Getting Started with Debian 11 (Bullseye) on Your VPS

Debian 11 (Bullseye) is a stable, proven Linux distribution known for its minimalism and reliability. Released in 2021, it's older than Debian 12 but still receives security updates. Ideal for those who prefer a mature, lightweight system.

About Debian 11

• Release date: August 2021
• Security support: Until summer 2024
• LTS support: Until 2026
• Stability: Very stable, tried and tested
• Philosophy: Only free software, minimal bloat

Connect via SSH

ssh root@your-vps-ip

# With SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa root@your-vps-ip

Update System

# Update and upgrade
apt update && apt upgrade -y

# Install security updates
apt install unattended-upgrades -y
dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades

Firewall Setup

# Install UFW
apt install ufw -y

# Enable and allow SSH
ufw allow 22/tcp
ufw enable

# Allow HTTP/HTTPS
ufw allow 80/tcp
ufw allow 443/tcp

# Check status
ufw status

User Management

# Create new user
useradd -m -s /bin/bash admin

# Set password
passwd admin

# Add to sudoers
usermod -aG sudo admin

Install Software

# Essential utilities
apt install -y curl wget git vim htop

# Development tools
apt install -y build-essential python3

# Web servers (optional)
apt install -y nginx mysql-server

Monitor System

# Check disk space
df -h

# Check memory
free -h

# System info
uname -a
lsb_release -a

Next Steps

• Install a control panel if managing websites
• Set up SSH key authentication
• Configure monitoring and backups
• Deploy your applications
• Plan upgrade to Debian 12 after 2024

Related: Debian 12 | OS comparison | VPS setup | Linux basics

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