs Ubuntu side-by-side
• Order VPS hosting at excolo.pl