How to Set Up a Secure, Cheap Linode Ubuntu VM for 5 bucks a month

Need to setup a super cheap virtual machine? I got you. Linode offers $5/month VMs (or free with a $100 credit—don’t miss that). Let’s get one up and running fast while making it secure so hackers don’t have a field day.

Step 1: Create Your Linode

Go to Linode and sign up.

Click Linodes → Create Linode.

Pick a region close to you (lower latency = good).

Select Ubuntu as the OS.

Choose Shared CPU → Nanode 1GB ($5/month).

Set a strong password (seriously, this is public!).

Click Create Node.

Once it’s running, copy the SSH access from the dashboard.

Step 2: First Login

Fire up PowerShell (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) and run:

ssh root@your-vm-ip

✅ Accept the SHA fingerprint.
✅ Enter the password you just created.

Congrats, you’re in. Now, let’s lock this thing down.

? Step 3: Secure Your VM (No More Root, No Passwords!)

Create a new user (because using root is bad practice):

adduser robo

✔️ Set a password (skip the extra profile questions by pressing Enter).

Give them admin power:

usermod -aG sudo robo

Log out and log back in as your new user:

logout
ssh robo@your-vm-ip

? Now you’re using a non-root account.

Step 4: Set Up SSH Key Authentication (No More Passwords!)

Create an SSH key on your local machine (logout if your still on your vm):

ssh-keygen -b 4096

✔️ Choose a filename (or just hit Enter).
✔️ Set a passphrase (optional, but good for security).
✔️ Find your new key (id_ed25519.pub or id_rsa.pub in ~/.ssh).

Copy the key to your VM:

scp ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub robo@your-vm-ip:~/.ssh/authorized_keys

? Now, log back in without using a password:

ssh robo@your-vm-ip

If you set a passphrase, enter it. Otherwise, you’re in password-free.

Step 5: Lock Down SSH (No Root, No Password Logins)

Edit the SSH config:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

? Change these settings:

Port 890  # Pick a random port, not 22
PermitRootLogin no
PasswordAuthentication no

? Save (CTRL + S), exit (CTRL + X)

Step 6: Reboot & Confirm

Reboot your Linode:

sudo reboot

Check the Linode dashboard to see when it’s back up. Then, try logging in:

ssh robo@your-vm-ip -p 890

If that works, congrats! You now have a super secure and cheap Linode VM.

Final Thoughts

✅ $5/month server? Check.
✅ No root login? Check.
✅ No password logins? Check.
✅ Changed SSH port? Check.

Your Linode is now secure and ready for action. Whether you’re hosting a site, running a bot, or just messing around, nobody’s brute-forcing their way in.

? Next Steps:
Want to make it even better? Install UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall), set up fail2ban, or add automatic updates. But that’s a story for another day.

Let me know if you need help or have suggestions in the comments!