So, you just got a dedicated server. Cool, huh? But now you're probably thinking, "What am I gonna put on it?" I know that's what I thought when I first got mine. A server is just a box, right? You'll have to put stuff in the box.
Web Hosting Software
If you are going to run websites, you are going to need some web hosting panels. The most popular are cPanel/WHM, Plesk, or DirectAdmin. These allow you to manage your websites, emails and files all in one place. Without a hosting panel, you would be entering long commands all the time. I once cloud experiment a little (I had no idea what I was doing) and it was terrible!
Database Software
A website or app typically requires a database. You could install MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL. MySQL is easy to use and works well for most sites. PostgreSQL was more powerful and offered additional features if you wanted them. Isn't it nice to have options?
Security Software
A powerful server has no value without security. Always install a firewall (CSF, UFW), antivirus (ClamAV), and some fail2ban type software. These will prevent hackers and keep your server safe. Picture this like locking your house—you don't just leave the door wide open, right?
Development Stacks
If you are building apps or websites you can install LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) or LEMP (Linux, Nginx, MySQL, PHP). They will give you everything you need to create and test apps. Personally, I like Nginx as it feels faster, like going from a VW Bug to a sports car.
Virtualization & Containers
Want to run "tiny" mini servers inside your server? Docker or Kubernetes will let you create.... Docker allows you to run apps in isolation so they don't impact one another. After starting with Docker, I couldn't stop... life is so much easier!
Backup and Monitor
There are lots of backup tools you don’t want to skip over, such as Rsync or R1Soft, or monitoring tools like Nagios or Zabbix. The backup will make your life much easier when something happens that is out of your control. I once lost everything that I was working on, because I did not have a backup—and it hurt. Let my mistake be your lesson learned!
Final Thoughts
So what should you install on your dedicated server? You can install almost anything you can think of, including application software for web hosting, databases, security applications, development tools, even game servers. What I would say is, what do you want it to do for you? This is the fun part!
